50 GK Questions with answer on Climatology and Climate Change

50 GK Questions with answer on Climatology and Climate Change

1. What is the primary cause of climate change? Answer: The primary cause of climate change is the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).

2. What is the difference between climate and weather? Answer: Climate refers to the long-term average of weather patterns in a particular region, while weather describes the short-term atmospheric conditions at a specific time and place.

3. What is the greenhouse effect? Answer: The greenhouse effect is the process by which greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to an increase in temperature.

4. What is the main greenhouse gas? Answer: The main greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2).

5. What is the Paris Agreement? Answer: The Paris Agreement is an international treaty signed in 2015 by 196 countries, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

6. What is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)? Answer: The IPCC is a scientific body established by the United Nations to assess the science related to climate change and provide policy recommendations to governments.

7. What is the difference between adaptation and mitigation in the context of climate change? Answer: Adaptation refers to measures taken to adjust to the impacts of climate change, while mitigation refers to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent or limit the extent of climate change.

8. What is the Kyoto Protocol? Answer: The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty signed in 1997 that commits developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

9. What is the ozone layer? Answer: The ozone layer is a region of the Earth’s stratosphere that contains a high concentration of ozone molecules, which protect the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

10. What is the Montreal Protocol? Answer: The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty signed in 1987 that aims to phase out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

11. What is the impact of deforestation on climate change? Answer: Deforestation contributes to climate change by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by trees and releasing carbon stored in trees into the atmosphere.

12. What is ocean acidification? Answer: Ocean acidification is the process by which the pH of seawater decreases due to the absorption of carbon dioxide, which can have negative impacts on marine ecosystems.

13. What is the role of aerosols in climate change? Answer: Aerosols, such as soot and dust, can have a cooling effect on the climate by reflecting sunlight back into space, but they can also contribute to warming by absorbing heat.

14. What is permafrost? Answer: Permafrost is a layer of soil or rock that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years, and its thawing can release large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

15. What is the impact of melting glaciers on sea level? Answer: Melting glaciers contribute to sea level rise by adding more water to the oceans.

16. What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy sources? Answer: Renewable energy sources are those that are replenished naturally, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, while non-renewable energy sources are finite and include fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas.

17. What is the impact of agriculture on climate change? Answer: Agriculture contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, fertilizer use, and land-use changes such as deforestation.