REMOTE SENSING

Mentor Invitational 2009

School: ______Answer Key______

Team Number ______

Names:______

______

  1. Station 1: Satellite Telemetry and Remote Sensing (17 points)

Match the description with the best term. Answers can be used more than once. Some questions ask for multiple answers.

A. MSS B. TM C. CCD D. RADAR E. LIDAR

1__A__ This scanner was used on Landsat 1-5

2__C_ This scanner was and is currently used by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Modular Optico-electronic Multispectral Scanner (MOMS)

3__B__ This scanner was used on Landsat 4 and 5 with a modification on Landsat 7

4__B__ Thematic Mapper

5_E___ Light Detection and Ranging

6__A__ Multispectral Scanner

7__D__ Radio Detection and Ranging

8__A B__ Measures albedo (provide 2 answers)

9__C__ Creates the greatest resolution for imagery

10_E__ Used to determine the amount of water vapor, ozone, or carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

11_D E__ Used to determine topography of Earth’s surface (provide 2 answers)

12_D__ Employs longest wavelength signals

13_A B__ Used to determine climate change by measuring the amount of ice loss in glaciers (provide 2 answers)

14_E__ Employs shortest wavelength signals

I.Station 2: The Greenhouse Effect (36 points)

  1. List the 4 most abundant greenhouse gases (by volume) in order from most abundant to least abundant and indicate at least one anthropogenic source for each (12 points).

Rank / Substance / Anthropogenic Source
1 / Water vapor / Increased combustion; increased temperatures in cities increase evaporation; water vapor feedback during global warming
2 / Carbon dioxide CO2 / Increased combustion; decrease in photosynthesis; increased enteric fermentation; paddy rice farming; increased decomposition
3 / Methane CH4 / Increased numbers of ruminants; landfill decomposition; industrial leakage
4 / Nitrous oxide N2O / Increased use of fertilizers; industrial leakage
  1. In the table below, fill in the greenhouse gas that corresponds with its contribution to the greenhouse effect (8 points)

Substance / Contribution to the Greenhouse Effect
Water vapor / 36 – 70%
CO2 / 9 – 26%
CH4 / 4 – 9%
O3 / 3 – 7%
  1. List 2 trace substance greenhouse gases that are not appreciably found in large quantities in the atmosphere and an anthropogenic source for each (4 points)

Substance / Anthropogenic Source
Sulfur hexafluoride SF6 (old windows, circuit breakers, ventilation tracer); perfluorocarbons (eye surgery, ultrasounds, coolants, fire extinguishers); chloroflurocarbons (refrigerants, fire extinguishers, dry cleaning)
  1. What greenhouse gas has actually decreased in its abundance in the atmosphere over the past decade? (2pts) ___CFCs______
  1. Distinguish between The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming (10 points) The Greenhouse effect refers to the heating of the atmosphere due to the presence of certain gases. This warming is a natural process and should regulate itself over time. The Greenhouse Effect can explain why there is such a difference in surface temperatures between Earth and the Moon (the moon has no atmosphere, and thus no GHE). Global Warming refers to an additional increase in global atmospheric temperatures beyond that which is normal. This is primarily due to an increase in the natural occurrence of greenhouse gases.

II.Station 3: Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations (22 points)

  1. Observe the following diagram and answer the questions:

  1. What is the common name of this graph, that reflects the name of the scientist who compiled the data for it? (3 points)

___The Keeling Curve______

  1. From what location was this data obtained? (3 points)

___Mauna Loa Observatory, HI______

  1. From the graph, calculate the percent change in atmospheric CO2 concentration from the initial reading in 1957 to the last reading in 2007 (3 points). __20.3% +/- 0.5__
  1. From the graph, what is the average rate of increase in CO2 concentration in ppm/yr from 1957 to 2007? (3 points)

__1.28 ppm/yr_____

  1. From the graph, calculate the percent change in atmospheric CO2 concentration from 1990 to 2005 (3 points). __6.2% +/- 0.5
  1. From the graph, what is the average rate of increase in CO2 concentration in ppm/yr from 1990 to 2005? (3 points)

____1.47 ppm/yr____

  1. From your calculated results, what trend do you see occurring? (4 points) The rate of increase is increasing (+1 only for discussing the overall trend and not the change in slope)

III.Station 4: Glacial Retreat (25 points)

Observe the following satellite image and answer the questions:

  1. Calculate the surface area of the Gangotri Glacier that was lost between 1780 and 2001. Be sure to use appropriate units (8 points). 2.66 km2
  1. Calculate the rate at which the glacier retreated in km2/year since 1780 (4 points). 0.012 km2/yr
  1. If the glacier has retreated 2.19 linear km along the valley, what percentage of this retreat has occurred since 1971? (3 points) The glacier has receded 37% in the last 30 years
  1. Other than a rise in ocean sea levels, briefly discuss two potential environmental effects from the melting of glacial and polar ice (10 points).

Decrease in ocean salinity due to influx of freshwater

Increase in rate of glacial melting (positive feedback due to decrease in albedo)

Loss of habitat for polar animals

Potential loss of biodiversity due to change in habitats

Disruption in ocean current path

Potential “mini-ice age” in northern Europe from disruption in North Atlantic Drift

Disruption of polar food chain

IV.Station 5: Global Surface Temperatures (15 points)

  1. Which area on the map has experienced the greatest warming effect in surface temperature since 1970? (2 points) __A__
  2. Which area on the map has experienced the greatest cooling effect since 1970? (2 points)__D__
  3. Propose what the gray areas of the map represent (2 points)

*Gray areas are those in which no data exists

  1. According to this map, which hemisphere (northern or southern) is most affected by positive changes in surface temperature since 1970? (2 points) ___Northern______
  2. Propose an explanation for question 4 (5 points)

*Greater landmass in North Hemisphere which has lower specific heat values than does water. Therefore, land heats quicker than water. Also, more urban development occurs in the Northern Hemisphere, which radiates more heat.

  1. Which area on the map is most likely to expect increased desertification due to the increase in surface temperature? (2 points) __C__

V.Station 6: Global Warming and Climate Change (23 points)

  1. List the top 5 countries in rank order in terms of CO2 emissions (10 points).

Rank
/ Nation / Emissions (in 1000s of metric tonnes)
1 / United States / 6,049,435
2 / China / 5,012,377
3 / Russia / 1,524,993
4 / India / 1,342,962
5 / Japan / 1,257,963
  1. The ___Kyoto______Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) designed to curtail greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale (3 points)
  1. What country signed this protocol, but has yet to ratify it? (2 points)

___U.S.______

  1. Under this protocol, industrialized countries agreed to reduce their collective greenhouse gas emissions by __5.2_ % (3 points)
  1. Which participating country has actually increased their greenhouse gas emissions by over 150% since the signing of the protocol, the greatest increase of any nation? (3 points) ___China______
  1. Name one country that attended this conference as an observer, but has yet to sign or ratify the protocol (2 points)

Andorra

Iraq

Somalia

Vatican City

  1. Station 7: Data Analysis
  1. Use the data from Vostok ice core samples to answer the following questions:

Years Before Present / Temperature Difference from Today in °C
-400003 / -1.64
-380435 / -4.68
-360376 / -5.89
-340490 / -7.44
-320102 / -0.12
-300039 / -3.08
-280038 / -6.17
-260009 / -8.30
-240080 / -2.12
-220023 / -4.31
-200015 / -2.68
-180060 / -6.34
-160076 / -6.25
-140093 / -8.99
-120016 / -0.86
-100028 / -3.45
-90048 / -5.61
-80020 / -3.66
-70054 / -7.84
-60007 / -6.53
-50061 / -5.03
-40054 / -6.91
-30036 / -7.95
-20035 / -7.62
-10027 / -0.28
-2009 / -0.45
-17 / 0

a. Graph the data in the following area. Label axes (5 points)

b. From the graph, identify the periods (in years before present) where the Earth entered an Ice Age (4 points)

20K to 70K years ago

14K years ago

260K years ago

34K years ago

c. From the graph, identify the 3 time periods (in years before present) that were times of global warming (3 points)

11K to 12K years ago

19K to 25K years ago

32K years ago

  1. Briefly discuss one possible reason for an increase in global temperatures during these prehistoric periods (5 points).

Solar cycle variations

Changing composition of the atmosphere due to gas release from decomposition & weathering of rock

Clathrate gun hypothesis