ATMS 211  Winter Quarter 2001
Assignment #4

Due in Class, Friday,  March 2


1) List and describe (in one informative sentence for each) TEN impacts of ENSO on
    climate in different parts of the world.  For each one, list the source of your
    information.  An interesting way to approach this problem is to go to www.google.com
    and type in (el nino, xxxxx), where xxxxx is a continent, country or state.

2) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) are mostly produced and released in the northern
    hemisphere, and sunlight is strongest in the tropics.  Why, then, does the most
    dramatic ozone depletion occur over Antarctica?  Be sure to discuss the roles of
    (a) global atmospheric circulation,
    (b) the chemical changes CFCs undergo,
    (c) the role of polar stratospheric clouds,
    (d) meteorological differences between the southern polar stratosphere and the
          northern polar stratosphere.

3) Name three greenhouse gases other than H2O and CO2.  What are their sources and
    sinks?  Which ones are produced exclusively by human activities?  Why are most
    greenhouse gases far more effective than CO2, molecule for molecule, at trapping
    infrared radiation?

4) What are the main factors considered in projecting future sea level rise?

5) Pretend you are an attorney arguing in court that (a) humans are influencing
    climate (b) humans are not influencing climate.  What main pieces of evidence
    would you bring to bear for each argument?  Which one do you believe?