Environmental Studies · General Awareness

Greenhouse Gases and Atmosphere

1,262 Questions

Review important questions related to greenhouse gases, global warming, and atmospheric changes. The practice set focuses on identifying major pollutants and their environmental impact. These concepts are tested in the general awareness and environmental studies sections.

Greenhouse gas identificationGlobal warming processAtmospheric carbon dioxideMethane emissionsCement production emissions

Greenhouse Gases and Atmosphere Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a Greenhouse gas?

  1. Carbon dioxide

  2. Methane

  3. Nitrogen

  4. Smoke

  5. Carbon Monoxide
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Nitrogen is not a Greenhouse gas. It is already present in atmosphere in large quantities which does not cause global warming.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a major greenhouse gas?

  1. Methane

  2. Ozone

  3. Carbon Dioxide

  4. Water vapour
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Ozone is not a major greenhouse gas.  Quantifying the greenhouse gas potency of ozone is difficult because it is not present in uniform concentrations across the globe. However, the most widely accepted scientific assessments relating to climate change suggest that the radiative forcing of troposphere ozone is about 25% that of carbon dioxide.  

Multiple choice

Which of the below listed greenhouse gases is/are entirely anthropogenic in origin?

  1. Carbon dioxide

  2. Nitrous oxide

  3. CFCs

  4. Methane
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

CFCs are entirely anthropogenic in origin. CFCs are phased out via the Montreal Protocol due to their part in ozone depletion. However, the atmospheric impacts of CFCs are not limited to its role as an active ozone reducer. This anthropogenic compound is also a greenhouse gas, with a much higher potential to enhance the greenhouse effect than CO2.  

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a major greenhouse gas?

  1. Water vapour

  2. Methane

  3. Helium

  4. Carbon dioxide
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Helium is not a major greenhouse gas. It is a greenhouse gas because it can absorb and re-emit the Sun's energy, but it is not a major greenhouse gas. 

Multiple choice

What causes greenhouse effect?

  1. Trapping of CO2 and water vapour by the ozone layer

  2. Trapping of sun rays by the atmosphere

  3. Increase in percentage of CO2 and methane

  4. Trapping of sun rays by the ozone layer
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Trapping of sun rays by the atmosphere causes greenhouse effect. A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. 

Multiple choice

Many scientists believe that greenhouse effect is predominantly the result of

  1. using chemical fertilizers to increase crop production

  2. testing nuclear weapons in violation of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

  3. using large amounts of gasoline, oil and coal in developed nations

  4. overgrazing on land

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Many scientists believe that the greenhouse effect is predominantly the result of using large amounts of gasoline, oil and coal in developed nations. The use of these products releases carbon dioxide, which is believed to destroy the ozone layer, which protects Earth from harmful solar radiation. 

Multiple choice

Which of the following countries/regions is/are the largest source(s) of carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels?

  1. Developing nations

  2. Countries of the former U.S.S.R.

  3. Japan and China

  4. North America
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

North America is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.  North America’s 3,000 fossil fuel-burning power plants continue to produce two-thirds of the region’s electricity and, at the same time, generate the majority of certain harmful air pollutants and emit more greenhouse gases than any other industrial sector. 

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. Growing rice results in the release of methane into the atmosphere.
  2. Kyoto Protocol is to carbon dioxide as Montreal Protocol is to carbon monoxide.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

  1. Only (1)

  2. Only (2)

  3. Only (1) and (2)

  4. Neither (1) nor (2)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Statement (1) is correct. The flooding of rice field cuts off the oxygen supply from the atmosphere to the soil that results in anaerobic fermentation of soil organic matter. Methane is a major end product of anaerobic fermentation. It is released from submerged soils to the atmosphere by diffusion and ebullition and through roots and stems of rice plants. Statement (2) is incorrect. The Kyoto protocol is the proposal to reduce Carbon Dioxide, and the Montreal protocol is to reduce the Chlorofluorocarbons to protect the ozone layer.