Atmospheric temperature change?

Question

Which one of the following is likely to result from an increase in global atmospheric temperature of as little as 2°C?

A.rising sea levels

B.coastal flooding

C.altered patterns of global rainfall

D.altered ecosystem boundaries

E.all of the above

Answer 1

none of the above...

Answer 2

2°C is the equivalent of 35.6°F. Such a rise in temperature would result in all of the above.

By the way, thank you Pegminer for pointing that out.

Answer 3

E.all of the above

Answer 4

The answer is E.  By the way, Sturm made an error in his conversion to Fahrenheit: a change of 2 degrees Celsius converts to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit change.  I think he may have accidentally converted a 2 C temperature to a Fahrenheit temperature (it's easy to confuse temperatures with temperature changes).

Answer 5

In what part(s) of the atmosphere is this change?

Near surface only, middle troposphere, near the tropopause, stratosphere, some or all of these?

Need more information really.

You will get sea level rise and coastal flooding if the sea temperature rises in sufficient depth and over a large enough part of the oceans. This does not necessarily follow from atmospheric temperature changes.

In fact sea surface temperature changes are probably an important driver of atmospheric temperature changes. And the changed albedo from the coastal flooding will certainly produce some atmospheric temperature changes.

It's an oversimplified question, and the examiner needs to have another think about it.

Is anyone having a think about climate change as a result of land use change and the resulting albedo changes? Like, what happens when you clear forest or bushland and convert to pasture for crops? When you establish a metropolitan area and grow the 'burbs for miles around?

What? I have no political agenda! Waddaya mean?