Climate change: the measurements and the models

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Mauna Loa yearly CO₂ (NOAA)

   Year	CO₂ (ppm)
   1960	316.9
   1980	338.8
   2000	369.7
   2020	414.2
   2024	424.6

   Note: Yearly means rounded to 0.1 ppm.

2. 1.

   Using the table, what was Mauna Loa's yearly CO₂ in 1960, by Ari's reading (NOAA)?

   • About 369.7 ppm
   • About 338.8 ppm
   • About 424.6 ppm
   • About 316.9 ppm
3. 2.

   Using the table, which listed year is the first with CO₂ above 400 ppm, by Bo's reading (NOAA)?

   • 2020
   • 2000
   • 1960
   • 1980
4. 3.

   NOAA: CO₂ was 280 ppm or less before the mid-1700s. How does the 2024 global average of 422.7 ppm compare, by Kira's reading?

   • About the same as then
   • About 50% lower
   • About 150% higher
   • About 50% higher

5. Global temperature anomaly (NASA GISTEMP, vs 1951–1980)

   Year	Anomaly (°C)
   1880	−0.17
   1950	−0.17
   1980	0.26
   2000	0.39
   2020	1.01
   2024	1.28

6. 4.

   Using the table, what does the 2024 value mean, by Jun's reading (NASA)?

   • About 1.28 °C warmer than the 1951–1980 average
   • About 1.28 °C warmer than the year 2023 was
   • About 1.28 °C colder than the 1951–1980 average
   • The world averaged about 1.28 °C in 2024
7. 5.

   Using the table, how did 1880 compare with the 1951–1980 average, by Milo's reading (NASA)?

   • Right at the average
   • About 0.17 °C cooler
   • About 0.17 °C warmer
   • About 17 °C cooler
9. 6.

   What does IPCC AR6 say about human influence on warming, by Noah's reading?

   • It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the air, ocean and land
   • The warming comes mainly from natural drivers like the Sun
   • Human influence has had no measurable effect on the warming so far
   • Scientists cannot yet tell whether warming is happening on land or sea
10. 7.

    IPCC AR6: from 1850–1900 to 2010–2019, how much did natural drivers change global temperature, by Ren's reading?

    Use the picture in question 6.

    • Between 5 and 10 °C
    • About 1.07 °C
    • Between 1 and 2 °C
    • Between −0.1 and +0.1 °C

11. Projected warming in 2081–2100 vs 1850–1900 (IPCC AR6)

    Scenario	Best estimate (°C)	Very likely range (°C)
    SSP1-1.9 (very low emissions)	1.4	1.0 to 1.8
    SSP1-2.6 (low)	1.8	1.3 to 2.4
    SSP2-4.5 (intermediate)	2.7	2.1 to 3.5
    SSP3-7.0 (high)	3.6	2.8 to 4.6
    SSP5-8.5 (very high)	4.4	3.3 to 5.7

    Note: Projections, not measurements.

12. 8.

    In IPCC AR6, what is a projection, by Tala's reading?

    • A promise of one exact future temperature for each place
    • A record of past temperatures taken from ice cores
    • A model estimate of the future under a stated emissions scenario
    • A measurement of next year's global temperature
13. 9.

    Using the table, what is the best estimate of warming by 2081–2100 under SSP1-1.9, by Zee's reading?

    • About 1.0 °C
    • About 1.4 °C
    • About 4.4 °C
    • About 2.7 °C
14. 10.

    Using the table, what is the very likely range under SSP5-8.5, by Esme's reading?

    • 2.1 to 3.5 °C
    • 1.0 to 1.8 °C
    • 3.3 to 5.7 °C
    • Exactly 4.4 °C