Sea level rises as the ocean warms even before additional land ice melts. What causes this part of the rise?

Which melting-ice change directly adds water to the ocean and raises global sea level?

An ice shelf that is already floating in the ocean melts completely. What is the most direct effect on global sea level?

A coastal city pumps large amounts of groundwater, causing its land surface to sink. Compared with the global average, what happens to its relative sea level?

Sea level rises beside a coastal marsh, but roads and buildings block the marsh from moving inland. What outcome is most likely?

Why can a small rise in mean sea level make sunny-day tidal flooding more frequent in a coastal neighborhood?

Use the graph. From 1993 to 2023, by about how much did global mean sea level increase?

A seawall is built at the historical shoreline, but sea level continues rising. Which coastal change is most likely without additional protection?

As bright Arctic sea ice melts, darker ocean water is exposed. How does this change amplify warming?

A city relies on glacier melt for summer water. After decades of glacier retreat, what water-supply problem is most likely?

Spring temperatures rise in a mountain watershed, causing snow to melt earlier. What is the likely effect later in summer?

A region has less snow cover in early spring than it had historically. Which feedback can make local warming stronger?

Permafrost beneath a northern road thaws during warmer years. What engineering impact is most likely?

What is the most direct ecological effect of a long-term decline in Arctic sea ice for an ice-dependent animal?

Use the graph. During which month is the mountain watershed's stored snow water smallest?

A warmer atmosphere can hold about 7% more water vapor for each 1 °C of warming. With 2 °C of warming, what approximate increase in moisture-holding capacity is expected?

When a storm forms in a warmer, more moisture-laden atmosphere, what can happen to its rainfall?

Why does paving more of a city watershed increase flash-flood risk during heavy rainfall?

After a long drought, intense rain falls on hardened soil on a steep slope. What hazard becomes more likely?

A heat wave lasts several days and nighttime temperatures remain unusually high. Why can this be especially dangerous for people?

During a heat wave, many households run air conditioners at the same time. What pressure does this place on the electricity system?

A tropical cyclone moves over unusually warm ocean water. What process can help the storm intensify?

Hot, dry conditions persist in a forest after a dry season. How can this affect wildfire behavior?

Scientists compare an observed heat wave with climate-model simulations of worlds with and without human greenhouse gas emissions. What are they evaluating?

A mountain species already occupies habitat near a summit, and temperatures warm upslope. What range-shift constraint does it face?

A wildflower now blooms earlier in spring, but its main pollinator emerges at its former time. What ecological problem can result?

A marine heat wave causes corals to lose the algae that live in their tissues. What is this response called?

As warming shifts different species' ranges at different speeds, a predator arrives in a region before its usual prey does. What ecosystem effect is most likely?

Cold-water fish in a river experience warmer summer water year after year. Which response best describes a climate-driven range shift?

Repeated extreme heat eliminates a species from one wetland, but the species survives elsewhere. What term describes the local loss?