Final answer:
Scientists expect the Earth's atmosphere to warm due to increased greenhouse gas concentrations, leading to a heightened greenhouse effect. This is caused by more energy entering the Earth system than exiting, resulting in an energy imbalance and global temperature rise.
Step-by-step explanation:
When scientists find that more energy is entering the Earth system than is exiting, they can expect several phenomena to occur as a result of changes in energy balance. One major expectation is an increase in global temperatures, which is often associated with an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. These gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄), absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, which enhances the greenhouse effect. This effect leads to the warming of the Earth's atmosphere because the trapped heat raises the average temperature of the planet.
During such times, scientists may also observe altered global weather patterns and potential changes in cloud cover and precipitation rates, rather than a cooling of the atmosphere or a decrease in ocean temperatures. It's worth noting that cloud cover and precipitation can both increase and decrease in different regions due to the complexities of climate change. However, the overall trend in the presence of a positive energy imbalance is towards warming, not cooling, negating options c and d. The greenhouse gases act like the glass of a greenhouse, allowing sunlight in but keeping heat from escaping, which leads to an increase in both the surface temperature and the atmosphere's temperature over time.