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Earth Science
Q:
Firsthand, reliable scientific measurements of climate only date back approximately 140 years.
Q:
To study past climates, scientists use direct measurements.
Q:
In May 2013, the Mauna Loa Observatory recorded the highest CO2concentrations on record.
Q:
The rate of population growth decreased after 1950.
Q:
More-developed countries (MDCs) currently emit the greatest amount of greenhouse gases per capita.
Q:
The majority of human population growth is now occurring in more-developed countries (MDCs).
Q:
Carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from human activities is amplifying Earth's natural greenhouse effect.
Q:
Climate has fluctuated naturally over Earth's long history. As a result, most scientists are skeptical that human activity has contributed to recent trends in global climate.
Q:
The physical evidence for global climate change is limited, based primarily on conjecture and indirect evidence.
Q:
Climate change science is an integral part of physical geography and Earth system science.
Q:
Many scientists consider climate change to be one of the most critical issues facing humankind in the twenty-first century.
Q:
Which of the following is not an example of individuals and communities working to mitigate climate change?A) Tree planting in exchange for greenhouse gas creditsB) Leaving the decision-making to elected officialsC) Farmers using no-till agricultureD) Protecting and restoring natural habitatsE) Using renewable energy sources
Q:
Which of the following is not an example of an action an individual can take to help mitigate against climate change?
A) placing dishes in dishwater without pre-washing
B) improving regional land use practices
C) eating locally sourced foods
D) using energy efficient light bulbs
E) driving a vehicle with high fuel economy
Q:
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. could meet the carbon emission reduction targets in the Kyoto Protocol
A) at a cost of approximately $5 to $10 billion a year.
B) at a savings of $7 to $37 billion a year.
C) at a cost of approximately $10 to $15 billion a year and with a risk of higher unemployment.
D) without any economic benefits or detriments.
Q:
Which of the following is not a stated ancillary benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions?
A) Improved air quality.
B) Increase in renewable and sustainable energy development.
C) Greater dependence on imported oil.
D) Fewer oil tanker spills.
Q:
Which of the following is incorrect?
A) Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) causes warming temperatures.
B) Scientists can definitively (100% certainty) attribute climate changes to anthropogenic causes alone.
C) Global warming affects overall climate.
D) Human activities have increased the amount of atmospheric greenhouse gases.
Q:
The legally binding international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is known as the
A) Montreal Protocol.
B) Kyoto Protocol.
C) CITES.
D) ICRW.
Q:
An estimated ________ people could be displaced by a sea level rise of 1.0 m (3.2 ft).
A) 1,000,000
B) 10,000,000
C) 100,000,000
D) 130,000,000
Q:
According to models developed by NOAA, by the end of the 21st Century, global sea level may rise as high as
A) 0.2 m (0.7 ft)
B) 0.5 m (1.6 ft)
C) 1.2 m (3.9 m)
D) 2.0 m (6.6 ft)
Q:
Which scenario predicts the lowest level of warming during the 21st Century?
A) A1F1continued use of fossil fuels
B) B1use of greater amounts of new and clean energy technologies.
C) B2lower levels of economic growth and technological change, emphasis on local solutions.
D) A2continuous population growth and lower level of economic growth and technological change.
Q:
According to the A2 scenario, which represents continuous population growth and lower level of economic growth and technological change?
A) global surface temperatures will cool during the most of the 21st Century.
B) global surface temperatures will increase until about mid-century, then steadily decrease.
C) global surface temperatures will increase throughout the 21st Century, perhaps by as much as 4 C (7.2 F) by 2100.
D) global surface temperatures will increase throughout the 21st Century, but at a very gradual rate.
Q:
General circulation models (GCMs) of the atmosphere
A) are pre-computer based models that estimated atmospheric and oceanic circulation and are now being used to study climate change.
B) are highly simplistic models that use one or two variables to test the veracity of climate proxies, such as ice core and ocean sediment core samples.
C) are based on statistical three-dimensional grids that characterize portions of the atmosphere and ocean in terms of climate-related variables.
D) calculate the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere based on data from weather stations located around the globe.
Q:
How have scientists used isotopic analysis to determine the rise of atmospheric CO2 is mostly from the burning of fossil fuels?
A) Since 14C is an unstable isotope, scientists have dated the atmospheric carbon to the period since the Industrial Revolution.
B) Both coal and oil contain a high proportion of 14C. By analyzing, 14C/12C ratios, scientists have been able to determine the source based on this fact.
C) The low proportions of 13C and 14C within atmospheric CO2 indicates the source is fossil carbon.
D) 14C concentrations are much higher in urban areas than in rural areas, indicating fossil fuels must have a higher 14C/12C ratio than carbon from other sources.
Q:
The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report concludes
A) that while climate change is occurring, it is largely natural climate fluctuations.
B) it is highly doubtful that recent climate trends represent anything more than a temporary perturbation in the long term climate signal.
C) humans are likely (95% certainty) responsible for the temperature increase from 1951 to 2010.
D) there is no consensus on recent climate trends; some maintain it is mostly human-caused, others maintain it is natural fluctuations.
Q:
Which of the following has a negative radiative forcing (i.e. cools the planet)?
A) carbon dioxide (CO2)
B) nitrous oxides (N2O)
C) stratospheric ozone (O3)
D) methane (CH4)
Q:
The world's largest reserve of carbon-based fuel is likely
A) coal.
B) oil.
C) methane hydrates.
D) shale gas.
Q:
Which of the following gases accounts for the largest amount of radiative forcing?
A) carbon dioxide (CO2)
B) nitrous oxides (N2O)
C) chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
D) methane (CH4)
Q:
Radiative forcing (climate forcing) refers to
A) the power of electromagnetic radiation per unit area.
B) the amount by which some perturbation causes Earth's energy balance to deviate from zero.
C) a measurement of solar radiation energy received on a give surface area.
D) the contribution of each greenhouse gas to global warming.
Q:
Of the following greenhouse gases, which have actually decreased in atmospheric concentrations during the past 30 years?
A) methane (CH4)
B) carbon dioxide (CO2)
C) chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
D) nitrous oxides (N2O)
Q:
Scientists attribute the recent rise in atmospheric concentrations of nitrous oxide (N2O) primarily to
A) automobile combustion.
B) agricultural activity.
C) wastewater management.
D) industrial practices.
Q:
Of the following anthropogenic methane (CH4) sources, which is the largest?
A) livestock
B) wastewater treatment
C) agriculture associated fires
D) rice paddies
Q:
Present atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations are at approximately________ ppb.
A) 750
B) 1000
C) 1500
D) 1800
Q:
Fossil fuel burning accounts for over ________ percent of CO2 emissions.
A) 20
B) 50
C) 70
D) 85
Q:
During the last 800,000, climate reconstructions show that CO2 Never changed more than ________ ppm upward or downward in any span of less than 1,000 years, though it has risen by this amount in the last 13 years.
A) 30
B) 60
C) 120
D) 240
Q:
The most abundant greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere is
A) carbon dioxide (CO2).
B) methane (CH4).
C) water vapor (H2O).
D) nitrous oxide (N2O).
Q:
Which of the following is not a primary factor contributing to sea-level rise?
A) melting of glaciers
B) melting of ice sheets
C) melting of sea ice
D) thermal expansion of seawater
Q:
During the last century, sea level
A) dropped 3 to 5 cm (1.18 to 3.15 in.).
B) remained fairly constant, though some areas (such at the Atlantic coast) experienced moderate rises.
C) rose 30 to 46 cm (11.8 to 18 in.).
D) rose 17 to 21 cm (6.7 to 8.3 in.).
Q:
Which of the following is correct regarding Arctic sea ice?
A) Until recently, seasonal variations in sea ice extent were rare.
B) Summer sea ice reached its minimum extent in 2001 and has gradually increased since then.
C) Since 1979, summer sea ice minimum extent and winter sea ice maximum extent have declined.
D) In the summer, most to all sea ice melts, only to refreeze in the winter. However, less water has been refreezing over the past decade.
Q:
Since 1880, the two years with the highest land surface temperature were
A) 1990 and 2000.
B) 2005 and 2010.
C) 1985 and 1992.
D) 1900 and 1940.
Q:
Which of the following is not an indicator of current climatic warming?
A) increased tropospheric, land, and ocean surface temperatures
B) decreases in relative humidity
C) melting glacial ice and sea ice
D) rising sea levels
Q:
How is ocean acidification possibly linked to increased anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2)?
A) Oceans may absorb up to 50% of rising concentrations of rising carbon. When dissolved CO2 mixes with saltwater, carbonic acid forms (H2CO3).
B) Atmospheric CO2 combines with atmospheric moisture forming a light carbonic acid forms (H2CO3), that is precipitated over the world's oceans.
C) Increased photosynthetic activity in phytoplankton resulting from increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations results in acidification due to a complex chemical reaction during plant decay.
D) Thermohaline circulation exchanges carbon between surface dissolved organic carbon and deep layers of dissolved inorganic carbon.
Q:
Since 1990, CO2 emissions
A) have increased for all fuel types, with projections of future increases for all fuel types.
B) increased through the 1990s and 2000s, but are projected to decrease in the coming decades.
C) increased overall. However, these increases varied by fuel type, with coal actually showing a decrease.
D) decreased through the 1990s and 2000s, but are projected to increase again in the coming decades due to rapid population growth in less developed nations.
Q:
Changes in the Earth's orbital configuration may lead to warming temperatures. These warming temperatures, in turn, may lead to the release of both CO2 and CH4. Increases in these gases may further warm the planet. This is an example of a
A) positive feedback loop.
B) negative feedback loop.
C) neither a positive or negative feedback loop.
Q:
Increased cloud cover resulting from warming temperatures may lead to either either cloud albedo forcing or cloud greenhouse forcing. Cloud albedo forcing is an example of a ________ feedback loop and cloud greenhouse forcing is an example of a ________ feed book loop.
A) negative; negative
B) negative; positive
C) positive; negative
D) positive; positive
Q:
As air temperatures increase, evaporation increases, leading to more condensation and cloud formation. Low, thick cloud cover increases the albedo of the atmosphere, thereby having a cooling effect on Earth. This is an example of a
A) positive feedback loop.
B) negative feedback loop.
C) neither a positive or negative feedback loop.
Q:
As air temperatures increase, evaporation increases. Warmer temperatures also increase the capacity to absorb water vapor. More water vapor in the atmosphere accelerates the greenhouse effect. As temperatures increase further, more water vapor can enter the atmosphere, causing temperatures to increase even more. This is an example of a(n)
A) positive feedback loop.
B) negative feedback loop.
C) neither a positive or negative feedback loop.
Q:
Which of the following is not considered an important carbon sink?
A) the oceans
B) rocks
C) forest and soils
D) farmlands
Q:
Changes in the orientation of the Earth's axis over a 26,000-year cycle is known as
A) eccentricity.
B) obliquity.
C) precession.
D) inclination.
Q:
Changes in the Earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun is called
A) eccentricity.
B) obliquity.
C) precession.
D) inclination.
Q:
Milankovitch cycles refer to
A) changes in Earth-Sun relationships, namely the Earth's orbit around the sun, the Earth's axial rotation, and the Earth's axial tilt.
B) cyclical changes in solar irradiance caused by increases and decreases in sunspot activity.
C) increases and decreases in atmospheric gases and aerosols, primarily caused by natural activity such as volcanic activity and changes in net primary productivity.
D) tectonic changes in continental position and topographic changes from orogeny, erosion, and mass wasting.
Q:
Which of the following accurately describes the use of tree rings for studying past climates (dendroclimatology)?
A) The age of trees can be determined by tree ring analysis. By establishing the age of long-lived trees, one can determine the climate conditions of the area the year the tree sprouted.
B) The width of annual tree rings indicates the climatic conditions; wider rings suggest favorable conditions, whereas narrower rings suggest harsher conditions.
C) Dendrochronology is primarily used in the tropical regions, where one can easily correlate a tree species' age with the climatic conditions there.
D) Because most trees only live 60 to 100 years, dendrochronology can only serve as a climate record for recent history and are primarily used to supplement instrument data.
Q:
Which of the following accurately describes 13C/12C ratios of plant materials and their use in climate reconstructions?
A) 13C is an unstable isotope, which decays at a constant rate. This is used to date plant material, which can then be used as a proxy for temperature and climate conditions at that time.
B) Different plants use different types of photosynthesis, each producing a different carbon isotope ratio in plant materials, which scientists use to determine past temperature and rainfall conditions.
C) By analyzing the ratio of 13C/12C in marine phyyoplsnkyon, the source of the water in which the organisms resided can be determined.
D) 12C is very rare in nature. When it does appear in plant material, it is indicative of climate anomalies. By measuring the 13C/12C ratios, scientists can determine whether the plants were alive during normal or anomalous conditions.
Q:
Which of the following accurately describes 18O/16O ratios of ice sheets?
A) During warmer periods, 18O evaporates more readily and therefore the 18O/16O ratio is higher.
B) The higher the ratio of ice core 18O/16O, the cooler there temperatures because the 18O will be locked up in ice sheets.
C) During periods of colder temperature, the 18O/16O ratio is higher because only the 18O isotope is being evaporated.
D) During warmer periods, 16O evaporates more readily and therefore the 18O/16O ratio is significantly lower than colder periods.
Q:
Which of the following accurately describes 18O/16O ratios of the worlds oceans?
A) Because 18O evaporates more readily than 16O, the oceans have a higher relative abundance of 16O during warm periods and a more balanced ratio when there is less evaporation.
B) The higher the ratio of oceanic 18O/16O, the warmer the temperatures because the 16O will have been mostly evaporated from ocean waters.
C) During periods of colder temperature 16O is locked up in snow and ice and the oceans have a higher preponderance of 18O; during warmer periods the isotope ratio is lower.
D) The 18O/16O ratio is low during colder temperatures because temperatures are too low for evaporation to be effective and both isotopes remain in the ocean.
Q:
Since the Industrial Revolution
A) human population growth rates have decreased with a subsequent decrease in the warming trend that characterized pre-Industrial Revolution times.
B) global temperatures rapidly increased, then steadied out over the past 25 to 30 years.
C) global temperatures have continued to warm at accelerating rates.
D) no observable warming or cooling trends have occurred, rather temperatures have oscillated between warm and cold periods.
Q:
The Younger Dryas refers to a(n)
A) interglacial period, characterized by a general warming trend, lasting since the last glacial maximum (LGM) to the present.
B) brief return to near-glacial conditions during the transition period from the last glacial period to the present interglacial period.
C) 400 year, from A.D. 800 to 1200, period characterized by warmer than normal conditions in the North Atlantic region (e.g. Greenland and Iceland).
D) global cooling episode, lasting from approximately A.D. 1250 to 1850.
Q:
The last glacial maximum (LGM) occurred approximately ________ years ago.
A) 10,000
B) 20,000
C) 50,000
D) 110,000
Q:
The________ is the most recent epoch of repeated glaciation on the Earth.
A) Holocene
B) Pleistocene
C) Pliocene
D) Miocene
Q:
In which of the following ways is the study of tree rings, speleothems, and corals for understanding past climatic conditions similar?
A) All are composed of organic materials and are therefore good candidates for radiocarbon dating.
B) Each have growth bands, yielding evidence of the conditions under which they formed and grew.
C) The chronology each can provide only dates back to a maximum of 5,000 years and are, therefore, only useful for relatively recent climatic trends.
D) The fossilized form of each is used for understanding past climatic conditions.
Q:
Mineral deposits with caves and caverns are known as
A) earlywood.
B) latewood.
C) varves.
D) speleothems.
Q:
Radiocarbon dating of organic material may provide a climate record for up to ________ years before present.
A) 10,000
B) 25,000
C) 50,000
D) 75,000
Q:
Which of the following is not an example of methods used for short-term climate reconstructions?
A) dendrochronology
B) ocean sediment core analysis
C) carbon isotope analysis
D) speleothems analysis
Q:
The last interglacial period with temperatures similar to the present interglacial period was the
A) Eemian interglacial.
B) Holstein interglacial.
C) Gnz-Mindel interglacial.
D) Flandrian interglacial.
Q:
The rapid warming associated with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) likely resulted from
A) several massive volcanic eruptions.
B) the sudden die off of photosynthetic organisms and associated increase in atmospheric CO2.
C) a sudden (geologically speaking) increase in atmospheric carbon.
D) decreased surface albedo brought about by Paleocene afforestation.
Q:
Over the span of 70 million years, the Earth's climate
A) was much warmer in the distant past than the present.
B) was much cooler in the distant past than the present.
C) has remained fairly constant, only showing a warming trend during the past 200 years.
D) was warmest approximately 10 million years ago and coolest about 56 million years ago.
Q:
A higher 18O/16O ratio in ocean sediment cores indicates a ________ climate, and a higher 18O/16O ratio in ice cores indicates a ________ climate.
A) cooler; warmer
B) warmer; cooler
C) cooler; cooler
D) warmer; warmer
Q:
A lower 18O/16O ratio in ice core indicates a ________ climate, whereas a higher 18O/16O ratio indicates a ________ climate.
A) cooler; warmer
B) warmer; cooler
C) cooler; cold
D) warmer; hot
Q:
Ice cores provide a climate record for the past ________ years.
A) 800,000
B) 2 million
C) 10 million
D) 70 million
Q:
Ocean sediment cores provide a climate record for the past ________ years.
A) 800,000
B) 2 million
C) 10 million
D) 70 million
Q:
A lower 18O/16O ratio in ocean sediment cores indicates a ________ climate, whereas a higher 18O/16O ratio indicates a ________ climate.
A) cooler; warmer
B) warmer; cooler
C) cooler; cold
D) warmer; hot
Q:
The 16O evaporates ________ easily than 18O, and condenses ________ easily.
A) less; more
B) less; less
C) more; less
D) more; more
Q:
Scientists use ________ to study past climates, using ________ to reconstruct climates that extend back further than our present instrumentation allows.
A) proxy methods; climate proxies
B) direct measurements; historical records
C) indirect evidence; conjecture
D) computer models; algorithms
Q:
The science that studies the Earth's past climates is
A) climate change science.
B) meteorology.
C) paleoclimatology.
D) dendrochronology.
Q:
According to readings from the Mauna Loa Observatory, CO2concentrations in May 2013 exceeded ________ for the first time during the last 800,000 years.
A) 100-ppm
B) 200-ppm
C) 300-ppm
D) 400-ppm
Q:
The ________ is a graph which plots monthly averages of CO2 concentrations since 1958.
A) PETM
B) Younger Dryas
C) Keeling Curve
D) MCA
Q:
Seasonal fluctuations in CO2 emissions reflect
A) increased fuel use for home and building heat in winter months.
B) seasonal changes in vegetation cover in the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
C) geothermal activity, which is highest in the fall.
D) summer melting in the tundra.
Q:
Per capita emissions of total greenhouse gases are highest in
A) less-developed countries (LDCs).
B) more-developed countries (MDCs).
C) neither LDCs and MDCs; they are approximately equal.
D) non-populated areas since greatest emissions associated with volcanic eruptions.
Q:
The majority of human population growth is now occurring in
A) less-developed countries (LDCs).
B) more-developed countries (MDCs).
C) evenly between LDCs and MDCs.
D) neither LDCs or MDCs; world populations are declining.
Q:
Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) concentrations over the past 800,000 years
A) have remained relatively constant.
B) were much higher in the past than the present.
C) fluctuated over time, but have been increasing since the Industrial Revolution.
D) reached its maximum about 325,000 years before present.
Q:
The primary anthropogenic source of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 ) is
A) clearing and burning land.
B) rice farming.
C) respiration.
D) burning of fossil fuels.