Question 1

When did Vikings establish settlements in Iceland and Greenland?

Accepted Answer

A)  during the Last Glacial Maximum 25,000 years ago 
B)  during the Holocene Maximum 6000 years ago 
C)  during the Little Ice Age 300 years ago 
D)  during the Medieval Warm Period about 1000 years ago 
A)  during the Last Glacial Maximum 25,000 years ago 
B)  during the Holocene Maximum 6000 years ago 
C)  during the Little Ice Age 300 years ago 
D)  during the Medieval Warm Period about 1000 years ago D

Question 2

Which of these is the longest-lasting sink for carbon dioxide?

Accepted Answer

A)  plant tissues and cellulose (the "woody" parts of plants) 
B)  the atmosphere 
C)  air bubbles within glacial ice 
D)  carbonate minerals in limestones 
A)  plant tissues and cellulose (the "woody" parts of plants) 
B)  the atmosphere 
C)  air bubbles within glacial ice 
D)  carbonate minerals in limestones D

Question 3

In the last few decades,global warming has been most strongly affecting the climate and wildlife of ________ regions.

Accepted Answer

A)  equatorial 
B)  temperate 
C)  polar 
D)  deep-sea 
A)  equatorial 
B)  temperate 
C)  polar 
D)  deep-sea C

Question 4

During most of the Mesozoic Era,the Earth was ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  about as warm as present 
B)  cooler than present 
C)  warmer than present 
D)  experiencing wild temperature fluctuations 
A)  about as warm as present 
B)  cooler than present 
C)  warmer than present 
D)  experiencing wild temperature fluctuations

Question 5

Which process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  respiration (breathing)of animals 
B)  burning of coal and other fossil fuels 
C)  volcanism 
D)  photosynthesis 
A)  respiration (breathing)of animals 
B)  burning of coal and other fossil fuels 
C)  volcanism 
D)  photosynthesis

Question 6

What distinguishes weather from climate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Weather is based on observations; climate is predicted by models. 
B)  Weather is the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere; climate is the range of likely conditions based on many years. 
C)  Weather is the local conditions of the atmosphere; climate is the average of conditions across the whole globe. 
D)  Weather and climate are essentially the same thing. 
A)  Weather is based on observations; climate is predicted by models. 
B)  Weather is the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere; climate is the range of likely conditions based on many years. 
C)  Weather is the local conditions of the atmosphere; climate is the average of conditions across the whole globe. 
D)  Weather and climate are essentially the same thing.

Question 7

The greenhouse effect is caused by ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the oceans,which absorb heat from the Sun 
B)  anthropogenic gases,which absorb heat from the Sun 
C)  atmospheric gases,which trap heat radiated from the Earth's surface 
D)  solar energy reflected back into space by clouds 
A)  the oceans,which absorb heat from the Sun 
B)  anthropogenic gases,which absorb heat from the Sun 
C)  atmospheric gases,which trap heat radiated from the Earth's surface 
D)  solar energy reflected back into space by clouds

Question 8

Which greenhouse gases play the most significant role in influencing changes in global atmospheric temperature?

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon dioxide and ozone 
B)  nitrogen dioxide and ozone 
C)  nitrogen dioxide and methane 
D)  carbon dioxide and methane 
A)  carbon dioxide and ozone 
B)  nitrogen dioxide and ozone 
C)  nitrogen dioxide and methane 
D)  carbon dioxide and methane

Question 9

Models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that by the year 2100,the average annual temperature will have increased in some parts of the world by as much as ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  1°C 
B)  2°C 
C)  4°C 
D)  8°C 
A)  1°C 
B)  2°C 
C)  4°C 
D)  8°C

Question 10

Plate tectonics has caused many unidirectional changes over the Earth's history.Which of the following best describes why plate tectonics still continues to occur on our planet?

Accepted Answer

A)  An internal heat source has kept the asthenosphere weak enough to flow. 
B)  Solar radiation warms the atmosphere and hydrosphere. 
C)  Meteorite impacts add heat and mass to our planet. 
D)  The magnetic field created by the Earth's core moves lithospheric plates. 
A)  An internal heat source has kept the asthenosphere weak enough to flow. 
B)  Solar radiation warms the atmosphere and hydrosphere. 
C)  Meteorite impacts add heat and mass to our planet. 
D)  The magnetic field created by the Earth's core moves lithospheric plates.

Question 11

Provide an example of a positive feedback process as it relates to global climate change.

Accepted Answer

Student answers will vary but may be sim

Question 12

Repeated episodes of supercontinent formation and breakup are an example of _________ change.

Accepted Answer

A)  catastrophic,unidirectional 
B)  gradual,unidirectional 
C)  catastrophic,cyclic 
D)  gradual,cyclic 
A)  catastrophic,unidirectional 
B)  gradual,unidirectional 
C)  catastrophic,cyclic 
D)  gradual,cyclic

Question 13

Compare and contrast unidirectional change with cyclic change.Include an example of each in your answer.

Accepted Answer

While both describe pathways of change o

Question 14

Based on the graph below,global temperatures during the Holocene

Accepted Answer

A)  have varied significantly. 
B)  have been declining since the Little Ice Age. 
C)  have been steadily increasing since the last Ice Age. 
D)  have been essentially constant. 
A)  have varied significantly. 
B)  have been declining since the Little Ice Age. 
C)  have been steadily increasing since the last Ice Age. 
D)  have been essentially constant.

Question 15

Describe one way humans have impacted the Earth System.

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary.However,students might

Question 16

Carbon sinks have generally matched the addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere until ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the end of the last ice age,approximately 16,000 years ago 
B)  the Little Ice Age,approximately 400 years ago 
C)  the onset of intensive industry and fossil fuel burning by humans,around the year 1850 
D)  the Eocene Epoch,approximately 50 million years ago 
A)  the end of the last ice age,approximately 16,000 years ago 
B)  the Little Ice Age,approximately 400 years ago 
C)  the onset of intensive industry and fossil fuel burning by humans,around the year 1850 
D)  the Eocene Epoch,approximately 50 million years ago

Question 17

What percentage of Europe and the United States retains the ecosystems that covered the landscapes before human activity?

Accepted Answer

A)  nearly 95 percent 
B)  approximately 50 percent 
C)  nearly 25 percent 
D)  less than 5 percent 
A)  nearly 95 percent 
B)  approximately 50 percent 
C)  nearly 25 percent 
D)  less than 5 percent

Question 18

How are bicarbonate (HCO3-)and carbon dioxide (CO2)related to one another?

Accepted Answer

A)  Bicarbonate forms plant tissues when carbon dioxide is used in photosynthesis. 
B)  CO2 forms when bicarbonate is burned as a fossil fuel. 
C)  Bicarbonate forms when CO2 molecules dissolve in water. 
D)  Bicarbonate and carbon dioxide are the same thing. 
A)  Bicarbonate forms plant tissues when carbon dioxide is used in photosynthesis. 
B)  CO2 forms when bicarbonate is burned as a fossil fuel. 
C)  Bicarbonate forms when CO2 molecules dissolve in water. 
D)  Bicarbonate and carbon dioxide are the same thing.

Question 19

Global albedo was _______ during times of cooler global climate when there was more land surface covered by ice.

Accepted Answer

A)  heavier 
B)  higher 
C)  lower 
D)  cooler 
A)  heavier 
B)  higher 
C)  lower 
D)  cooler

Question 20

How has the transport of sediment been modified by human activities?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mountains erode more slowly when the atmosphere holds more CO2. 
B)  Human extract sediments from rivers for building materials. 
C)  Human activities only move coarse-grained sediments. 
D)  More sediment is now moved by humans than by rivers. 
A)  Mountains erode more slowly when the atmosphere holds more CO2. 
B)  Human extract sediments from rivers for building materials. 
C)  Human activities only move coarse-grained sediments. 
D)  More sediment is now moved by humans than by rivers.

Exam 19: Global Change in the Earth System

When did Vikings establish settlements in Iceland and Greenland?

Which of these is the longest-lasting sink for carbon dioxide?

In the last few decades,global warming has been most strongly affecting the climate and wildlife of ________ regions.

During most of the Mesozoic Era,the Earth was ________.

Which process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

What distinguishes weather from climate?

The greenhouse effect is caused by ________.

Which greenhouse gases play the most significant role in influencing changes in global atmospheric temperature?

Models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that by the year 2100,the average annual temperature will have increased in some parts of the world by as much as ________.

Plate tectonics has caused many unidirectional changes over the Earth's history.Which of the following best describes why plate tectonics still continues to occur on our planet?

Provide an example of a positive feedback process as it relates to global climate change.

Repeated episodes of supercontinent formation and breakup are an example of _________ change.

Compare and contrast unidirectional change with cyclic change.Include an example of each in your answer.

Based on the graph below,global temperatures during the Holocene

Describe one way humans have impacted the Earth System.

Carbon sinks have generally matched the addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere until ________.

What percentage of Europe and the United States retains the ecosystems that covered the landscapes before human activity?

How are bicarbonate (HCO3-)and carbon dioxide (CO2)related to one another?

Global albedo was _______ during times of cooler global climate when there was more land surface covered by ice.

How has the transport of sediment been modified by human activities?

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of the Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags,cracks,and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of the Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Introducing Rocks

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earth’s Interior Revisited: Insights from Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Prelude: And Just What is Geology?

Filters

How are bicarbonate (HCO₃^-)and carbon dioxide (CO₂)related to one another?