Question 1

The figure below shows parts of the global carbon cycle.Where would nonliving processes of the carbon cycle be most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

A)  weathering 
B)  sedimentation 
C)  metamorphism 
D)  soil 
A)  weathering 
B)  sedimentation 
C)  metamorphism 
D)  soil

Question 2

As an example of a cyclical global change,supercontinents ________ in the Earth's history.

Accepted Answer

A)  have formed and broken up several times 
B)  occurred only during the Phanerozoic Eon 
C)  occurred only during the Archean Eon 
D)  are an exclusively Cenozoic development 
A)  have formed and broken up several times 
B)  occurred only during the Phanerozoic Eon 
C)  occurred only during the Archean Eon 
D)  are an exclusively Cenozoic development

Question 3

The ratio of oxygen-16 and oxygen-18 isotopes in plankton fossils in deep-sea sediments can be used to determine ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  past carbon dioxide concentrations 
B)  past temperatures 
C)  the age of the fossils 
D)  water depth 
A)  past carbon dioxide concentrations 
B)  past temperatures 
C)  the age of the fossils 
D)  water depth

Question 4

Which of the following represents a unidirectional change in the nature of the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  differentiation of the layers of the Earth 
B)  the supercontinent cycle 
C)  the movement of water from one reservoir to another 
D)  the rise and fall of global sea levels 
A)  differentiation of the layers of the Earth 
B)  the supercontinent cycle 
C)  the movement of water from one reservoir to another 
D)  the rise and fall of global sea levels

Question 5

What role do greenhouse gases play in the Earth's climate? If there were no greenhouse gases on the Earth,what would the climate be like?

Accepted Answer

Greenhouse gases work to absorb heat rer

Question 6

Evolution of species and mass extinction events are biological examples of ________ global change.

Accepted Answer

A)  exothermic 
B)  cyclical 
C)  external 
D)  undirectional 
A)  exothermic 
B)  cyclical 
C)  external 
D)  undirectional

Question 7

Milankovitch cycles describe variation in the Earth's ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  sea level 
B)  orbit and tilt 
C)  atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations 
D)  cosmic-ray flux 
A)  sea level 
B)  orbit and tilt 
C)  atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations 
D)  cosmic-ray flux

Question 8

How does our modern concentration of atmospheric CO2 compare with CO2 during the past 800,000 years of Earth's history?

Accepted Answer

A)  Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have been constant for the past 800,000 years. 
B)  It is lower today than at any time in the past 800,000 years. 
C)  It is greater today than at any time in the past 800,000 years. 
D)  There is too much variability in atmospheric CO2 to describe any trends through time. 
A)  Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have been constant for the past 800,000 years. 
B)  It is lower today than at any time in the past 800,000 years. 
C)  It is greater today than at any time in the past 800,000 years. 
D)  There is too much variability in atmospheric CO2 to describe any trends through time.

Question 9

The reliable paleoclimate record from the Antarctic and Greenland ice cores provides information back to approximately ________ years ago.

Accepted Answer

A)  65 million 
B)  5 million 
C)  800,000 
D)  150,000 
A)  65 million 
B)  5 million 
C)  800,000 
D)  150,000

Question 10

The primary cause of global warming since the Industrial Revolution is understood to be ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  chemical reactions in the atmosphere that are driven by solar heat 
B)  increased burning of fossil fuels 
C)  increased levels of atmospheric pollution 
D)  depletion of the ozone layer 
A)  chemical reactions in the atmosphere that are driven by solar heat 
B)  increased burning of fossil fuels 
C)  increased levels of atmospheric pollution 
D)  depletion of the ozone layer

Question 11

With the increased data collected in recent years,scientists have become increasingly certain that the Earth's climate is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  not warming because carbon dioxide levels are decreasing 
B)  not warming because the Sun's activity is at a minimum 
C)  warming solely as a result of increased solar output 
D)  warming as a result of human inputs of atmospheric greenhouse gases 
A)  not warming because carbon dioxide levels are decreasing 
B)  not warming because the Sun's activity is at a minimum 
C)  warming solely as a result of increased solar output 
D)  warming as a result of human inputs of atmospheric greenhouse gases

Question 12

How would a time in the Earth's supercontinent cycle when there was much formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones affect the carbon dioxide (CO2)concentration in the Earth's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  There would be an increase in the total CO2 in the atmosphere. 
B)  There would be a decrease in the total CO2 in the atmosphere. 
C)  The formation of limestones decreases total CO2,while the formation of oil shale and coal increases total CO2. 
D)  The formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones has very little effect on carbon dioxide 
A)  There would be an increase in the total CO2 in the atmosphere. 
B)  There would be a decrease in the total CO2 in the atmosphere. 
C)  The formation of limestones decreases total CO2,while the formation of oil shale and coal increases total CO2. 
D)  The formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones has very little effect on carbon dioxide

Question 13

Changes that occur ________ are called ________ changes.

Accepted Answer

A)  repeatedly; cyclic 
B)  gradually; unidirectional 
C)  slowly; cyclic 
D)  quickly; unidirectional 
A)  repeatedly; cyclic 
B)  gradually; unidirectional 
C)  slowly; cyclic 
D)  quickly; unidirectional

Question 14

Based on the figure below,how does the change in global temperature since the Industrial Revolution compare with temperature change in the past thousand years?

Accepted Answer

A)  The temperature has increased,and at a very fast rate. 
B)  The temperature has increased at rates similar to other temperature changes. 
C)  The temperature has decreased at a very fast rate. 
D)  There has been little temperature change since the Industrial Revolution. 
A)  The temperature has increased,and at a very fast rate. 
B)  The temperature has increased at rates similar to other temperature changes. 
C)  The temperature has decreased at a very fast rate. 
D)  There has been little temperature change since the Industrial Revolution.

Question 15

How are carbon dioxide (CO2)levels in the atmosphere affected by tectonic uplift of rocks and their resultant chemical weathering?

Accepted Answer

A)  CO2 is removed from the atmosphere. 
B)  CO2 is added to the atmosphere. 
C)  CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by uplift,but returned to the atmosphere by chemical weathering. 
D)  They have no net effect on CO2. 
A)  CO2 is removed from the atmosphere. 
B)  CO2 is added to the atmosphere. 
C)  CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by uplift,but returned to the atmosphere by chemical weathering. 
D)  They have no net effect on CO2.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the Earth's climate history?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Earth's climate has remained consistent with time. 
B)  Most of the Earth's climate history has been significantly colder than it is currently. 
C)  Most of the Earth's climate history has been significantly warmer than it is currently. 
D)  Climate on the Earth has varied between icehouse and greenhouse periods throughout the Earth's history. 
A)  The Earth's climate has remained consistent with time. 
B)  Most of the Earth's climate history has been significantly colder than it is currently. 
C)  Most of the Earth's climate history has been significantly warmer than it is currently. 
D)  Climate on the Earth has varied between icehouse and greenhouse periods throughout the Earth's history.

Question 17

Describe the likelihood and possible impacts of future amounts of sea level rise.

Accepted Answer

Sea level has already increased by about

Question 18

The amount of solar energy reflected by a surface is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  albedo 
B)  radiation 
C)  the reflection coefficient 
D)  the absorption coefficient 
A)  albedo 
B)  radiation 
C)  the reflection coefficient 
D)  the absorption coefficient

Question 19

What is the main reason that the Earth has a hydrosphere dominated by liquid water?

Accepted Answer

A)  heat stored in the crust from early in the formation of the Earth 
B)  internal heating from magnetism 
C)  solar heating from the Sun 
D)  internal heating from radioactivity 
A)  heat stored in the crust from early in the formation of the Earth 
B)  internal heating from magnetism 
C)  solar heating from the Sun 
D)  internal heating from radioactivity

Question 20

At what point are record-setting weather conditions considered climate change?

Accepted Answer

A)  when there are new weather records set every day 
B)  when those record-setting conditions become normal for a region 
C)  after two consecutive years of record-setting weather 
D)  if the record-setting weather occurs on two or more continents 
A)  when there are new weather records set every day 
B)  when those record-setting conditions become normal for a region 
C)  after two consecutive years of record-setting weather 
D)  if the record-setting weather occurs on two or more continents

Exam 19: Global Change in the Earth System

The figure below shows parts of the global carbon cycle.Where would nonliving processes of the carbon cycle be most likely to occur?

As an example of a cyclical global change,supercontinents ________ in the Earth's history.

The ratio of oxygen-16 and oxygen-18 isotopes in plankton fossils in deep-sea sediments can be used to determine ________.

Which of the following represents a unidirectional change in the nature of the Earth?

What role do greenhouse gases play in the Earth's climate? If there were no greenhouse gases on the Earth,what would the climate be like?

Evolution of species and mass extinction events are biological examples of ________ global change.

Milankovitch cycles describe variation in the Earth's ________.

How does our modern concentration of atmospheric CO2 compare with CO2 during the past 800,000 years of Earth's history?

The reliable paleoclimate record from the Antarctic and Greenland ice cores provides information back to approximately ________ years ago.

The primary cause of global warming since the Industrial Revolution is understood to be ________.

With the increased data collected in recent years,scientists have become increasingly certain that the Earth's climate is ________.

How would a time in the Earth's supercontinent cycle when there was much formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones affect the carbon dioxide (CO2)concentration in the Earth's atmosphere?

Changes that occur ________ are called ________ changes.

Based on the figure below,how does the change in global temperature since the Industrial Revolution compare with temperature change in the past thousand years?

How are carbon dioxide (CO2)levels in the atmosphere affected by tectonic uplift of rocks and their resultant chemical weathering?

Which of the following best describes the Earth's climate history?

Describe the likelihood and possible impacts of future amounts of sea level rise.

The amount of solar energy reflected by a surface is known as ________.

What is the main reason that the Earth has a hydrosphere dominated by liquid water?

At what point are record-setting weather conditions considered climate change?

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 does our modern concentration of atmospheric CO₂ compare with CO₂ during the past 800,000 years of Earth's history?

How would a time in the Earth's supercontinent cycle when there was much formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones affect the carbon dioxide (CO₂)concentration in the Earth's atmosphere?

Changes that occur are called changes.

How are carbon dioxide (CO₂)levels in the atmosphere affected by tectonic uplift of rocks and their resultant chemical weathering?