Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

Greenhouse gases work to absorb the reradiated heat from Earth and trap it in the atmosphere,thus warming the climate.If there were no greenhouse gases Earth would be a very cold and inhospitable place,one in which humans certainly could not survive.

Question 2

The ________ cycle helps us understand how the concentration of greenhouse gases changes in the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A) carbon 
B) carbon dioxide 
C) biogeochemical 
D) hydrologic 
A) carbon 
B) carbon dioxide 
C) biogeochemical 
D) hydrologic A

Question 3

Which of the following activities can lower the level of the water table?

Accepted Answer

A) urbanization 
B) mining 
C) pollution 
D) deforestation 
A) urbanization 
B) mining 
C) pollution 
D) deforestation A

Question 4

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 5

As more ice in the Arctic Ocean melts,what effect does this have on the water?

Accepted Answer

A) Heat absorption increases as the albedo increases. 
B) Heat absorption increases as the albedo decreases. 
C) Heat absorption decreases as the albedo decreases. 
D) There is no effect on heat absorption. 
A) Heat absorption increases as the albedo increases. 
B) Heat absorption increases as the albedo decreases. 
C) Heat absorption decreases as the albedo decreases. 
D) There is no effect on heat absorption.

Question 6

The primary cause of recent global warming is believed to be ________.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

List and describe one way humans have impacted Earth.

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary;however,students might

Question 8

Why is tracking the carbon cycle important?

Accepted Answer

A) Carbon is contained in all living things and can be used to determine the evolution of various species on Earth. 
B) Carbon alone is responsible for the increase in temperatures seen on Earth and thus affects our well-being. 
C) Carbon is part of carbon dioxide,which is a greenhouse gas that is partially responsible for the current global warming trend. 
D) Carbon is contained in a large majority of rocks and minerals on the planet and can thus help us decipher Earth's history. 
A) Carbon is contained in all living things and can be used to determine the evolution of various species on Earth. 
B) Carbon alone is responsible for the increase in temperatures seen on Earth and thus affects our well-being. 
C) Carbon is part of carbon dioxide,which is a greenhouse gas that is partially responsible for the current global warming trend. 
D) Carbon is contained in a large majority of rocks and minerals on the planet and can thus help us decipher Earth's history.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a unidirectional change?

Accepted Answer

A) shifting of climate belts 
B) a glacier carving a U-shaped valley 
C) evaporation of water out of the ocean 
D) formation of a supercontinent 
A) shifting of climate belts 
B) a glacier carving a U-shaped valley 
C) evaporation of water out of the ocean 
D) formation of a supercontinent

Question 10

Using the diagram included,which list contains only carbon sinks?

Accepted Answer

A) combustion,decay of plant materials,metamorphism 
B) metamorphism,burning of fossils fuels,animal digestion 
C) chemical weathering,growth of vegetation,formation of coral reefs 
D) chemical weathering,decay of vegetation,formation of coral reefs 
A) combustion,decay of plant materials,metamorphism 
B) metamorphism,burning of fossils fuels,animal digestion 
C) chemical weathering,growth of vegetation,formation of coral reefs 
D) chemical weathering,decay of vegetation,formation of coral reefs

Question 11

The figure below shows changes in sea level since the last ice age ended.Based on this,if Earth were to enter another ice age similar to the last one,what would the sea level most likely do?

Accepted Answer

A) rise about 120 m 
B) rise about 20 m 
C) fall about 20 m 
D) fall about 120 m 
A) rise about 120 m 
B) rise about 20 m 
C) fall about 20 m 
D) fall about 120 m

Question 12

Which of the following scenarios is most likely to occur if the climate continues on its current trajectory?

Accepted Answer

A) Large expanses of continental shelf will be exposed above sea level. 
B) Cities like New York,New Orleans,and Miami will be flooded by ocean water. 
C) Continental glaciers will form and expand outward from Canada and Norway. 
D) Glaciers will grow larger,carve more U-shaped valleys,and deposit moraines. 
A) Large expanses of continental shelf will be exposed above sea level. 
B) Cities like New York,New Orleans,and Miami will be flooded by ocean water. 
C) Continental glaciers will form and expand outward from Canada and Norway. 
D) Glaciers will grow larger,carve more U-shaped valleys,and deposit moraines.

Question 13

The eventual death of Earth will be the result of a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

A) greenhouse period 
B) red giant star 
C) nuclear explosion 
D) asteroid collision 
A) greenhouse period 
B) red giant star 
C) nuclear explosion 
D) asteroid collision

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

A) differentiation of the layers of 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 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 15

Which of the following has NOT changed?

Accepted Answer

A) the position of the plates on Earth's surface 
B) the tilt of Earth's axis of rotation 
C) the position of Earth relative to the Sun 
D) the amount of solar insulation on Earth 
A) the position of the plates on Earth's surface 
B) the tilt of Earth's axis of rotation 
C) the position of Earth relative to the Sun 
D) the amount of solar insulation on Earth

Question 16

What would Earth's climate be like if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) much colder than now 
B) much warmer than now 
C) the same temperature as the Sun 
D) about the same as now 
A) much colder than now 
B) much warmer than now 
C) the same temperature as the Sun 
D) about the same as now

Question 17

A crater in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula may be the result of an impact that brought about the extinction of numerous dinosaur species at the end of the ________ Period.

Accepted Answer

A) Silurian 
B) Jurassic 
C) Cretaceous 
D) Tertiary 
A) Silurian 
B) Jurassic 
C) Cretaceous 
D) Tertiary

Question 18

Oxygen isotopes are often used to estimate changes in paleoclimate by measuring the ratio of ¹⁸O to ¹⁶O in ice cores.If the ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratio is high,this indicates a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

A) icehouse condition 
B) snowball Earth 
C) polar climate 
D) warm climate 
A) icehouse condition 
B) snowball Earth 
C) polar climate 
D) warm climate

Question 19

Mines,construction areas,and farmland are all examples of ways humans modify the ________.

Accepted Answer

A) ecosystem 
B) landfill 
C) landscape 
D) biome 
A) ecosystem 
B) landfill 
C) landscape 
D) biome

Question 20

According to the figure below,approximately how much has the sea level risen since the last ice age ended,approximately 16,000 years ago?

Accepted Answer

A) 110 m 
B) 60 m 
C) 20 m 
D) 15 m 
A) 110 m 
B) 60 m 
C) 20 m 
D) 15 m

Exam 19: Global Change in the Earth System

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

The ________ cycle helps us understand how the concentration of greenhouse gases changes in the atmosphere.

Which of the following activities can lower the level of the water table?

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

As more ice in the Arctic Ocean melts,what effect does this have on the water?

The primary cause of recent global warming is believed to be ________.

List and describe one way humans have impacted Earth.

Why is tracking the carbon cycle important?

Which of the following is an example of a unidirectional change?

Using the diagram included,which list contains only carbon sinks?

The figure below shows changes in sea level since the last ice age ended.Based on this,if Earth were to enter another ice age similar to the last one,what would the sea level most likely do?

Which of the following scenarios is most likely to occur if the climate continues on its current trajectory?

The eventual death of Earth will be the result of a(n)________.

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

Which of the following has NOT changed?

What would Earth's climate be like if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?

A crater in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula may be the result of an impact that brought about the extinction of numerous dinosaur species at the end of the ________ Period.

Oxygen isotopes are often used to estimate changes in paleoclimate by measuring the ratio of ¹⁸O to ¹⁶O in ice cores.If the ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratio is high,this indicates a(n)________.

Mines,construction areas,and farmland are all examples of ways humans modify the ________.

According to the figure below,approximately how much has the sea level risen since the last ice age ended,approximately 16,000 years ago?

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 Earth S 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 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

Interlude A: Rock Groups

Interlude B: A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

Interlude C: The Rock Cycle

Interlude D: The Earth S Interior Revisited: Insights From Geophysics

Interlude E: Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Interlude F: An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

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