Question 1

Which of the following is not a way to add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  burning fossil fuels. 
B)  cooling of the oceans. 
C)  warming of the oceans. 
D)  land clearing for agriculture. 
A)  burning fossil fuels. 
B)  cooling of the oceans. 
C)  warming of the oceans. 
D)  land clearing for agriculture.

Question 2

What are the current predictions of future climate change and what is one possible uncertainty? (21.6)

Accepted Answer

Current predictions point to a doubling

Question 3

Overall warming in global temperatures since 1970 can be explained only by human impact. True or false?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Since data collection began in 1978, the overall energy emitted from the sun has:

Accepted Answer

A)  increased dramatically. 
B)  increased slightly. 
C)  decreased dramatically. 
D)  decreased slightly. 
A)  increased dramatically. 
B)  increased slightly. 
C)  decreased dramatically. 
D)  decreased slightly.

Question 5

What are 2 factors that affect albedo and 2 factors that affect atmosphere composition? (21.4)

Accepted Answer

Albedo is affected by changing cloud cov

Question 6

Describe the two ways that glaciers can be used to determine past climates. (21.2)

Accepted Answer

As glaciers retreat, they leave glacial

Question 7

How is temperature measured for ocean air?

Accepted Answer

A)  mid-ocean temperature stations 
B)  ships measuring air temperature at sea 
C)  ships measuring surface-water temperature 
D)  temperature stations on islands 
A)  mid-ocean temperature stations 
B)  ships measuring air temperature at sea 
C)  ships measuring surface-water temperature 
D)  temperature stations on islands

Question 8

Snow and water affect temperature by:

Accepted Answer

A)  increasing global temperatures. 
B)  decreasing global temperatures. 
C)  having opposite cooling and warming effects. 
D)  having no effect on temperature. 
A)  increasing global temperatures. 
B)  decreasing global temperatures. 
C)  having opposite cooling and warming effects. 
D)  having no effect on temperature.

Question 9

What is the energy budget?

Accepted Answer

A)  the amount of incoming energy 
B)  the amount of outgoing energy 
C)  the amount of energy absorbed by the atmosphere 
D)  the balancing of incoming and outgoing energy 
A)  the amount of incoming energy 
B)  the amount of outgoing energy 
C)  the amount of energy absorbed by the atmosphere 
D)  the balancing of incoming and outgoing energy

Question 10

Chemical analyses of calcite composing the fossil microscopic shells of some marine plankton serve as proxy records of:

Accepted Answer

A)  sea level. 
B)  ocean temperature. 
C)  glacial ice volume. 
D)  both B and C. 
A)  sea level. 
B)  ocean temperature. 
C)  glacial ice volume. 
D)  both B and C.

Question 11

Current glacier increase/decrease patterns are consistent with a rise in global temperature. True or False?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

On a graph of average temperature, a trend line with a steep slope that is increasing indicates:

Accepted Answer

A)  slowly decreasing temperatures. 
B)  quickly decreasing temperatures. 
C)  slowly increasing temperatures. 
D)  quickly increasing temperatures. 
A)  slowly decreasing temperatures. 
B)  quickly decreasing temperatures. 
C)  slowly increasing temperatures. 
D)  quickly increasing temperatures.

Question 13

An example of a proxy record used by paleoclimatologists is:

Accepted Answer

A)  tree ring growth. 
B)  plant leaf shapes. 
C)  oxygen-isotope ratios in calcite secreting plankton. 
D)  all of the above. 
A)  tree ring growth. 
B)  plant leaf shapes. 
C)  oxygen-isotope ratios in calcite secreting plankton. 
D)  all of the above.

Question 14

The Younger Dryas cold snap was caused from:

Accepted Answer

A)  an increased melting of freshwater. 
B)  an increased freezing of freshwater. 
C)  an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
D)  a decrease in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
A)  an increased melting of freshwater. 
B)  an increased freezing of freshwater. 
C)  an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
D)  a decrease in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Question 15

What is responsible for the distribution of heat around the earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  radiation from the sun 
B)  ocean current circulation 
C)  global winds 
D)  rotation and orbit of the earth 
A)  radiation from the sun 
B)  ocean current circulation 
C)  global winds 
D)  rotation and orbit of the earth

Question 16

Incoming radiation is mostly in the form of:

Accepted Answer

A)  infrared radiation. 
B)  visible light and ultraviolet radiation. 
C)  gamma rays. 
D)  cosmic rays. 
A)  infrared radiation. 
B)  visible light and ultraviolet radiation. 
C)  gamma rays. 
D)  cosmic rays.

Question 17

How do fossil fuels contribute to global warming?

Accepted Answer

A)  Burning them breaks the carbon bonds releasing free carbon. 
B)  Burning them breaks the sulfur bonds releasing free sulfur. 
C)  Burning them breaks the nitrogen bonds releasing free nitrogen. 
D)  They have no significant effect. 
A)  Burning them breaks the carbon bonds releasing free carbon. 
B)  Burning them breaks the sulfur bonds releasing free sulfur. 
C)  Burning them breaks the nitrogen bonds releasing free nitrogen. 
D)  They have no significant effect.

Question 18

What errors can lead to an incorrect average temperature measurement for a particular location?

Accepted Answer

A)  incorrect reading of thermometers 
B)  variation in the time of day the measurements are taken 
C)  changes in the design of the instrument enclosures that contain the thermometer 
D)  all of the above 
A)  incorrect reading of thermometers 
B)  variation in the time of day the measurements are taken 
C)  changes in the design of the instrument enclosures that contain the thermometer 
D)  all of the above

Question 19

The burial of organic matter that leads to the formation of fossil fuels decreases the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. True or False?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Since 1870, sea level is:

Accepted Answer

A)  rising at a constant rate. 
B)  rising at an increasing rate. 
C)  decreasing at a constant rate. 
D)  decreasing at an increasing rate. 
A)  rising at a constant rate. 
B)  rising at an increasing rate. 
C)  decreasing at a constant rate. 
D)  decreasing at an increasing rate.

Exam 21: Global Warming: Real Time Change in the Earth System

Which of the following is not a way to add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

What are the current predictions of future climate change and what is one possible uncertainty? (21.6)

Overall warming in global temperatures since 1970 can be explained only by human impact. True or false?

Since data collection began in 1978, the overall energy emitted from the sun has:

What are 2 factors that affect albedo and 2 factors that affect atmosphere composition? (21.4)

Describe the two ways that glaciers can be used to determine past climates. (21.2)

How is temperature measured for ocean air?

Snow and water affect temperature by:

What is the energy budget?

Chemical analyses of calcite composing the fossil microscopic shells of some marine plankton serve as proxy records of:

Current glacier increase/decrease patterns are consistent with a rise in global temperature. True or False?

On a graph of average temperature, a trend line with a steep slope that is increasing indicates:

An example of a proxy record used by paleoclimatologists is:

The Younger Dryas cold snap was caused from:

What is responsible for the distribution of heat around the earth?

Incoming radiation is mostly in the form of:

How do fossil fuels contribute to global warming?

What errors can lead to an incorrect average temperature measurement for a particular location?

The burial of organic matter that leads to the formation of fossil fuels decreases the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. True or False?

Since 1870, sea level is:

Why Study Earth

Minerals: Building Blocks of the Planet

Rocks and Rock-Forming Processes

Formation of Magma and Igneous Rocks

Formation of Sediment and Sedimentary Rocks

Formation of Metamorphic Rocks

Earth Materials As Time Keepers

Earth Materials As Time Keepers

Making Earth

Motion Inside Earth

Deformation of Rocks

Global Tectonics: Plates and Plumes

Tectonics and Surface Relief

Soil Formation and Landscape Stability

Mass Movements: Landscapes in Motion

Streams: Flowing Water Shapes the Landscape

Water Flowing Underground

Glaciers: Cold-Climate Sculptors of Continents

Shorelines: Changing Landscapes Where Land Meets Sea

Wind: a Global Geologic Process

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