Deck 20: Climate and Climate Change

Question 1

Which of the following depends on a region's average temperature and typical temperature range as well as the amount and distribution of precipitation, the nature of storms, and typical seasonal variations?

A)weather
B)climate
C)weather forecast
D)climate change

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Greenhouse gases are those that

A)exist in abundance in Earth's atmosphere.
B)absorb energy that is reradiated from Earth's surface.
C)occupy the ozone layer.
D)cause seasonal variations.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Based on the image below, which region of the planet experiences temperatures most similar to those of the western United States in January?

A)Mexico
B)Europe
C)western South America
D)India

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The angle of incidence, the angle between incoming beams of sunlight and the Earth's surface, varies with

A)distance from the sun.
B)abundance of carbon dioxide.
C)latitude.
D)longitude.

Question 5

Which of the following is/are the major factors that contribute to climate?

A)temperature
B)temperature and storms
C)temperature and precipitation
D)storms and precipitation.

Question 6

Charles Keeling learned that the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere over the past century

A)is increasing.
B)is decreasing.
C)is constant.
D)fluctuates on a 10-year cycle.

Question 7

Based on the image below, where is it most likely to rain in July?

A)Australia
B)northern Atlantic
C)eastern Atlantic
D)western Pacific

Question 8

Where is solar heating least likely to vary with seasons?

A)Tropic of Capricorn
B)South Pole
C)equator
D)Tropic of Cancer

Question 9

When averaged over time, the amount of energy arriving at the Earth from the Sun ________ . This relationship is called the Earth's energy balance.

A)is greater than the amount of energy emitted to space by the Earth
B)is less than the amount of energy emitted to space by the Earth
C)is equal to the amount of energy emitted to space by the Earth
D)has been continually increasing

Question 10

Which of the following best explains why we have seasons?

A)The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere varies throughout the year.
B)The plane of Earth's orbit is inclined relative to the sun.
C)Earth's distance from the sun is variable.
D)Earth's axis of rotation is at an angle to the plane of its orbit.

Question 11

During autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, which part of Earth receives the most solar energy?

A)Tropic of Capricorn
B)South Pole
C)equator
D)Tropic of Cancer

Question 12

Based on the image below, which region of the planet experiences the warmest temperatures in July?

A)Mexico
B)northern Africa
C)central Africa
D)southern Africa

Question 13

Why did Charles Keeling choose to install an atmospheric carbon dioxide monitoring system on Mauna Loa, a volcanic peak on the Big Island of Hawaii?

A)The remote location would allow only carbon dioxide that had mixed with the atmosphere to be measured.
B)The peak is high enough to reach into the upper levels of the atmosphere where carbon dioxide concentrates.
C)He wanted to better understand the impact volcanoes have on atmospheric carbon dioxide.
D)The inaccessibility of the location would ensure that his instruments would not be tampered with.

Question 14

The image below is of the Keeling Curve. This tells us that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere over the past 50 years

A)is increasing.
B)is decreasing.
C)is constant.
D)fluctuates on a 10-year cycle.

Question 15

Climate varies with latitude because of the

A)thickness of the atmosphere.
B)angle of incidence.
C)distance from the sun.
D)abundance of greenhouse gases.

Question 16

Which of the following is least likely to determine the amount of solar energy that reaches a location on the Earth's surface?

A)distance the light travels
B)angle of incidence
C)amount of air the light passes through
D)number of daylight hours

Question 17

Water has a high heat capacity, which means that

A)it can absorb a lot of heat without much change in temperature.
B)small amounts of heat can increase water temperature dramatically.
C)it can easily become very hot.
D)it is a good indicator of temperature change.

Question 18

The Earth's ________ is the surface and near-surface realm that provides the resources necessary to sustain life.

A)biosphere
B)life capacity
C)critical zone
D)geosphere

Question 19

The conditions of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, cloudiness, and precipitation at a given location at a given time are referred to as

A)weather.
B)climate.
C)weather forecast.
D)climate change.

Question 20

The greenhouse effect is

A)the current increase in global surface temperatures.
B)the result of global warming.
C)a climate change hypothesis that is no longer accepted.
D)the trapping of reradiated energy by the atmosphere.

Question 21

Based on the graph below, global temperatures were the coldest ________ years ago.

A)18,000
B)10,500
C)7,000
D)500

Question 22

The term snowball Earth refers to

A)ice ages.
B)a period in Earth's history when the oceans froze over and glaciers appeared to have covered all the land.
C)a hypothetical scenario in which the oceans freeze over and glaciers cover all the land.
D)icehouse periods when colder temperatures predominate.

Question 23

The best indicator of paleoclimate would be

A)the thickness of the ozone.
B)oxidation of stratigraphic deposits.
C)oxygen-isotope ratios in ice.
D)salinity in mountain lakes.

Question 24

What season is illustrated for the Northern Hemisphere in the figure below?

A)spring
B)summer
C)autumn
D)winter

Question 25

During winter in the Northern Hemisphere, which part of Earth receives the most daylight hours?

A)Tropic of Capricorn
B)South Pole
C)equator
D)Tropic of Cancer

Question 26

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

A)Earth's climate has remained consistent with time.
B)Most of Earth's climate history has been significantly colder than it is currently.
C)Most of Earth's climate history has been significantly warmer than it is currently.
D)Temperatures on Earth have varied throughout geologic time.

Question 27

A basic history of global climate change is preserved in the stratigraphic record because

A)characteristics of igneous rocks depend on climate because of variations in cooling rates.
B)the amount of sediment deposited is a function of climate.
C)the amount of fossils preserved in the rock record is dependent on climate.
D)depositional setting and the assemblages of organisms depend on the climate.

Question 28

Which is likely to cause natural short-term climate change?

A)increased sea level and the formation of shallow inland seas
B)Milankovitch cycles
C)the distribution of continents on the Earth's surface
D)lunar cycles

Question 29

Global climate is an example of a(n)

A)unidirectional change.
B)cyclic change.
C)static condition.
D)Earth system.

Question 30

The degree of reflectivity of a surface is also known as its

A)reflective index.
B)refractive index.
C)paradox.
D)albedo.

Question 31

Based on the graph below, the amount of glacial ice on a global scale is

A)increasing.
B)decreasing.
C)fluctuating wildly.
D)remaining consistent.

Question 32

Which of the following is MOST likely to result in natural long-term climate change?

A)a volcanic eruption, similar to that of Mount St. Helens
B)Milankovitch cycles
C)long-term changes in atmospheric composition
D)variations in oxygen isotope ratios in sea ice

Question 33

In the illustration below, which part of Earth is receiving the most sunlight?

A)Tropic of Capricorn
B)South Pole
C)equator
D)Tropic of Cancer

Question 34

Global temperatures have _______ in the past 200 years.

A)risen
B)fallen
C)fluctuated wildly
D)stayed constant

Question 35

An increase in average global atmospheric and sea-surface temperatures represents

A)global cooling.
B)natural variations.
C)paleoclimatology.
D)global warming.

Question 36

Typically, volcanic eruptions

A)do not result in significant long-term climate change.
B)result in climate cooling because of the extra ash in the atmosphere.
C)result in climate warming because they release so much carbon dioxide.
D)result in climate warming because they release so much methane.

Question 37

Which of the following best explains how the carbon cycle plays a role in climate change?

A)The carbon cycle influences the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, which influences climate.
B)The amount of carbon dissolved in seawater influences ocean temperatures, and thus climate.
C)Some carbon occurs in greenhouse gases, which influence climate.
D)Carbon in the ozone layer reflects sunlight, which influences climate.

Question 38

Which of the following best describes the relationship between sea-level change and climate change?

A)Sea-level change and climate change are not related.
B)Changes in sea level change the distribution of heat and thus change climate.
C)Increases in sea level cause ice caps to melt and thus result in warming.
D)Increases in sea level increase the reflectivity of the planet and thus result in cooling.

Question 39

Which of the following is MOST true of albedo?

A)Increases in albedo cause cooling.
B)Increases in albedo cause warming.
C)Decreases in albedo typically result in polar ice formation.
D)Decreases in albedo typically result in increased vegetation.

Question 40

Based on the graph below, global sea level is

A)gradually increasing.
B)gradually decreasing.
C)fluctuating wildly.
D)remaining consistent.

Question 41

Identify five probable outcomes of global climate change.

Question 42

Global climate change is likely to affect storms through an increase in average ________ temperatures, which will ________, resulting in stronger storm systems.

A)ocean; increase evaporation
B)surface; generate stronger winds
C)ocean; cause more winds to blow landward
D)surface; increase wind speeds

Question 43

Is the primary cause of recent climate change natural or anthropogenic? How do we know?

Question 44

Global climate models predict that if greenhouse gasses had remained constant, Earth would have experienced

A)warming.
B)cooling.
C)no change in climate.
D)much stormier conditions.

Question 45

Changes in a system that enhance the initial change are known as _________ processes.

A)escalating
B)inflammatory
C)negative feedback
D)positive feedback

Question 46

How is a history of global climate change preserved in the stratigraphic record? Give an example.

Question 47

The graph below is the Keeling Curve, a record of carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa beginning in 1958. What can be learned from this graph? What do the two lines (black and grey) tell us?

Question 48

Based on the graph below, average annual surface temperatures are

A)rising.
B)falling.
C)remaining consistent.
D)rising in the Northern Hemisphere but are unchanged in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 49

Milankovitch cycles involve changes in the shape of Earth's orbit, as well as the

A)location of the magnetic North Pole.
B)precession of its axis.
C)tilt of its axis, and the precession of its axis.
D)tilt of its axis, and the location of the magnetic North Pole.

Question 50

What is a paleoclimate indicator? Provide three examples.

Question 51

Which of the following is NOT a likely outcome of global climate change?

A)falling sea levels
B)more heat waves
C)changed precipitation patterns
D)glacial retreat

Question 52

Since the industrial revolution, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has

A)increased.
B)decreased.
C)stayed the same.
D)fluctuated inconsistently.

Question 53

Why does Earth have seasons?

Question 54

Current changes in Earth's climate are most likely caused by

A)increased albedo.
B)The climate is not changing.
C)natural forcing.
D)anthropogenic forcing.

Question 55

The warming of Earth's climate results in _______ glaciation and a _______ in sea level.

A)increased; rise
B)increased; fall
C)decreased; rise
D)decreased; fall

Question 56

Warming of the global system could cause permafrost to melt, which would release methane into the atmosphere. This is an example of

A)unrelated consequences.
B)a negative feedback process.
C)a positive feedback process.
D)an uncertain feedback process.

Question 57

Discuss three lines of evidence that global climate change is currently taking place.

Question 58

Has Earth's climate changed in the past? What are some natural causes of long-term climate change? Short-term climate change?

Question 59

How is weather different from climate? How are they related?

Question 60

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