Question 1

Infographic 21.5.

-Refer to Infographic 21.5. Sulfate aerosols are produced mostly from sulfur dioxide which arises from fossil fuel combustion. Because of their impact on air quality, including its role in acid deposition, efforts to reduce emissions, for example by using scrubbers at coal-fired power plants, have succeeded in lowering emissions. Use the infographic to determine what effect these reductions in emissions would have on climate.

Accepted Answer

Sulfate aerosols are negative forcers and thus have a cooling effect. They can scatter incoming light and increase cloud formation and reflectivity. A reduction in emissions would have a warming effect on global climate.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT an example of adaptation to climate change?

Accepted Answer

A)   shoring up coastlines against rising sea levels
B)   preparing for heat waves, cold spells, and outbreaks of infectious diseases
C)   taking steps to ensure a sufficient water supply in areas where freshwater supplies may dry up
D)   consuming more fossil fuels
E)   All of these answers are examples. D

Question 3

Since climatologists started keeping records in 1850, the warmest decade globally was:

Accepted Answer

A)   1850 to 1860.
B)   1950 to 1960.
C)   1980 to 1990.
D)   1990 to 2000.
E)   2000 to 2010. E

Question 4

Deliberately thinning out paper birches in an effort to cultivate more oaks and white pines in Minnesota in light of massive paper birch die-offs is an example of ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   resistance forestry
B)   a poor forestry technique
C)   facilitation
D)   command and control forestry
E)   none of these answers

Question 5

Which of the following factors has low albedo and contributes to warming?

Accepted Answer

A)   glaciers
B)   meadows
C)   fresh snow
D)   asphalt
E)   aerosols

Question 6

What method of measuring atmospheric CO₂ levels gives a more accurate result?

Accepted Answer

A)   local air measurement
B)   water sampling
C)   measurements taken from gas bubbles trapped in the ice
D)   temperature correlation
E)   all of these answers

Question 7

Infographic 21.7.

-Refer to Temperature and Atmospheric CO₂ Concentration from the Vostok Ice Core graph in Infographic 21.7. The relationship between temperature and carbon dioxide is complex. Explain the relationship between these two variables (1) as Earth comes out of a glacial period (ice age) and increases in carbon dioxide lag temperature increases by hundreds of years, and (2) in reference to the recent warming over the last hundred years where increased carbon dioxide release is preceding the warming.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Infographic 21.7.

-Refer to Temperature and Atmospheric CO₂...

Question 8

The meteorological conditions in a given place on a given day refer to its _________.

Accepted Answer

A)   climate
B)   weather
C)   habitat
D)   ecosystem
E)   none of these answers

Question 9

The cause of the vast majority of climate change can be attributed to:

Accepted Answer

A)   volcanoes.
B)   the burning of fossil fuels.
C)   cattle farming.
D)   crop production.
E)   forest fires.

Question 10

Shifts in the ranges of tree species due to climate change are called ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   derooting events
B)   tree-range migrations
C)   uncoupling events
D)   seed dispersal phenomena
E)   none of these answers

Question 11

List several techniques used by climate scientists to gather indirect data on climate (temperature, carbon dioxide levels, etc.) from the distant past.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List several techniques used by climate scientists...

Question 12

How would applying the precautionary principle now to carbon dioxide emissions help to avoid, or at least lessen, some of the more serious outcomes of a changing global climate?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How would applying the precautionary principle now...

Question 13

Which of the following are factors that prevent migrating tree species from thriving in their new, more northerly habitats?

Accepted Answer

A)   proliferation of deer
B)   summer water deficits
C)   beetle infestation
D)   dry conditions which favor intense fires
E)   all of these answers

Question 14

Which of the following facilitate mitigation efforts on a national or global scale?

Accepted Answer

A)   command and control regulations
B)   tax breaks
C)   carbon taxes
D)   cap-and-trade
E)   all of these answers

Question 15

Describe the difference between weather and climate. Provide an example for each.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the difference between weather and climate....

Question 16

Which of the following does NOT directly contribute to sea level rise?

Accepted Answer

A)   melting of land-based ice
B)   melting of sea ice
C)   thermal expansion of water
D)   melting of glaciers
E)   all of these answers

Question 17

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the greenhouse effect?

Accepted Answer

A)   Increased levels of human-produced carbon dioxide have enhanced the greenhouse effect.
B)   The greenhouse effect did not exist before humans.
C)   Greenhouse gases work by magnifying incoming solar radiation onto Earth's surface, just like in a greenhouse.
D)   Volcanoes are the largest source of greenhouse gases.
E)   All of these answers are true.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an example of current or probable benefits from climate change to people in certain places?

Accepted Answer

A)   warmer temperatures in Greenland allowing farmers to grow a wider variety of crops
B)   the Northwest Passage opening during the summer months, reducing the transport time for ships
C)   the incidence of cold-related health problems and deaths decreasing in high-latitude land in Canada and Siberia
D)   the increased maple syrup production in the northeastern United States
E)   All of these answers are examples of probable benefits.

Question 19

-Refer to Infographic 21.8. What is the scientific consensus regarding the cause of the recently observed changes in global climate?

Accepted Answer

The answer of 
-Refer to Infographic 21.8. What is the...

Question 20

Changes in global climate are predicted to have a negative impact on forests. Forests provide which of the following ecosystem services?

Accepted Answer

A)   soil stabilization
B)   water purification
C)   sink for carbon
D)   oxygen production
E)   all of these answers

Exam 21: Climate Change- When the Trees Leave: Scientists Grapple With a Shifting Climate- Alternatives to Fossil Fuels