Question 1

Why is the Earth heated primarily by radiation from the Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

Although shortwave radiation can penetrate the atmosphere, longwave radiation such as that radiated by the Earth cannot and gets trapped by certain gases in the atmosphere.

Question 2

Nitrogen makes up the largest percentage of the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 3

Which of the following is not one of the three paths taken by incoming solar radiation?

Accepted Answer

A) Radiation passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. 
B) Radiation is deflected by the magnetic field. 
C) Radiation is reflected back into space by clouds, atmosphere, snow, and ice. 
D) Radiation is absorbed by clouds and atmospheric gases. 
A) Radiation passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. 
B) Radiation is deflected by the magnetic field. 
C) Radiation is reflected back into space by clouds, atmosphere, snow, and ice. 
D) Radiation is absorbed by clouds and atmospheric gases. B

Question 4

Which of the following best illustrates the connection between climate and geologic processes?

Accepted Answer

A) Water coming off a cooling magma emplaces metallic ores 
B) Hydrothermal vents near a mid-ocean rift create chimneys of mineral deposits 
C) Heavy rainfalls trigger debris flows 
D) Arid climates make sea level drop 
A) Water coming off a cooling magma emplaces metallic ores 
B) Hydrothermal vents near a mid-ocean rift create chimneys of mineral deposits 
C) Heavy rainfalls trigger debris flows 
D) Arid climates make sea level drop

Question 5

What is the source of black carbon aerosols?

Accepted Answer

A) Petroleum 
B) Soot 
C) Bacteria 
D) Mineral deposits 
A) Petroleum 
B) Soot 
C) Bacteria 
D) Mineral deposits

Question 6

Is the greenhouse effect a completely bad thing for the planet? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

No; some greenhouse warming is good for

Question 7

What percentage of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide?

Accepted Answer

A) 0.0400% 
B) 0.152% 
C) 1% 
D) 5% 
A) 0.0400% 
B) 0.152% 
C) 1% 
D) 5%

Question 8

The climate system involves energy and moisture exchanges between five Earth spheres: biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

How will seasonal changes affect the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) There will be less CO2 in the atmosphere in winter than in summer 
B) The levels of CO2 are constant no matter the season 
C) There will be more CO2 in the atmosphere in winter than in summer 
A) There will be less CO2 in the atmosphere in winter than in summer 
B) The levels of CO2 are constant no matter the season 
C) There will be more CO2 in the atmosphere in winter than in summer

Question 10

Which oxygen isotope would be concentrated in glacial ice?

Accepted Answer

A) 16O 
B) 17O 
C) 18O 
A) 16O 
B) 17O 
C) 18O

Question 11

What are sunspots? How can sunspots affect the climate on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Sunspots appear as dark blemishes on the

Question 12

How will explosive volcanic eruptions affect global temperatures?

Accepted Answer

A) Temperatures will raise 
B) Temperatures will lower 
C) Temperatures will remain the same 
A) Temperatures will raise 
B) Temperatures will lower 
C) Temperatures will remain the same

Question 13

Why is the use of proxy data necessary when studying past climate change?

Accepted Answer

A) Modern recording instruments are skewed by pollutants in the atmosphere 
B) Modern data has been biased by religious influence or political ideologies 
C) Instrumental records only go back a couple of centuries and are more incomplete the older they are 
D) Geological and atmospheric changes occurring at the time work differently than today 
A) Modern recording instruments are skewed by pollutants in the atmosphere 
B) Modern data has been biased by religious influence or political ideologies 
C) Instrumental records only go back a couple of centuries and are more incomplete the older they are 
D) Geological and atmospheric changes occurring at the time work differently than today

Question 14

When eccentricity, obliquity, and precession are all overlapping to have the most significant impact on the Earth's climate, what is happening to the climate?

Accepted Answer

A) Climate is cooling 
B) Climate is warming 
C) Climate is stagnant 
A) Climate is cooling 
B) Climate is warming 
C) Climate is stagnant

Question 15

Computer models are not infallible at predicting climate change because they use simplified versions of the Earth to create the model.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Which coastline will be more significantly impacted by sea level change: the Pacific Coast or the Atlantic Coast?

Accepted Answer

A) The Pacific Coast - there are more people living there 
B) The Atlantic Coast - it has a gently sloping shoreline 
C) The Pacific Coast - it has a steeply sloping shoreline 
D) The Atlantic Coast - there are more buildings along the shoreline 
A) The Pacific Coast - there are more people living there 
B) The Atlantic Coast - it has a gently sloping shoreline 
C) The Pacific Coast - it has a steeply sloping shoreline 
D) The Atlantic Coast - there are more buildings along the shoreline

Question 17

How can tree rings provide information about past climates?

Accepted Answer

A) Thickness and spacing of tree rings reflect environmental conditions 
B) Tree rings turn colors depending on the climate 
C) Tree rings trap gas bubbles that can be used to interpret atmospheric conditions 
D) Tree rings can measure past CO2 concentrations 
A) Thickness and spacing of tree rings reflect environmental conditions 
B) Tree rings turn colors depending on the climate 
C) Tree rings trap gas bubbles that can be used to interpret atmospheric conditions 
D) Tree rings can measure past CO2 concentrations

Question 18

The higher temperatures during the Cretaceous Period were the result of ________.

Accepted Answer

A) the Milankovich Cycle 
B) additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 
C) increased sunspot activity 
D) changing locations of continents 
A) the Milankovich Cycle 
B) additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 
C) increased sunspot activity 
D) changing locations of continents

Question 19

Which decade (so far)has seen the most significant total increase in temperature so far?

Accepted Answer

A) 1960s 
B) 1980s 
C) 2000s 
D) 2010s 
A) 1960s 
B) 1980s 
C) 2000s 
D) 2010s

Question 20

Explain why even small changes in sea level will have a profound effect on human civilizations.

Accepted Answer

Humans living low-lying island

Exam 21: Global Climate Change

Why is the Earth heated primarily by radiation from the Earth's surface?

Nitrogen makes up the largest percentage of the atmosphere.

Which of the following is not one of the three paths taken by incoming solar radiation?

Which of the following best illustrates the connection between climate and geologic processes?

What is the source of black carbon aerosols?

Is the greenhouse effect a completely bad thing for the planet? Why or why not?

What percentage of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide?

The climate system involves energy and moisture exchanges between five Earth spheres: biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere.

How will seasonal changes affect the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere?

Which oxygen isotope would be concentrated in glacial ice?

What are sunspots? How can sunspots affect the climate on Earth?

How will explosive volcanic eruptions affect global temperatures?

Why is the use of proxy data necessary when studying past climate change?

When eccentricity, obliquity, and precession are all overlapping to have the most significant impact on the Earth's climate, what is happening to the climate?

Computer models are not infallible at predicting climate change because they use simplified versions of the Earth to create the model.

Which coastline will be more significantly impacted by sea level change: the Pacific Coast or the Atlantic Coast?

How can tree rings provide information about past climates?

The higher temperatures during the Cretaceous Period were the result of ________.

Which decade (so far)has seen the most significant total increase in temperature so far?

Explain why even small changes in sea level will have a profound effect on human civilizations.

An Introduction to Geology

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Matter and Minerals

Magma, Igneous Rocks, and Intrusive Activity

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

Weathering and Soil

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes

Earths Interior

Divergent Boundaries

Convergent Boundaries

Mass Wasting

Running Water

Groundwater

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Shorelines

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

Energy and Mineral Resources

Touring Our Solar System

Filters

How will seasonal changes affect the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere?