Question 1

Changes that occur in one part of the climate system are isolated and will have no part on the remainder of the system.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Compare and contrast positive climate-feedback mechanisms and negative climate-feedback mechanisms.

Accepted Answer

A positive mechanism will ampl

Question 3

Compare and contrast fossil pollen, tree-growth rings, and corals as three proxies for determining paleoclimate.

Accepted Answer

The growth and distribution of all three

Question 4

How will melting permafrost in polar regions lead to a positive feedback loop that will continue to warm the climate, which will allow for more permafrost to melt?

Accepted Answer

A) Buried CFCs will be released from contaminants in frozen vegetation 
B) Methane will be released as the vegetation thaws 
C) Nitrous oxide will be trapped in the meltwater generated and pulled out of the atmosphere 
D) Carbon dioxide is sequestered in the water infiltrating the landscape 
A) Buried CFCs will be released from contaminants in frozen vegetation 
B) Methane will be released as the vegetation thaws 
C) Nitrous oxide will be trapped in the meltwater generated and pulled out of the atmosphere 
D) Carbon dioxide is sequestered in the water infiltrating the landscape

Question 5

If CFCs have not been widely used since the late 20th century, why are they considered a major greenhouse gas in the 21st century?

Accepted Answer

A) Although they have been banned, they are being use illegally 
B) CFCs are released by a number of natural processes, such as volcanoes 
C) Greenhouse gases such as methane will break down into CFCs 
D) CFCs can stay in the atmosphere for decades 
A) Although they have been banned, they are being use illegally 
B) CFCs are released by a number of natural processes, such as volcanoes 
C) Greenhouse gases such as methane will break down into CFCs 
D) CFCs can stay in the atmosphere for decades

Question 6

What is the molecule for ozone?

Accepted Answer

A) O2 
B) CO2 
C) O3 
D) H2O 
A) O2 
B) CO2 
C) O3 
D) H2O

Question 7

Which process has been largely responsible for increasing the amount of CO2 in the last 200 years?

Accepted Answer

A) Increasing cattle ranching worldwide 
B) Disintegration of petroleum-based plastics 
C) Use of industrial fertilizers 
D) Burning of fossil fuels 
A) Increasing cattle ranching worldwide 
B) Disintegration of petroleum-based plastics 
C) Use of industrial fertilizers 
D) Burning of fossil fuels

Question 8

How does the residence time of aerosols in the atmosphere compare to that of greenhouse gases?

Accepted Answer

Aerosols stay in the

Question 9

How can agriculture be responsible for increasing the amount of methane in the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) Crops like corn and soybeans add methane to the atmosphere 
B) Methane is emitted by bacteria in the gut of agricultural animals, such as cattle and sheep 
C) Overtilling the land will cause the soil to break down and release greenhouse gases 
D) Fumes from liquid fertilizer are opening holes in the ozone 
A) Crops like corn and soybeans add methane to the atmosphere 
B) Methane is emitted by bacteria in the gut of agricultural animals, such as cattle and sheep 
C) Overtilling the land will cause the soil to break down and release greenhouse gases 
D) Fumes from liquid fertilizer are opening holes in the ozone

Question 10

Which of the following spheres is not part of the climate system?

Accepted Answer

A) Cryosphere 
B) Asthenosphere 
C) Hydrosphere 
D) Biosphere 
A) Cryosphere 
B) Asthenosphere 
C) Hydrosphere 
D) Biosphere

Question 11

What was the approximate concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere in 1965? Use the smoothed curve for seasonally corrected data to make the determination.

Accepted Answer

A) 400 ppm 
B) 380 ppm 
C) 340 ppm 
D) 320 ppm 
A) 400 ppm 
B) 380 ppm 
C) 340 ppm 
D) 320 ppm

Question 12

How can the ratios of oxygen isotopes be used to indicate past climate change? What marine substance can be tested for its oxygen ratios?

Accepted Answer

¹⁶O and ¹⁸O both exist in seawater.Because ¹⁶O

Question 13

Which of the following trace gases is not natural to the atmosphere and is purely the result of human activities?

Accepted Answer

A) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 
B) Nitrous oxide 
C) Krypton 
D) Methane 
A) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 
B) Nitrous oxide 
C) Krypton 
D) Methane

Question 14

Nearly all the energy that drives the Earth's climate comes from the Sun.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The ________ refers to water in solid form, such as ice and snow that exists on the Earth's surface.

Accepted Answer

A) Cryosphere 
B) Atmosphere 
C) Geosphere 
D) Biosphere 
A) Cryosphere 
B) Atmosphere 
C) Geosphere 
D) Biosphere

Question 16

Explain how melting glacial ice will result in a positive feedback mechanism for climate.

Accepted Answer

Warming temperatures will melt glacial i

Question 17

Increasing amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere results in increased global temperatures.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

The concentration of methane in the atmosphere has been shown to be increasing for the last 1,000 years, indicating that humans are not responsible for its generation.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Trapped air in glaciers record atmospheric composition through time.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

What was the approximate increase in global temperature during the 20th century?

Accepted Answer

A) 0.5°C 
B) 0.8°C 
C) 1.0°C 
D) 1.5°C 
A) 0.5°C 
B) 0.8°C 
C) 1.0°C 
D) 1.5°C

Exam 21: Global Climate Change

Changes that occur in one part of the climate system are isolated and will have no part on the remainder of the system.

Compare and contrast positive climate-feedback mechanisms and negative climate-feedback mechanisms.

Compare and contrast fossil pollen, tree-growth rings, and corals as three proxies for determining paleoclimate.

How will melting permafrost in polar regions lead to a positive feedback loop that will continue to warm the climate, which will allow for more permafrost to melt?

If CFCs have not been widely used since the late 20th century, why are they considered a major greenhouse gas in the 21st century?

What is the molecule for ozone?

Which process has been largely responsible for increasing the amount of CO2 in the last 200 years?

How does the residence time of aerosols in the atmosphere compare to that of greenhouse gases?

How can agriculture be responsible for increasing the amount of methane in the atmosphere?

Which of the following spheres is not part of the climate system?

What was the approximate concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere in 1965? Use the smoothed curve for seasonally corrected data to make the determination.

How can the ratios of oxygen isotopes be used to indicate past climate change? What marine substance can be tested for its oxygen ratios?

Which of the following trace gases is not natural to the atmosphere and is purely the result of human activities?

Nearly all the energy that drives the Earth's climate comes from the Sun.

The ________ refers to water in solid form, such as ice and snow that exists on the Earth's surface.

Explain how melting glacial ice will result in a positive feedback mechanism for climate.

Increasing amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere results in increased global temperatures.

The concentration of methane in the atmosphere has been shown to be increasing for the last 1,000 years, indicating that humans are not responsible for its generation.

Trapped air in glaciers record atmospheric composition through time.

What was the approximate increase in global temperature during the 20th century?

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

If CFCs have not been widely used since the late 20^th century, why are they considered a major greenhouse gas in the 21^st century?

Which process has been largely responsible for increasing the amount of CO₂ in the last 200 years?

What was the approximate concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere in 1965? Use the smoothed curve for seasonally corrected data to make the determination.

Increasing amounts of CO₂ in the atmosphere results in increased global temperatures.

What was the approximate increase in global temperature during the 20^th century?