Question 1

The residence time of sodium in the oceans is roughly 50 million years.Why is it so long?

Accepted Answer

A) The ocean is a small reservoir. 
B) The sodium inflow is high. 
C) Sodium is highly soluble in seawater. 
D) Sodium is an insoluble element. 
A) The ocean is a small reservoir. 
B) The sodium inflow is high. 
C) Sodium is highly soluble in seawater. 
D) Sodium is an insoluble element.

Question 2

The biosphere is composed of

Accepted Answer

A) plants living near Earth's surface. 
B) microbes living near Earth's surface. 
C) animals living near Earth's surface. 
D) all organisms living near Earth's surface. 
A) plants living near Earth's surface. 
B) microbes living near Earth's surface. 
C) animals living near Earth's surface. 
D) all organisms living near Earth's surface.

Question 3

Which of the following elements has the shortest residence time in the oceans?

Accepted Answer

A) calcium 
B) iron 
C) sodium 
D) Calcium,iron,and sodium all have the same residence time. 
A) calcium 
B) iron 
C) sodium 
D) Calcium,iron,and sodium all have the same residence time.

Question 4

Evidence for episodes of continental glaciations in the rock record have occurred in the

Accepted Answer

A) Proterozoic eon. 
B) Ordovician period. 
C) Permian-Pennsylvanian periods. 
D) Carboniferous period. 
A) Proterozoic eon. 
B) Ordovician period. 
C) Permian-Pennsylvanian periods. 
D) Carboniferous period.

Question 5

Periodic variations in the amount of heat that Earth's surface receives from the Sun are best explained by

Accepted Answer

A) Vostok cycles. 
B) Milankovitch cycles. 
C) Holocene cycles. 
D) Wisconsin cycles. 
A) Vostok cycles. 
B) Milankovitch cycles. 
C) Holocene cycles. 
D) Wisconsin cycles.

Question 6

The geologic record indicates that ice ages start ______ and end _____.

Accepted Answer

A) abruptly; abruptly 
B) abruptly; gradually 
C) gradually; gradually 
D) gradually; abruptly 
A) abruptly; abruptly 
B) abruptly; gradually 
C) gradually; gradually 
D) gradually; abruptly

Question 7

The residence time of an element or compound in a given reservoir is controlled by

Accepted Answer

A) influx. 
B) outflux. 
C) reservoir size. 
D) influx,outflux,and reservoir size. 
A) influx. 
B) outflux. 
C) reservoir size. 
D) influx,outflux,and reservoir size.

Question 8

The amount of energy input to Earth's surface is __________ the heat flowing out of Earth's deep interior.

Accepted Answer

A) much greater than 
B) slightly less than 
C) slightly greater than 
D) much less than 
A) much greater than 
B) slightly less than 
C) slightly greater than 
D) much less than

Question 9

At the last glacial maximum,sea level was approximately ______ lower than today.

Accepted Answer

A) 10 m 
B) 130 m 
C) 200 m 
D) 1000 m 
A) 10 m 
B) 130 m 
C) 200 m 
D) 1000 m

Question 10

How many different kinds of Milankovitch cycles are there?

Accepted Answer

A) two 
B) three 
C) four 
D) five 
A) two 
B) three 
C) four 
D) five

Question 11

The greatest carbon flux comes from the cycling of atmospheric CO2 through

Accepted Answer

A) respiration. 
B) precipitation. 
C) photosynthesis. 
D) sedimentation. 
A) respiration. 
B) precipitation. 
C) photosynthesis. 
D) sedimentation.

Question 12

On the Moon,daytime temperatures can reach ______°C and nighttime temperatures ________°C.

Accepted Answer

A) 14; −19 
B) 130; −170 
C) 10; 0 
D) 75; −10 
A) 14; −19 
B) 130; −170 
C) 10; 0 
D) 75; −10

Question 13

All the main components of the climate system derive their energy from the sun,except one.Which one of the following is not fueled by solar energy?

Accepted Answer

A) the biosphere 
B) the cryosphere 
C) the atmosphere 
D) the lithosphere 
A) the biosphere 
B) the cryosphere 
C) the atmosphere 
D) the lithosphere

Question 14

The residence time of sodium in the ocean is approximately ___________ years.

Accepted Answer

A) 400 
B) 20,000 
C) 1 million 
D) 50 million 
A) 400 
B) 20,000 
C) 1 million 
D) 50 million

Question 15

The process whereby warm water from equatorial regions is moved to more polar regions in the ocean basins is called

Accepted Answer

A) thermohaline circulation. 
B) thermosphere circulation. 
C) cryospheric circulation. 
D) hydrocline circulation. 
A) thermohaline circulation. 
B) thermosphere circulation. 
C) cryospheric circulation. 
D) hydrocline circulation.

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Negative and positive feedbacks both tend to amplify changes in a system. 
B) Negative feedbacks tend to amplify changes in a system; positive feedbacks tend to stabilize a system. 
C) Negative feedbacks tend to stabilize a system; positive feedbacks tend to amplify changes in a system. 
D) Negative and positive feedbacks both tend to stabilize a system. 
A) Negative and positive feedbacks both tend to amplify changes in a system. 
B) Negative feedbacks tend to amplify changes in a system; positive feedbacks tend to stabilize a system. 
C) Negative feedbacks tend to stabilize a system; positive feedbacks tend to amplify changes in a system. 
D) Negative and positive feedbacks both tend to stabilize a system.

Question 17

The "ozone shield" is useful because it

Accepted Answer

A) absorbs infrared radiation. 
B) absorbs ultraviolet radiation. 
C) absorbs all solar radiation. 
D) shields Earth from meteorites. 
A) absorbs infrared radiation. 
B) absorbs ultraviolet radiation. 
C) absorbs all solar radiation. 
D) shields Earth from meteorites.

Question 18

Residence times of chemical elements in the ______ are usually shorter than in the _______.

Accepted Answer

A) atmosphere; biosphere 
B) oceans; atmosphere 
C) biosphere; oceans 
D) atmosphere; oceans 
A) atmosphere; biosphere 
B) oceans; atmosphere 
C) biosphere; oceans 
D) atmosphere; oceans

Question 19

The main component(s)of the climate system is(are)

Accepted Answer

A) the hydrosphere. 
B) the cryosphere. 
C) the atmosphere. 
D) the hydrosphere,the cryosphere,and the atmosphere. 
A) the hydrosphere. 
B) the cryosphere. 
C) the atmosphere. 
D) the hydrosphere,the cryosphere,and the atmosphere.

Question 20

The greenhouse effect is caused by

Accepted Answer

A) carbon dioxide and water vapor that trap heat radiating from Earth's surface. 
B) heating of homes and businesses,which releases excess heat into the atmosphere. 
C) oceans that trap heat radiating from Earth's seafloors. 
D) too many plants on the surface of Earth,which prevents cooling of the surface. 
A) carbon dioxide and water vapor that trap heat radiating from Earth's surface. 
B) heating of homes and businesses,which releases excess heat into the atmosphere. 
C) oceans that trap heat radiating from Earth's seafloors. 
D) too many plants on the surface of Earth,which prevents cooling of the surface.

Exam 15: The Climate System

The residence time of sodium in the oceans is roughly 50 million years.Why is it so long?

The biosphere is composed of

Which of the following elements has the shortest residence time in the oceans?

Evidence for episodes of continental glaciations in the rock record have occurred in the

Periodic variations in the amount of heat that Earth's surface receives from the Sun are best explained by

The geologic record indicates that ice ages start ______ and end _____.

The residence time of an element or compound in a given reservoir is controlled by

The amount of energy input to Earth's surface is __________ the heat flowing out of Earth's deep interior.

At the last glacial maximum,sea level was approximately ______ lower than today.

How many different kinds of Milankovitch cycles are there?

The greatest carbon flux comes from the cycling of atmospheric CO2 through

On the Moon,daytime temperatures can reach ______°C and nighttime temperatures ________°C.

All the main components of the climate system derive their energy from the sun,except one.Which one of the following is not fueled by solar energy?

The residence time of sodium in the ocean is approximately ___________ years.

The process whereby warm water from equatorial regions is moved to more polar regions in the ocean basins is called

Which of the following statements is true?

The "ozone shield" is useful because it

Residence times of chemical elements in the ______ are usually shorter than in the _______.

The main component(s)of the climate system is(are)

The greenhouse effect is caused by

The Earth System

Plate Tectonics: The Unifying Theory

Earth Materials: Minerals and Rocks

Igneous Rocks: Solids From Melts

Sedimentation: Rocks Formed by Surface Processes

Metamorphism: Alteration of Rocks by Temperature and Pressure

Deformation: Modification of Rocks by Folding and Fracturing

Clocks in Rocks: Timing the Geologic Period

Early History of the Terrestrial Planets

History of the Continents

Geobiology: Life Interacts With Earth

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

Exploring Earths Interior

Weathering,erosion,and Mass Wasting: Interactions Between the Climate and Plate Tectonic Systems

The Hydrologic Cycle and Groundwater

Stream Transport: From Mountains to Oceans

Winds and Deserts

Coastlines and Ocean Basins

Glaciers: the Work of Ice

Landscapes: Tectonic and Climate Interaction

The Human Impact of Earths Environment

Filters

The geologic record indicates that ice ages start __ and end _.

The greatest carbon flux comes from the cycling of atmospheric CO₂through

On the Moon,daytime temperatures can reach °C and nighttime temperatures __°C.

Residence times of chemical elements in the are usually shorter than in the _.