Question 1

Which of the following accurately describes 18O/16O ratios of ice sheets?

Accepted Answer

A) During warmer periods,16O evaporates more readily and therefore the 18O/16O ratio is significantly lower than colder periods. 
B) The higher the ratio of ice core 18O/16O,the cooler there temperatures because the 18O will be locked up in ice sheets. 
C) A higher 18O/16O ratio indicates warmer periods during which more 18O evaporates and precipitates. 
D) During periods of colder temperature,the 18O/16O ratio is higher because only the 18O isotope is being evaporated. 
A) During warmer periods,16O evaporates more readily and therefore the 18O/16O ratio is significantly lower than colder periods. 
B) The higher the ratio of ice core 18O/16O,the cooler there temperatures because the 18O will be locked up in ice sheets. 
C) A higher 18O/16O ratio indicates warmer periods during which more 18O evaporates and precipitates. 
D) During periods of colder temperature,the 18O/16O ratio is higher because only the 18O isotope is being evaporated.

Question 2

Vulnerability to sea level rise is not uniformly distributed across the world.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Which of the following accurately describes 13C/12C ratios of plant materials and their use in climate reconstructions?

Accepted Answer

A) 13C is an unstable isotope,which decays at a constant rate.This is used to date plant material,which can then be used as a proxy for temperature and climate conditions at that time. 
B) By analyzing the ratio of13C/12C  in marine phytoplankton,the source of the water in which the organisms resided can be determined. 
C) 12C  is very rare in nature.When it does appear in plant material,it is indicative of climate anomalies.By measuring the 13C/12C  ratios,scientists can determine whether the plants were alive during normal or anomalous conditions. 
D) Different plants use different types of photosynthesis,each producing a different carbon isotope ratio in plant materials,which scientists use to determine past temperature and rainfall conditions. 
A) 13C is an unstable isotope,which decays at a constant rate.This is used to date plant material,which can then be used as a proxy for temperature and climate conditions at that time. 
B) By analyzing the ratio of13C/12C  in marine phytoplankton,the source of the water in which the organisms resided can be determined. 
C) 12C  is very rare in nature.When it does appear in plant material,it is indicative of climate anomalies.By measuring the 13C/12C  ratios,scientists can determine whether the plants were alive during normal or anomalous conditions. 
D) Different plants use different types of photosynthesis,each producing a different carbon isotope ratio in plant materials,which scientists use to determine past temperature and rainfall conditions.

Question 4

Firsthand,reliable scientific measurements of climate only date back approximately 140 years.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT an example of methods used for short-term climate reconstructions?

Accepted Answer

A) Speleothems analysis 
B) Ocean sediment core analysis 
C) Dendrochronology 
D) Carbon isotope analysis 
A) Speleothems analysis 
B) Ocean sediment core analysis 
C) Dendrochronology 
D) Carbon isotope analysis

Question 6

Many scientists consider climate change to be one of the most critical issues facing humankind in the twenty-first century.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

The average individual is helpless to do anything about climate change.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

What are some examples of positive and negative climate feedback loops?

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary.An example of a positi

Question 9

During the last century,sea level

Accepted Answer

A) rose 17 to 21 cm (6.7 to 8.3 in.). 
B) rose 30 to 46 cm (11.8 to 18 in.). 
C) remained fairly constant,though some areas (such at the Atlantic coast)experienced moderate rises. 
D) dropped 3 to 5 cm (1.18 to 3.15 in.). 
A) rose 17 to 21 cm (6.7 to 8.3 in.). 
B) rose 30 to 46 cm (11.8 to 18 in.). 
C) remained fairly constant,though some areas (such at the Atlantic coast)experienced moderate rises. 
D) dropped 3 to 5 cm (1.18 to 3.15 in.).

Question 10

Earthʹs axial tilt varies from 21.5° to 24.5° during a 41,000 year period.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Which of the following accurately describes 18O/16O ratios of the oceans?

Accepted Answer

A) The 18O/16O ratio in the ocean is low during the winter because temperatures are too low for 16O to evaporate. 
B) The ratio of oceanic 18O/16O in the late summer is high,because the most of the 16O has evaporated by then. 
C) During the winter,16O is high in the ocean; during warmer periods the isotope ratio is lower. 
D) Because 18O evaporates more readily than 16O,the oceans have a higher relative abundance of 16O during the summer. 
A) The 18O/16O ratio in the ocean is low during the winter because temperatures are too low for 16O to evaporate. 
B) The ratio of oceanic 18O/16O in the late summer is high,because the most of the 16O has evaporated by then. 
C) During the winter,16O is high in the ocean; during warmer periods the isotope ratio is lower. 
D) Because 18O evaporates more readily than 16O,the oceans have a higher relative abundance of 16O during the summer.

Question 12

While GCMs are useful for visualization the complex global oceanic-atmosphere circulation,they have had little utility in the study of climate change.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Over the span of the last 5 million years,climate reconstructions show a series of cooler and warmer periods.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The rate of population growth decreased after 1950.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Radiative forcing (climate forcing)refers to

Accepted Answer

A) the amount by which some perturbation causes Earthʹs energy balance to deviate from zero. 
B) the contribution of each greenhouse gas to global warming. 
C) a measurement of solar radiation energy received on a give surface area. 
D) the power of electromagnetic radiation per unit area. 
A) the amount by which some perturbation causes Earthʹs energy balance to deviate from zero. 
B) the contribution of each greenhouse gas to global warming. 
C) a measurement of solar radiation energy received on a give surface area. 
D) the power of electromagnetic radiation per unit area.

Question 16

Both the 16O and 18O oxygen isotopes occur in water molecules and can be used for isotopic analysis to reconstruct past climates.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Variations in Earthʹs axial tilt from 21.5° to 24.5° is known as

Accepted Answer

A) eccentricity. 
B) obliquity. 
C) precession. 
D) inclination. 
A) eccentricity. 
B) obliquity. 
C) precession. 
D) inclination.

Question 18

Radiocarbon dating of organic material may provide a climate record for up to_________ years before present.

Accepted Answer

A) 10,000 
B) 25,000 
C) 50,000 
D) 75,000 
A) 10,000 
B) 25,000 
C) 50,000 
D) 75,000

Question 19

14C/12C 
-How have scientists used isotopic analysis to determine that the rise of atmospheric CO 2 is mostly from the burning of fossil fuels?

Accepted Answer

A) 14C concentrations are much higher in urban areas than in rural areas,indicating fossil fuels must have a higher 14C/12C ratio than carbon from other sources. 
B) The decrease in ratios of atmospheric 13C and 14C to 12C  indicates that the source is fossil fuel carbon. 
C) Both coal and oil contain a high proportion of 14C.By analyzing 14C/12C  ratios,scientists have been able to determine the source based on this fact. 
D) Since 14C is an unstable isotope,scientists have dated the atmospheric carbon to the period since the Industrial Revolution. 
A) 14C concentrations are much higher in urban areas than in rural areas,indicating fossil fuels must have a higher 14C/12C ratio than carbon from other sources. 
B) The decrease in ratios of atmospheric 13C and 14C to 12C  indicates that the source is fossil fuel carbon. 
C) Both coal and oil contain a high proportion of 14C.By analyzing 14C/12C  ratios,scientists have been able to determine the source based on this fact. 
D) Since 14C is an unstable isotope,scientists have dated the atmospheric carbon to the period since the Industrial Revolution.

Question 20

Since the Industrial Revolution

Accepted Answer

A) no observable warming or cooling trends have occurred,rather temperatures have oscillated between warm and cold periods. 
B) human population growth rates have decreased with a subsequent decrease in the warming trend that characterized pre-Industrial Revolution times. 
C) global temperatures rapidly increased,then steadied out over the past 25 to 30 years. 
D) global temperatures have continued to warm at accelerating rates. 
A) no observable warming or cooling trends have occurred,rather temperatures have oscillated between warm and cold periods. 
B) human population growth rates have decreased with a subsequent decrease in the warming trend that characterized pre-Industrial Revolution times. 
C) global temperatures rapidly increased,then steadied out over the past 25 to 30 years. 
D) global temperatures have continued to warm at accelerating rates.

Which of the following accurately describes ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios of ice sheets?

Vulnerability to sea level rise is not uniformly distributed across the world.

Which of the following accurately describes ¹³C/¹²C ratios of plant materials and their use in climate reconstructions?

Firsthand,reliable scientific measurements of climate only date back approximately 140 years.

Which of the following is NOT an example of methods used for short-term climate reconstructions?

Many scientists consider climate change to be one of the most critical issues facing humankind in the twenty-first century.

The average individual is helpless to do anything about climate change.

What are some examples of positive and negative climate feedback loops?

During the last century,sea level

Earthʹs axial tilt varies from 21.5° to 24.5° during a 41,000 year period.

Which of the following accurately describes ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios of the oceans?

While GCMs are useful for visualization the complex global oceanic-atmosphere circulation,they have had little utility in the study of climate change.

Over the span of the last 5 million years,climate reconstructions show a series of cooler and warmer periods.

The rate of population growth decreased after 1950.

Radiative forcing (climate forcing)refers to

Both the 16O and 18O oxygen isotopes occur in water molecules and can be used for isotopic analysis to reconstruct past climates.

Variations in Earthʹs axial tilt from 21.5° to 24.5° is known as

Radiocarbon dating of organic material may provide a climate record for up to_________ years before present.

¹⁴C/¹²C -How have scientists used isotopic analysis to determine that the rise of atmospheric CO 2 is mostly from the burning of fossil fuels?

Since the Industrial Revolution

The Science of Geography

The Solar System,sun,and Earth

Energy Balance Essentials

Wind Essentials

Waterʹs Unique Properties

Water on Earth

Review of Earthʹs Climate System

The Pace of Change

Earthʹs Surface Relief Features

Landmass Denudation

Drainage Basins and Drainage Patterns

Global Oceans and Seas

Snow Into Ice--The Basis of Glaciers

Soil Development and Soil Profiles

Energy Flows and Nutrient Cycles

Biogeographic Divisions

Filters

Exam 8: Population Growth and Fossil Fuel Burning the Setting for Climate Change

Which of the following accurately describes 18O/16O ratios of ice sheets?

Vulnerability to sea level rise is not uniformly distributed across the world.

Which of the following accurately describes 13C/12C ratios of plant materials and their use in climate reconstructions?

Firsthand,reliable scientific measurements of climate only date back approximately 140 years.

Which of the following is NOT an example of methods used for short-term climate reconstructions?

Many scientists consider climate change to be one of the most critical issues facing humankind in the twenty-first century.

The average individual is helpless to do anything about climate change.

What are some examples of positive and negative climate feedback loops?

During the last century,sea level

Earthʹs axial tilt varies from 21.5° to 24.5° during a 41,000 year period.

Which of the following accurately describes 18O/16O ratios of the oceans?

While GCMs are useful for visualization the complex global oceanic-atmosphere circulation,they have had little utility in the study of climate change.

Over the span of the last 5 million years,climate reconstructions show a series of cooler and warmer periods.

The rate of population growth decreased after 1950.

Radiative forcing (climate forcing)refers to

Both the 16O and 18O oxygen isotopes occur in water molecules and can be used for isotopic analysis to reconstruct past climates.

Variations in Earthʹs axial tilt from 21.5° to 24.5° is known as

Radiocarbon dating of organic material may provide a climate record for up to_________ years before present.

14C/12C -How have scientists used isotopic analysis to determine that the rise of atmospheric CO 2 is mostly from the burning of fossil fuels?

Since the Industrial Revolution

The Science of Geography

The Solar System,sun,and Earth

Energy Balance Essentials

Wind Essentials

Waterʹs Unique Properties

Water on Earth

Review of Earthʹs Climate System

The Pace of Change

Earthʹs Surface Relief Features

Landmass Denudation

Drainage Basins and Drainage Patterns

Global Oceans and Seas

Snow Into Ice--The Basis of Glaciers

Soil Development and Soil Profiles

Energy Flows and Nutrient Cycles

Biogeographic Divisions

Filters

Which of the following accurately describes ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios of ice sheets?

Which of the following accurately describes ¹³C/¹²C ratios of plant materials and their use in climate reconstructions?

Which of the following accurately describes ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios of the oceans?

¹⁴C/¹²C -How have scientists used isotopic analysis to determine that the rise of atmospheric CO 2 is mostly from the burning of fossil fuels?