Question 1

The formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones has what overall effect on CO₂ in the Earth's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  increases the total CO₂ in the atmosphere 
B)  decreases the total CO₂ in the atmosphere 
C)  either increases or decreases it, depending upon the depositional environment and diagenetic processes 
D)  The formation of oil shale deposits, coals, and limestones has very little effect. 
A)  increases the total CO₂ in the atmosphere 
B)  decreases the total CO₂ in the atmosphere 
C)  either increases or decreases it, depending upon the depositional environment and diagenetic processes 
D)  The formation of oil shale deposits, coals, and limestones has very little effect. B

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas or does not act like one?

Accepted Answer

A)  oxygen 
B)  methane 
C)  water vapor 
D)  carbon dioxide 
A)  oxygen 
B)  methane 
C)  water vapor 
D)  carbon dioxide A

Question 3

Assume that a new family of bacteria species evolves and becomes widespread,and that it rapidly and easily combines atmospheric oxygen with previously stable minerals.What would you reconsider about the oxygenation of the atmosphere several billion years ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  that it was a negative feedback 
B)  that it was an irreversible process 
C)  whether it really resulted in globally cooler temperatures. 
D)  that it did not really occur for the reasons that we think 
A)  that it was a negative feedback 
B)  that it was an irreversible process 
C)  whether it really resulted in globally cooler temperatures. 
D)  that it did not really occur for the reasons that we think B

Question 4

Which of the following is an important long-term (acting over spans of tens of millions of years)factor in global climate change?

Accepted Answer

A)  decrease in albedo due to soot from volcanic eruptions 
B)  variation in Milankovitch orbital parameters 
C)  variation in the abundance of sunspots 
D)  atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide 
A)  decrease in albedo due to soot from volcanic eruptions 
B)  variation in Milankovitch orbital parameters 
C)  variation in the abundance of sunspots 
D)  atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide

Question 5

Looking at the figure below,how much has sea level risen since the end of the last ice age,if we assume that was 16,000 years ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  110 m 
B)  60 m 
C)  20 m 
D)  15 m 
A)  110 m 
B)  60 m 
C)  20 m 
D)  15 m

Question 6

Based on information in this chapter and the chapter on energy,what effect do you think the discovery of several more centuries of oil reserves would probably end up having on global climate?

Accepted Answer

A)  cooling 
B)  decade-long cycles of warming and cooling, similar to sunspot cycle-related changes in solar insolation 
C)  warming 
D)  none 
A)  cooling 
B)  decade-long cycles of warming and cooling, similar to sunspot cycle-related changes in solar insolation 
C)  warming 
D)  none

Question 7

Why is the Atlantic Ocean likely to develop a subduction zone along one or more margins,in the future?

Accepted Answer

A)  because the most recently formed crust along the mid-ocean ridge is increasing in density 
B)  because the North American Plate is becoming smaller 
C)  because the Pacific Ocean will eventually close, and then subduction will need to occur somewhere else 
D)  because the very fast spreading rate at the East Pacific Rise is making crust that is too buoyant to subduct 
A)  because the most recently formed crust along the mid-ocean ridge is increasing in density 
B)  because the North American Plate is becoming smaller 
C)  because the Pacific Ocean will eventually close, and then subduction will need to occur somewhere else 
D)  because the very fast spreading rate at the East Pacific Rise is making crust that is too buoyant to subduct

Question 8

Which of these is the longest-lasting sink for CO₂?

Accepted Answer

A)  plant tissues and cellulose (the "woody" parts of plants) 
B)  the atmosphere 
C)  air bubbles within glacial ice 
D)  limestones and oil and gas deposits 
A)  plant tissues and cellulose (the "woody" parts of plants) 
B)  the atmosphere 
C)  air bubbles within glacial ice 
D)  limestones and oil and gas deposits

Question 9

On what time scale does albedo change?

Accepted Answer

A)  over millions of years 
B)  over decades 
C)  seasonally 
D)  daily 
E)  It does not change-the property of albedo is not affected by time. 
A)  over millions of years 
B)  over decades 
C)  seasonally 
D)  daily 
E)  It does not change-the property of albedo is not affected by time.

Question 10

A blogger writes that global warming is a myth,noting that his or her city had its coldest ever-recorded temperature last winter.Which statement(s)about his or her statement is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  He or she is correct and has proven that global warming is not occurring. 
B)  He or she is confusing weather with climate. 
C)  He or she is confusing a local single measuring point with an evaluation made from hundreds or thousands or more data points. 
D)  Both b and c are correct. 
A)  He or she is correct and has proven that global warming is not occurring. 
B)  He or she is confusing weather with climate. 
C)  He or she is confusing a local single measuring point with an evaluation made from hundreds or thousands or more data points. 
D)  Both b and c are correct.

Question 11

The discovery that the amount of solar radiation received at any latitude on the Earth's surface varies over scales of several thousand years or more and can be accurately predicted was made by ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Einstein 
B)  Keeling 
C)  Yankovich 
D)  Milankovitch 
A)  Einstein 
B)  Keeling 
C)  Yankovich 
D)  Milankovitch

Question 12

Global warming has caused Earth to become warmer in the last few decades than it has ever been in geologic history.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

In an earlier chapter you learned that geologists are taught that "The Present is the Key to the Past." In studying paleoclimate,why would this idea probably be wrong?

Accepted Answer

A)  because we do not have detailed records of the climate for more than the last 4000 or so years of recorded history 
B)  because the fundamentals of the carbon cycle have changed 
C)  because of the decrease in volcanic eruption since the start of recorded history 
D)  because of the many ways that humans are indirectly or directly affecting climate. 
A)  because we do not have detailed records of the climate for more than the last 4000 or so years of recorded history 
B)  because the fundamentals of the carbon cycle have changed 
C)  because of the decrease in volcanic eruption since the start of recorded history 
D)  because of the many ways that humans are indirectly or directly affecting climate.

Question 14

It is generally believed that humans began to significantly modify the environment about how long ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  8 Ka, near the start of agricultural-based societies 
B)  4-5 Ka, near the "dawn of civilization" 
C)  2 Ka, the birth of Christ 
D)  ~250 years ago, during the Age of Industrialization 
A)  8 Ka, near the start of agricultural-based societies 
B)  4-5 Ka, near the "dawn of civilization" 
C)  2 Ka, the birth of Christ 
D)  ~250 years ago, during the Age of Industrialization

Question 15

Some plankton make shells of calcite/aragonite,that is,CaCO₃.They do this metabolically by combining calcium (Ca²⁺)ions and bicarbonate (HCO₃-)ions that are both dissolved in water around them.When such plankton dies,their shells sink downward to become sediment on the ocean floor.Under some conditions in the ocean or sediment,the CaCO₃ shells may dissolve,locally enriching the pore waters or deep-ocean waters in HCO₃-.Portions of this total process could be considered belonging to each of the following cycles,EXCEPT for the ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon cycle 
B)  biogeochemical cycle 
C)  methane cycle 
D)  calcium cycle 
A)  carbon cycle 
B)  biogeochemical cycle 
C)  methane cycle 
D)  calcium cycle

Question 16

Which of the following inputs from outside the Earth system probably does NOT affect Earth's climate?

Accepted Answer

A)  the sunspot cycles 
B)  subtle yet predictable variations in Earth's orbit 
C)  the neutrino flux from the sun and other sources in space 
D)  variation in the influx of cosmic rays 
A)  the sunspot cycles 
B)  subtle yet predictable variations in Earth's orbit 
C)  the neutrino flux from the sun and other sources in space 
D)  variation in the influx of cosmic rays

Question 17

With the increased amount of information that has been discovered in recent years,the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth's climate is not warming to any significant degree 
B)  Earth's climate is warming due to variation in solar output; human inputs of greenhouse gasses have not had a significant influence 
C)  Earth's climate is warming, and human inputs of greenhouse gasses are most likely responsible 
D)  Earth's climate is warming, and human inputs of greenhouse gasses are a significant contributor to the warming 
A)  Earth's climate is not warming to any significant degree 
B)  Earth's climate is warming due to variation in solar output; human inputs of greenhouse gasses have not had a significant influence 
C)  Earth's climate is warming, and human inputs of greenhouse gasses are most likely responsible 
D)  Earth's climate is warming, and human inputs of greenhouse gasses are a significant contributor to the warming

Question 18

During most of the Mesozoic,Earth was ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  about as warm as present 
B)  cooler than present 
C)  warmer than present 
D)  much colder than present 
A)  about as warm as present 
B)  cooler than present 
C)  warmer than present 
D)  much colder than present

Question 19

Which two features on the figure below are sources of CO₂ and hence probable contributors to global warming?

Accepted Answer

A)  A and B 
B)  A and F 
C)  C and D 
D)  B and F 
A)  A and B 
B)  A and F 
C)  C and D 
D)  B and F

Question 20

How are bicarbonate and carbon dioxide related to one another?

Accepted Answer

A)  Carbon dioxide (CO₂) forms when bicarbonate minerals break down. 
B)  Carbon dioxide forms when bicarbonate migrates from its gaseous state in the atmosphere into soils. 
C)  Bicarbonate commonly forms when CO₂ molecules enter into water. 
D)  Bicarbonate and CO₂ are the same thing. 
A)  Carbon dioxide (CO₂) forms when bicarbonate minerals break down. 
B)  Carbon dioxide forms when bicarbonate migrates from its gaseous state in the atmosphere into soils. 
C)  Bicarbonate commonly forms when CO₂ molecules enter into water. 
D)  Bicarbonate and CO₂ are the same thing.

Exam 19: Global Change in the Earth System

The formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones has what overall effect on CO₂ in the Earth's atmosphere?

Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas or does not act like one?

Assume that a new family of bacteria species evolves and becomes widespread,and that it rapidly and easily combines atmospheric oxygen with previously stable minerals.What would you reconsider about the oxygenation of the atmosphere several billion years ago?

Which of the following is an important long-term (acting over spans of tens of millions of years)factor in global climate change?

Looking at the figure below,how much has sea level risen since the end of the last ice age,if we assume that was 16,000 years ago?

Based on information in this chapter and the chapter on energy,what effect do you think the discovery of several more centuries of oil reserves would probably end up having on global climate?

Why is the Atlantic Ocean likely to develop a subduction zone along one or more margins,in the future?

Which of these is the longest-lasting sink for CO₂?

On what time scale does albedo change?

A blogger writes that global warming is a myth,noting that his or her city had its coldest ever-recorded temperature last winter.Which statement(s)about his or her statement is/are correct?

The discovery that the amount of solar radiation received at any latitude on the Earth's surface varies over scales of several thousand years or more and can be accurately predicted was made by ____________.

Global warming has caused Earth to become warmer in the last few decades than it has ever been in geologic history.

In an earlier chapter you learned that geologists are taught that "The Present is the Key to the Past." In studying paleoclimate,why would this idea probably be wrong?

It is generally believed that humans began to significantly modify the environment about how long ago?

Which of the following inputs from outside the Earth system probably does NOT affect Earth's climate?

With the increased amount of information that has been discovered in recent years,the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that __________.

During most of the Mesozoic,Earth was ____________.

Which two features on the figure below are sources of CO₂ and hence probable contributors to global warming?

How are bicarbonate and carbon dioxide related to one another?

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags, cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Rock Groups

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earths Interior Revisited: Insights From Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

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