Question 1

El NinoSouthern Oscillation phenomena seem to be cyclic,recurring every four to seven years.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

Increased levels of carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere will definitely result in increased crop yields.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 3

When water evaporates from the oceans,

Accepted Answer

A)   The water vapor is isotopically "heavier" (has a higher 18O/16O ratio)  than the residual water.
B)   The isotopic composition of the vapor is influenced by the temperature.
C)   The oceans are warmed by the evaporation process.
D)   All of the choices are correct. B

Question 4

Water vapor is the most significant greenhouse gas in terms of average atmospheric concentration (2 to 3%),but its amount varies quickly over a matter of days,whereas the average level of carbon dioxide changes much more slowly.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Global warming is not uniform throughout the earth as some places it is more severe than others.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

The limited resolution of global climate models makes it difficult to project small-scale,local climatic variations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Concerns about greenhouse-effect heating relate not only to possible changes in temperature,but also to possible changes in precipitation patterns.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Studies of cores from polar ice sheets indicate a correlation between greenhouse-gas concentrations and temperatures but do not indicate cause-and-effect.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Indicators of past global air or water temperatures include all of the following except

Accepted Answer

A)   Calcium carbonate content of sediments.
B)   Volcanic ash deposits in glacial ice.
C)   Isotopic composition of glacial ice.
D)   Oxygen-isotope composition of marine microorganisms' shells.

Question 10

Climate changes can influence the spread of number of diseases such as mosquito borne dengue and malaria,as well as the ones spread by waterborne bacteria and parasites.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

A combination of winds that push the ocean currents and differences in oceans' water density that is driven by oceanic circulation,which is related to

Accepted Answer

A)   Temperature and pressure.
B)   Temperature and oxygen content.
C)   Temperature and salinity.
D)   None of the choices are correct.

Question 12

The melting of sea ice

Accepted Answer

A)   Will cause a rise in sea level.
B)   Will cause a lowering of sea level.
C)   Will not affect sea level; melting of land ice will cause a rise in sea level.
D)   Will not affect sea level; melting of land ice will cause a lowering of sea level.

Question 13

All of the following could cause global cooling except

Accepted Answer

A)   Increased cloud cover.
B)   Increased sulfate aerosols in the atmosphere.
C)   Increased volcanic ash in the atmosphere.
D)   Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Question 14

It is difficult to determine the effect of CO2 on climate because the atmospheric concentration of methane,another "greenhouse gas" is so much greater.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Global warming may increase the number of heat related deaths during summer.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Many Pacific Island nations consist of a collection of atolls.Some of these nations have appealed to the United Nations claiming that rising sea level is causing coastal flooding.Another explanation for coastal flooding on these islands other than rising sea level is

Accepted Answer

A)   Atolls are ringed by coral reefs and these reefs are dying.
B)   Atolls are susceptible to more beach erosion than other types of islands.
C)   Atolls are former volcanoes that are slowly sinking (subsiding) .
D)   Atolls are composed of limestone that is slowly dissolving.

Question 17

If all the polar ice sheets were to melt,world sea levels would rise only 1 to 2 meters.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Seattle,Washington is located at 47.5$\circ$N latitude and Boston,Massachusetts is located at 42.22$\circ$N latitude,so Seattle is farther north than Boston.Both cities border oceans,the Pacific Ocean in the case of Seattle and the Atlantic Ocean in the case of Boston.Both cities are in close proximity to a segment of the global thermohaline circulation system,the Japanese Current for Seattle and the Gulf Stream for Boston.Seattle,though,rarely experiences winter snowfall,whereas Boston often does.Why?

Accepted Answer

A)   Winter storms approach Seattle from the west driven by the warm thermohaline Japanese Current.
B)   Winter storms approach Boston from the east driven by the warm thermohaline Gulf Stream.
C)   Winter storms approach Boston from the west that draw cold air southward from the Arctic.
D)   A and C combined provide the answer.

Question 19

The changes in permafrost has very little effect on traditional lifestyles of local population,animal migrations,and ecosystems.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

The principal source of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 10: Climate-Past, present, and Future

El NinoSouthern Oscillation phenomena seem to be cyclic,recurring every four to seven years.

Increased levels of carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere will definitely result in increased crop yields.

When water evaporates from the oceans,

Water vapor is the most significant greenhouse gas in terms of average atmospheric concentration (2 to 3%),but its amount varies quickly over a matter of days,whereas the average level of carbon dioxide changes much more slowly.

Global warming is not uniform throughout the earth as some places it is more severe than others.

The limited resolution of global climate models makes it difficult to project small-scale,local climatic variations.

Concerns about greenhouse-effect heating relate not only to possible changes in temperature,but also to possible changes in precipitation patterns.

Studies of cores from polar ice sheets indicate a correlation between greenhouse-gas concentrations and temperatures but do not indicate cause-and-effect.

Indicators of past global air or water temperatures include all of the following except

Climate changes can influence the spread of number of diseases such as mosquito borne dengue and malaria,as well as the ones spread by waterborne bacteria and parasites.

A combination of winds that push the ocean currents and differences in oceans' water density that is driven by oceanic circulation,which is related to

The melting of sea ice

All of the following could cause global cooling except

It is difficult to determine the effect of CO₂ on climate because the atmospheric concentration of methane,another "greenhouse gas" is so much greater.

Global warming may increase the number of heat related deaths during summer.

Many Pacific Island nations consist of a collection of atolls.Some of these nations have appealed to the United Nations claiming that rising sea level is causing coastal flooding.Another explanation for coastal flooding on these islands other than rising sea level is

If all the polar ice sheets were to melt,world sea levels would rise only 1 to 2 meters.

The changes in permafrost has very little effect on traditional lifestyles of local population,animal migrations,and ecosystems.

The principal source of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels.