Question 1

The graphs of five-year running averages of hemispheric temperature in the figure below are generally similar.If you assume that most of the temperature rise has been due to increased CO₂ generated by industry that was primarily in the northern hemisphere,do the northern and southern hemispheres appear to have separate air circulation,with very little or no mixing of air between them?

Accepted Answer

A)  yes
B)  no

Question 2

Looking at the last 160 years of shallow ocean temperature in the figure below approximately when do these ocean waters appeared to have started to warm up?

Accepted Answer

A)  1880
B)  1910
C)  1940
D)  1990

Question 3

With the increased amount of information that has been discovered in recent years,scientists have become increasingly certain 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 atmospheric greenhouse gasses have not had a significant influence
C)  Earth's climate is warming,and human inputs of atmospheric greenhouse gasses are most likely responsible

Question 4

What environmental phenomenon caused most industrial nations to intentionally decrease their production and use of refrigerants and other chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the last 20 years?

Accepted Answer

A)  the decrease in Arctic Sea ice cover
B)  the decrease in plankton fecundity in tropical and subtropical waters
C)  the increase in hurricane,typhoon,and tropical cyclone intensity and/or number
D)  the decrease in atmospheric ozone over the Antarctic

Question 5

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

Question 6

The figure below shows a variety of processes that are part of the global carbon cycle.Which of the following three chemicals besides CO₂ are shown as part of the carbon cycle?

Accepted Answer

A)  CO (carbon monoxide) ,C (graphite or diamond) ,and CO₃ (carbon trioxide) 
B)  CH₄ (methane) ,O₃ (ozone) ,and C (graphite or diamond) 
C)  CH₄ (methane) ,HCO₃- (bicarbonate) ,and CaCO₃ (calcite) 
D)  CO (carbon monoxide) ,CO₃ (carbon trioxide) ,and CaCO₃ (calcite)

Question 7

Warmer temperatures generally mean that the ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 ____________ in both ice forming and in the calcite shells grown by plankton.

Accepted Answer

A)  decreases
B)  does not change
C)  increases

Question 8

The figure below shows changes in sea level since the last ice age ended.Based on this,if Earth were to enter another ice age similar to the last one,what would the sea level most likely do?

Accepted Answer

A)  rise about 120 m
B)  rise about 20 m
C)  fall about 20 m
D)  fall about 120 m D

Question 9

A runaway greenhouse effect is an example of what kind of feedback mechanism?

Accepted Answer

A)  positive
B)  negative

Question 10

Which of these greenhouse gases has the greatest total importance in retaining radiant energy from the Earth,and thereby contributing to global warming?

Accepted Answer

A)  CO₂ (carbon dioxide) 
B)  O₃ (ozone) 
C)  CH₄ (methane) 
D)  H₂O (water)

Question 11

Which of the following processes removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  respiration (breathing) of animals
B)  burning of coal and other fossil fuels
C)  volcanism
D)  photosynthesis

Question 12

Nearly all biological,physical,and chemical systems on Earth are disconnected and can be effectively studied in isolation from each other.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 13

Which of the following processes releases CO₂ to the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  photosynthesis
B)  weathering of silicate rocks
C)  volcanism
D)  burial of organic matter

Question 14

Looking at the predicted changes in temperature predicted for the Earth in the figure below,which hemisphere appears most likely to be warming most quickly or severely?

Accepted Answer

A)  the northern hemisphere
B)  the southern hemisphere
C)  The northern and southern hemispheres appear to be warming equally.

Question 15

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

Question 16

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 17

Cyclical global change includes the formation of core,mantle,and crust from a homogenous mixture,a state to which one day Earth will return.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Which geologic event is NOT suspected as a source of major climate change,and directly or indirectly,mass-extinction events?

Accepted Answer

A)  massive eruption of flood basalts
B)  eruption of supervolcanoes
C)  impact of asteroids
D)  very large earthquakes D

Question 19

Why do ocean water and sea ice have very different effects on air temperatures?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ocean water reflects solar energy much more effectively than sea ice.
B)  Ocean water absorbs solar energy much more effectively than sea ice.

Question 20

According to the figure below,approximately how much has the sea level risen since the last ice age ended,approximately 16,000 years ago?

Accepted Answer

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

Exam 23: Global Change in the Earth System

Correct Answer
verified

Looking at the last 160 years of shallow ocean temperature in the figure below approximately when do these ocean waters appeared to have started to warm up?

Correct Answer
verified

With the increased amount of information that has been discovered in recent years,scientists have become increasingly certain that ____________.

Correct Answer
verified

What environmental phenomenon caused most industrial nations to intentionally decrease their production and use of refrigerants and other chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the last 20 years?

Correct Answer
verified

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

Correct Answer
verified

The figure below shows a variety of processes that are part of the global carbon cycle.Which of the following three chemicals besides CO₂ are shown as part of the carbon cycle?

Correct Answer
verified

Warmer temperatures generally mean that the ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 ____________ in both ice forming and in the calcite shells grown by plankton.

Correct Answer
verified

The figure below shows changes in sea level since the last ice age ended.Based on this,if Earth were to enter another ice age similar to the last one,what would the sea level most likely do?

Correct Answer
verified
D

A runaway greenhouse effect is an example of what kind of feedback mechanism?

Correct Answer
verified

Which of these greenhouse gases has the greatest total importance in retaining radiant energy from the Earth,and thereby contributing to global warming?

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following processes removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

Correct Answer
verified

Nearly all biological,physical,and chemical systems on Earth are disconnected and can be effectively studied in isolation from each other.

Correct Answer
verified
False

Which of the following processes releases CO₂ to the atmosphere?

Correct Answer
verified

Looking at the predicted changes in temperature predicted for the Earth in the figure below,which hemisphere appears most likely to be warming most quickly or severely?

Correct Answer
verified

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

Correct Answer
verified

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

Correct Answer
verified

Cyclical global change includes the formation of core,mantle,and crust from a homogenous mixture,a state to which one day Earth will return.

Correct Answer
verified

Which geologic event is NOT suspected as a source of major climate change,and directly or indirectly,mass-extinction events?

Correct Answer
verified
D

Why do ocean water and sea ice have very different effects on air temperatures?

Correct Answer
verified

According to the figure below,approximately how much has the sea level risen since the last ice age ended,approximately 16,000 years ago?

Correct Answer
verified

Exam 23: Global Change in the Earth System

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Looking at the last 160 years of shallow ocean temperature in the figure below approximately when do these ocean waters appeared to have started to warm up?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

With the increased amount of information that has been discovered in recent years,scientists have become increasingly certain that ____________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What environmental phenomenon caused most industrial nations to intentionally decrease their production and use of refrigerants and other chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the last 20 years?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The figure below shows a variety of processes that are part of the global carbon cycle.Which of the following three chemicals besides CO₂ are shown as part of the carbon cycle?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Warmer temperatures generally mean that the ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 ____________ in both ice forming and in the calcite shells grown by plankton.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The figure below shows changes in sea level since the last ice age ended.Based on this,if Earth were to enter another ice age similar to the last one,what would the sea level most likely do?

Correct AnswerverifiedD

A runaway greenhouse effect is an example of what kind of feedback mechanism?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of these greenhouse gases has the greatest total importance in retaining radiant energy from the Earth,and thereby contributing to global warming?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following processes removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Nearly all biological,physical,and chemical systems on Earth are disconnected and can be effectively studied in isolation from each other.

Correct AnswerverifiedFalse

Which of the following processes releases CO₂ to the atmosphere?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Looking at the predicted changes in temperature predicted for the Earth in the figure below,which hemisphere appears most likely to be warming most quickly or severely?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Cyclical global change includes the formation of core,mantle,and crust from a homogenous mixture,a state to which one day Earth will return.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which geologic event is NOT suspected as a source of major climate change,and directly or indirectly,mass-extinction events?

Correct AnswerverifiedD

Why do ocean water and sea ice have very different effects on air temperatures?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to the figure below,approximately how much has the sea level risen since the last ice age ended,approximately 16,000 years ago?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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D

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False

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D

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