Deck 18: Global Climate Change

Question 1

Keeling's reports from Mauna Loa demonstrated ______________

A)the presence of El Niño
B)that sediments deposited on the seafloor can yield clues about past climates
C)that as distances from cities decreased,CO2 concentrations increased
D)an increase in tropospheric CO2 from the 1950s to present
E)that CO2 levels have been stable over the last 40 years

Answer 1

an increase in tropospheric CO2 from the 1950s to present

Question 2

Carbon dioxide is ______________

A)produced during the combustion of fossil fuels
B)the only greenhouse gas presently increasing in the atmosphere
C)more potent (per molecule of gas)than methane
D)the most potent (per molecule of gas)of the greenhouse gases
E)the most abundant greenhouse gas

Answer 2

produced during the combustion of fossil fuels

Question 3

The Kyoto Protocol uses the 1990 emission levels of each nation as a baseline target for greenhouse gas reductions.Which of the following countries showed the greatest increase in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2012?

A)Australia
B)United States
C)Russia
D)Japan
E)Canada

Answer 3

Australia

Question 4

All of the following are anthropogenic factors contributing to climate change EXCEPT ______________

A)breathing
B)the combustion of fossil fuels
C)raising livestock
D)growing rice
E)deforestation

Question 5

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an international panel that ______________

A)constructed the Kyoto Protocol
B)reports on how climate change influences wildlife,ecosystems,and society
C)performed the research included in the climate change findings
D)could not achieve its objectives because of lack of popular support
E)fines companies that pollute

Question 6

The greenhouse effect involves warming of Earth's surface and the ______________

A)stratosphere
B)mesosphere
C)ionosphere
D)thermosphere
E)troposphere

Question 7

Which of the following may result in a positive feedback mechanism that would intensify climate change?

A)A large volcano emits huge quantities of sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere.
B)Warmer temperatures result in the melting of permafrost.
C)Warmer temperatures result in increased evaporation of water,leading to an increase in cloud cover.
D)An increase in rainfall results in increased plant growth.
E)At higher temperatures,trees increase rates of photosynthesis.

Question 8

Which of the following is an adaptation response to climate change?

A)a Pacific island nation building higher seawalls
B)building a nuclear power plant to replace an outdated coal -burning power plant
C)increasing fuel efficiency of new automobiles
D)replanting a tropical rainforest
E)replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs

Question 9

The Kyoto Protocol ______________

A)increased federal funding for controlling greenhouse gas emissions from U.S.power plants
B)required increases in nuclear power generation
C)was intended to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases to levels lower than those of 1990
D)required equal concessions from all countries involved in greenhouse gas emission
E)would have resulted in overall increases in greenhouse emissions

Question 10

Which of the following states is expected to experience the greatest increase in temperature by the year 2100?

A)Florida
B)Hawaii
C)Alaska
D)California
E)Iowa

Question 11

Earth's atmosphere can cause global warming because ________________

A)molecules in the atmosphere trap heat radiated from Earth's surface
B)plants release CO2
C)fossil fuels release heat when they are burned
D)warm air cannot escape,as in a greenhouse
E)plants absorb CO2

Question 12

Public transportation is ______________

A)a reliable and convenient option in most U.S.communities
B)currently serving only 3% -4% of passenger trips in the U.S.
C)more widely used in the United States than in Europe
D)already declining in use in most U.S.cities.
E)more widely used in the United States than in Canada

Question 13

Human sources of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere include all of the following EXCEPT ______________

A)burning fuel wood
B)feedlots
C)synthetic nitrogen fertilizers
D)automobiles
E)chemical manufacturing plants

Question 14

In the wake of the U.S.failure to ratify the Kyoto Protocol,______________ .

A)U)S.cities and states are setting their own programs for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
B)many nations have severed diplomatic relations with the United States
C)dozens of other nations pulled out of the Protocol
D)oil exporting nations have refused to sell to the United States
E)the United States has shown that it is a leader in carbon emission reduction without having signed the Protocol

Question 15

Which of the following technologies is currently allowing us to decrease carbon emissions from automobiles?

A)wind -powered vehicles
B)nuclear cars
C)solar cars
D)hydrogen fuel cells
E)the internal combustion engine

Question 16

Earth's climate ________________

A)is changing as a result of natural and human processes
B)will stabilize over the next century,according to the predictions of most scientists
C)has been stable over the history of the planet
D)has been documented to have changed once due to the evolution of green photosynthesizing plants
E)history is undeterminable because there is no method of studying the climatic history of the planet

Question 17

The largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the United States is ________________

A)tropical deforestation
B)transportation
C)electricity generation
D)agriculture
E)nuclear power plants

Question 18

The average automobile is only about ______________% efficient at moving itself down the road.

A)27
B)14
C)62
D)6)5
E)85

Question 19

Milankovitch cycles ______________

A)describe upwelling and downwelling in the ocean
B)describe the timing of the northern lights in the thermosphere
C)are changes in Earth's rotation and orbit that may trigger climate variation
D)refer to shifts in the temperature of surface water in the middle latitudes of the Pacific Ocean
E)describe the transpiration,evaporation,and precipitation of Earth's water

Question 20

Which of the following greenhouse gases has (have)experienced at least a 50% increase in atmospheric concentration since 1750?

A)carbon dioxide and methane
B)carbon dioxide,methane,and nitrous oxide
C)methane only
D)nitrous oxide only
E)carbon dioxide only

Question 21

Recent research indicates that the variation in solar output ______________

A)has a radiative force of 20 watts/m2
B)is greater than all the anthropogenic factors affecting climate change
C)is the major factor driving temperature change
D)is less than any of the anthropogenic factors affecting climate change
E)will increase by a hundredfold over then next century

Question 22

What proportion of incoming solar radiation reaches Earth's surface?

A)67%
B)47%
C)54%
D)77%
E)7%

Question 23

Briefly explain why water vapor may either contribute to or slow global warming.

Question 24

Distinguish between the terms weather and climate,and briefly discuss how each affects species distribution within ecosystems.

Question 25

Explain how human health may be affected by global climate change.

Question 26

How can scientists learn about Earth's climatic history?

Question 27

Rising sea levels result in all of the following EXCEPT ______________

A)saltwater contamination of drinking water supplies
B)increased beach erosion
C)ocean acidification
D)more dangerous storm surges
E)increased flooding from hurricanes

Question 28

Describe how freshwater ecosystems face challenges of global climate change.

Question 29

Evidence from polar ice core analysis shows that,until now,global carbon dioxide levels have never exceeded ______________ ppm in the last 800,000 years.

A)25
B)300
C)200
D)1000
E)500

Question 30

Explain how climate change can affect agriculture and forestry.

Question 31

Why is the concept of radiative forcing critical to understanding the causes of global climate change?

Question 32

Small island nations such as the Maldives are in the international spotlight because they ___________________.

A)opposed China's proposals for global carbon neutrality at the Copenhagen Conference in 2009
B)have exceeded the emissions reductions set by the Kyoto Protocol
C)are the largest emissions producers in their respective areas
D)may be among the first nations to be completely flooded by rising sea levels
E)are accepting climate change refugees from other nations

Question 33

How certain are scientists that humans are causing global climate change? Describe the language used by scientists and some of the particular climate trends they have identified.Why is there still debate about global climate change?