Deck 2: Physical Processes and World Regions

Question 1

The scientific community was initially unwilling to accept Alfred Wegener's continental drift hypothesis because he could not explain how continents moved.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Earth's surface is approximately 50% land and 50% water. ​

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The collapse of fisheries is most noticeable among the smaller fish that are consumed by larger predatory fish, such as sharks and tuna. ​

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Earthquakes, the emergence of new landforms, and other geologic events occur in places where sections of Earth's crust are in contact with each other, also known as plate boundaries. ​

Question 5

The hydrologic cycle, powered by tidal forces and gravity, is the process that moves water between the oceans, the sky, and the land. ​

Question 6

The impacts of climate change are expected to be greatest in the polar regions.

Question 7

The Montreal Protocol calls for actions to limit future warming of the atmosphere to no more than 2° C. ​

Question 8

IPCC is an acronym that stands for International Policy on Climate Change.

Question 9

The Green Revolution puts more food on the global table as it increases the diversity of crop varieties that are planted. ​

Question 10

The globe's most active and deadly realm of tectonic activity is the so-called Mid-Atlantic Ring of Fire. ​

Question 11

Precipitation results from processes that warm the air, since warm air holds less moisture than cool air. ​

Question 12

Monocultures increase the biodiversity of a land area. ​

Question 13

The term climate type and biome are interchangeable or synonymous. ​

Question 14

Surprisingly, the highest levels of biodiversity are found in the subarctic and polar biomes. ​

Question 15

The demand for seafood, although high, has not changed much since 1980.             ​

Question 16

There is a high degree of correlation between biomes and climate types. ​

Question 17

In the K ö ppen Climate classification system, climate zones are delineated based on types of vegetation and amount of sunlight received. ​

Question 18

Recent global warming has been caused by human production of greenhouse gasses. ​

Question 19

Mangroves are salt-water swamps that protect coastlines from erosion. ​

Question 20

Weather and climate both refer to atmospheric conditions for a place, the key difference in the two is timespan.

Question 21

What criteria do scientists use to group biomes of various vegetation together?  ​

A)temperature and precipitation
B)topography
C)plant structure, water requirements, and leaf types
D)degree of urbanization
E)climate

Question 22

Polar latitudes receive less rainfall than equatorial latitudes. ​

Question 23

Carbon dioxide is primarily released to the atmosphere from rice paddies, the guts of ruminating animals, and thawing permafrost. ​

Question 24

Which greenhouse gas is released to the atmosphere from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas? ​

A)carbon dioxide
B)methane
C)nitrous oxide
D)chlorofluorocarbons
E)ozone

Question 25

When sea ice melts, the darker ocean surface that is revealed absorbs more solar radiation, which in turn causes warming and melts more ice, which in turn creates a greater area of darker ocean surface. What is this process called?  ​

A)​​ polar amplification
B)negative feedback loop ​
C)tipping point
D)climatic cycling
E)polar oscillations

Question 26

Unless major steps are taken quickly in ocean preservation and fishing limits, it is predicted that there will be a "global collapse" of all species currently fished by the year 2050. ​

Question 27

The IPCC estimates that, at best, Earth's average global temperature will rise by how much more? ​

A)1° F - 2° F
B)2° F - 7° F
C)5° F - 7° F
D)5° F - 10° F
E)Less than 1°F

Question 28

What term describes the number of plant and animal species present along with the variety of genetic material present in these organisms?

A)biodiversity
B)biomes
C)bioculture
D)biodiversity hotspot
E)biozone

Question 29

Ninety percent of global trade occurs via sea freight because _____. ​

A)sea freight is safer
B)air freight is more expensive
C)sea freight saves time
D)air freight contributes more to global warming
E)sea freight creates more jobs

Question 30

Which climate type commonly found along coastlines is characterized by mild winters and hot summers with little to no precipitation? ​

A)tropical savanna
B)Mediterranean
C)oceanic
D)humid subtropical
E)humid continental

Question 31

Which biome lacks trees, has widespread permafrost, and is the coldest on Earth?  ​

A)tundra
B)cryosphere
C)temperate
D)taiga
E)xeric shrublands

Question 32

In which biome is the highest biodiversity found?

A)mangroves
B)boreal forest
C)temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
D)tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest
E)tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest

Question 33

What is the main energy source for the hydrologic cycle?

A)evaporative cooling
B)greenhouse effect
C)gravity
D)solar energy
E)natural gas

Question 34

Potential evaporation, a measure of how much water would be evaporated in a given area if there was unlimited available water, is highest in the colder, upper latitudes. ​

Question 35

What factor most influences the distribution of vegetation around the world? ​

A)evaporation
B)longitude
C)climate
D)seismic activity
E)weather

Question 36

Mitigation is one approach to reduce the unavoidable impacts of climate change in the long term. What is one mitigation strategy? ​

A)building sea walls and dikes
B)relocating people
C)developing new crop varieties
D)establishing a recycling program
E)implement cap and trade programs

Question 37

Which country never ratified the Kyoto Protocol? ​

A)China
B)India
C)France
D)Russia
E)United States

Question 38

What is the cultivation of aquatic organisms for food called? ​

A)monoculture
B)marine tilling
C)marine harvesting
D)aquaculture
E)sea reaping

Question 39

Most heat absorbed by Earth will escape to space via the buildup of greenhouse gasses.

Question 40

Which climate change treaty committed the countries that signed and ratified it to reducing carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels?

A)Montreal Protocol
B)United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
C)Kyoto Protocol
D)Montreal Agreement
E)Clean Development Mechanism

Question 41

The tectonic process of one plate "diving" beneath another is called __________. ​

Question 42

Plate tectonics is like a "conveyor belt," with new material created at _____, and old material recycled back into the mantle at _____. ​

A)trenches; subduction zones
B)mid-ocean ridges; subduction zones
C)convergent boundaries; subduction zones
D)subduction zones; mid-ocean ridges
E)mid-ocean ridges; rift zones

Question 43

The number of plant and animal species present and the variety of genetic materials these organisms contain is called __________. ​

Question 46

The _________ includes both oceans and freshwater sources, such as lakes and rivers.

Question 47

IPCC scientists argue that where possibly dangerous, irreversible, or catastrophic events are involved, policy should be based on the __________ __________, which states adverse events should be preempted by action. ​

Question 48

All oceans, ice, and freshwater sources are included in Earth's _____. ​

A)lithosphere
B)hydrosphere
C)biosphere
D)atmosphere
E)exosphere

Question 49

The theoretical point at which an impact becomes irreversible is known as a(n)_________ __________.  ​

Question 50

Atmospheric carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane are examples of __________ __________, whose increase has caused global warming.

Question 52

Which two countries emit approximately 40% of all the world's carbon dioxide? ​

A)United States and Russia
B)United States and Germany
C)United States and China
D)China and Russia
E)China and India

Question 53

What is the natural capture and long-term storage of carbon in sinks such as forests, farmlands, and oceans called? ​

A)cap and trade
B)carbon sequestration
C)environmental degradation
D)clean development mechanism
E)carbon scrubbing

Question 54

Places on Earth that are both biologically rich and deeply threatened by human activities are known as __________ __________, which scientists believe deserve immediate attention for study and conservation. ​

Question 55

P henomena such as floods, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions are some of Earth's __________ __________, defined as those elements of the physical environment, harmful to people and caused by forces extraneous to them. ​

Question 56

Mountainous areas of the tropics and midlatitudes are designated __________ __________ because they are regions where no single climate or vegetation dominates.

Question 57

Which layer of Earth is divided into tectonic plates? ​

A)lithosphere
B)asthenosphere
C)mantle
D)inner core
E)outer core

Question 58

The cultivation of aquatic organisms for food, including fish farming, that has the potential to increasingly substitute for wild-caught fish stock is called __________. ​

Question 62

Earth can be divided into four different spheres. List these spheres and give a description of each.

Question 63

What is a biodiversity hotspot, and in which climate types and biomes do many of Earth's 35 biodiversity hotspots exist? ​

Question 64

The greenhouse effect is a natural mechanism that keeps Earth warm enough to sustain life. Describe how it works. ​

Question 66

Why did the United States refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol under both the Clinton and Bush administrations? ​

Question 67

How are the tropical rainfall, tropical monsoon, and tropical savanna climates similar and different? ​

Question 69

List five effects that are occurring or predicted to occur as a consequence of global warming. ​

Question 70

Explain the difference between climate and weather.

Question 71

What is a monoculture, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of monoculture agriculture? ​

Question 74

Mitigation and adaptation are two approaches to confronting climate change. How do they differ? Give one example of each.

Question 75

How do the oceans provide energy and other raw materials for human use? ​