Deck 16: Earths Climate System

Question 1

Globally, where would you be most likely to find type D and type E climates?

A) D and E near poles
B) D and E near 60 degrees latitude
C) D near poles, E near 60 degrees latitude
D) D near 60 degrees latitude, E near poles

Answer 1

D near 60 degrees latitude, E near poles

Question 2

Which graph most accurately shows changes to biodiversity as a function of latitude?

A) Graph a
B) Graph b
C) Graph c
D) Graph d

Answer 2

Graph d

Question 3

What happened to ocean ¹⁸O/¹⁶O during the last major ice age?

A) Increased
B) Decreased
C) Stayed the same

Answer 3

Increased

Question 4

What has happened to the ¹⁸O/¹⁶O over the past 200 years?

A) Increased a little
B) Decreased a little
C) Stayed the same

Question 5

When analyzing temperature anomaly data from a set of climate proxies you notice a change in temperatures over a 23,000 year cycle. Which natural climate change cycle is most likely responsible for such a change?

A) Eccentricity
B) Precession
C) Tilt angle
D) None - all affect it at same rate.

Question 6

What evidence regarding polar bears is used to illustrate the potential effects of climate change?

A) Populations are increasing because sea ice is decreasing.
B) Populations are increasing because sea ice is increasing.
C) Populations are decreasing because sea ice is decreasing.
D) Populations are decreasing because sea ice is increasing.

Question 7

What will likely happen to temperatures in Europe if thermohaline circulation stops?

A) Increase
B) Decrease
C) No change

Question 8

How many atmospheric circulation cells would exist in each hemisphere if the Earth did not rotate?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3

Question 9

You are analyzing a map location that is at the northern limit of a Hadley cell (southernmost Ferrel cell). Predict the climate conditions at that location.

A) Warm and dry due to descending air
B) Cold and wet due to descending air
C) Warm and dry due to ascending air
D) Cold and wet due to ascending air

Question 10

How is climate defined?

A) Using temperature data
B) Using precipitation data
C) Using vegetation
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 11

Where would you most likely find a type A (tropical) climate in the northern hemisphere?

A) Southern part of Ferrel cell.
B) Northern part of Ferrel cell.
C) Southern part of Hadley cell.
D) Northern part of Hadley cell.

Question 12

Predict which of these biome groups would have the most biodiversity?

A) Savanna
B) Forests
C) Tundra

Question 13

Which climate type is most likely to have deciduous trees?

A) Tropical
B) Warm temperate
C) Polar

Question 14

Which conditions are most likely found in tropical rain forests?

A) High biodiversity, low biomass.
B) Low biodiversity, high biomass.
C) High biodiversity, high biomass.
D) Low biodiversity, low biomass.

Question 15

How and why do glaciers form and advance?

A) When accumulation exceeds ablation.
B) When accumulation is less than ablation.
C) When accumulation equals ablation.

Question 16

Suppose another temperature change occurred similar to that during the Medieval Warm Period. What would likely happen to tree ring patterns in northern Europe.

A) Tree rings would get thinner.
B) Tree rings would get wider.
C) Tree rings would stay the same.
D) More tree rings in a tree per year.
E) Fewer tree rings in a tree per year.

Question 17

-Analyze the concept map above and consider how this applies to biogeochemical cycles. Which selection is most appropriate for a biosphere to geosphere interaction (letter H on the diagram).

A) Deforestation
B) Photosynthesis
C) Respiration
D) Coal formation

Question 18

-Analyze the concept map above and consider how this applies to biogeochemical cycles. Which selection is most appropriate for a atmosphere to biosphere interaction (letter M on the diagram).

A) Deforestation
B) Photosynthesis
C) Respiration
D) Coal formation

Question 19

What happens to the ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratio in the oceans during cold climate periods?

A) Gets larger
B) Gets smaller
C) No change

Question 20

How does the amount of ¹⁶O in forams compare to that in the oceans?

A) It is larger
B) It is smaller
C) It is the same

Question 21

Which Milankovitch cycle lasts about 20,000 years?

A) Orbital eccentricity
B) Tilt angle variation
C) Precession

Question 22

Which Milankovitch cycle lasts about 40,000 years?

A) Orbital eccentricity
B) Tilt angle variation
C) Precession

Question 23

How do temperature extremes for continents compare to temperatures extremes for oceans?

A) Continents have smaller temperature extremes than oceans.
B) Continents have larger temperature extremes than oceans.
C) Both display the same temperature extremes.

Question 24

What characterizes extreme climates?

A) Reduced biodiversity and low population densities.
B) Reduced biodiversity and high population densities.
C) Increased biodiversity and low population densities.
D) Increased biodiversity and high population densities.

Question 25

What will happen to a negative mass balance glacier?

A) It will recede.
B) It will advance.
C) It will not move.

Question 26

How can one divide the period of the last ice-age?

A) short warm episodes; long cold periods
B) long warm episodes; short cold periods

Question 27

What happens to energy transfer between steps in the food chain?

A) Energy transfer increases up the food chain.
B) Energy transfer decreases up the food chain.
C) Energy transfer is constant up the food chain.

Question 28

Predict what is presently happening to the mass balance of glaciers in the northern hemisphere.

A) Increasing
B) Decreasing
C) Staying the same

Question 29

What would happen to alpine glaciers in the Europe if average annual temperatures decreased?

A) Increase in size.
B) Decrease in size.
C) Stay about the same size.

Question 30

Climate is determined by averaging one decade of weather data for a region.

Question 31

Weather changes over time, but climate does not.

Question 32

Temperatures vary more over oceans than they do over continents.

Question 33

Biodiversity relates to the dominant species, biome to number of species.

Question 34

Biogeophysical cycles link the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere.

Question 35

Glaciers can be found at most latitudes.

Question 36

Sand is the dominant feature in all deserts.

Question 37

Cross beds in sandstone rocks can be indicative of an ancient desert climate.

Question 38

Tree ring data are proxy climate indicators for the past 10,000 years.

Question 39

Human historical data are sufficient to document that climate is changing.

Question 40

Each tree ring documents one year of growth.

Question 41

Some basins in the desert southwest filled with water during the last glacial period.

Question 42

Modern civilization developed mostly after the last glacial period.

Question 43

It is possible for regional average temperatures to change by more than 5° C in less than a decade.

Question 44

(D-O) oscillations are slow changes to climate.

Question 45

The Earth has been considerably warmer in the past than it is now.

Question 46

We are currently in a hot-house climate.

Question 47

The earth was warmer 12,000 years ago than today.

Question 48

Climate is the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place.

Question 49

More sunlight reaches Earth's surface at the equator than at the poles.

Question 50

Atmospheric carbon dioxide decreases during warm periods.