Deck 23: Global Change in the Earth System

Question 1

Which of the following processes releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

How are pollen species used to interpret ancient environments?

A)Each plant species is found in many different climates.
B)Different plant species live in different climates.
C)The ratio of oxygen isotopes can be measured in pollen.
D)Specific plant species directly track the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Based on the figure below,how is the solar energy reaching Earth's atmosphere likely to change in the next 10 years?

A)It will rise.
B)It will remain steady.
C)It will fall.
D)The curve is not cyclical,so no prediction can be made.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

How are bicarbonate and carbon dioxide (CO₂)related to one another?

A)CO2 forms when bicarbonate minerals break down.
B)CO2 forms when bicarbonate migrates from the atmosphere into soils.
C)Bicarbonate forms when CO2 molecules dissolve in water.
D)Bicarbonate and CO2 are the same thing.

Question 5

A biogeochemical cycle refers to the ________.

A)long-term movement of biogeochemical minerals through the rock cycle
B)exchange of chemicals among magmatic and solid-phase systems
C)transitioning and the residence of specific chemicals among living and nonliving systems
D)exchange of chemicals between landmasses and the oceans

Question 6

The presence of liquid water on Earth's surface is ________.

A)not surprising because most other bodies in the Solar System have liquid water
B)not surprising because all planets in the Solar System have liquid water
C)unique in the Solar System but an inherent feature of Earth that would be found regardless of the Earth-Sun distance
D)unique in the Solar System;liquid water would not have developed had Earth been much closer to or much farther from the Sun

Question 7

The figure below shows parts of the global carbon cycle.Which chemicals are also parts of the carbon cycle?

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 8

The figure below shows the transmission,absorption,and reflection of radiation from various sources.In which layer (A,B,or C)do greenhouse gases accumulate?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)Greenhouse gases are free to move among the layers.

Question 9

Which of the following represents a unidirectional change in the nature of Earth?

A)differentiation of the layers of Earth
B)the supercontinent cycle
C)the movement of water from one reservoir to another
D)the rise and fall of global sea levels

Question 10

Which of these is the longest-lasting sink for carbon dioxide?

A)plant tissues and cellulose (the "woody" parts of plants)
B)the atmosphere
C)air bubbles within glacial ice
D)limestones

Question 11

The hydrologic cycle includes which of these?

A)the advance and retreat of glaciers
B)the accumulation of methane in the atmosphere
C)the secretion of carbonate shells by marine organisms
D)photosynthesis

Question 12

Sedimentary sequences,which are bounded by unconformities,record global sea level rise and fall with variations in ________.

A)fossil content
B)the coarseness of clastic sediments/sedimentary rocks
C)carbon content
D)coal grade

Question 13

Which process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

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

Question 14

A crater in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula may be the result of an impact that brought about the extinction of numerous species at the end of the ________ Period.

A)Silurian
B)Jurassic
C)Cretaceous
D)Tertiary

Question 15

Which of the following is an important long-term (i.e.,spans tens of millions of years)factor in global climate change?

A)a decrease in albedo because of aerosols from volcanic eruptions
B)variation in Milankovitch orbital parameters
C)variation in the abundance of sunspots
D)the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide

Question 16

A runaway greenhouse effect is an example of ________.

A)a positive feedback mechanism
B)a negative feedback mechanism
C)the hydrologic cycle
D)a steady-state condition

Question 17

Which type of global change is reversible?

A)orogenic uplift
B)melting and crystallization of sedimentary rock to form igneous rock
C)evolution of life on Earth
D)flooding of the continents because of global warming

Question 18

Cycles of sea level rise and fall often create sandstone at the base,grade up into coal,and are called ________.

A)geotherms
B)sedithems
C)bathycycles
D)cyclothems

Question 19

How does the formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones effect the carbon dioxide (CO₂)concentration in Earth's atmosphere?

A)All three increase the total CO2 in the atmosphere.
B)All three decrease the total CO2 in the atmosphere.
C)The formation of limestones decreases total CO2,while the formation of oil shale and coal increases total CO2.
D)The formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones has very little effect.

Question 20

Which greenhouse gas has the greatest total importance in retaining radiant energy from Earth?

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

Question 21

During most of the Mesozoic Era,Earth was ________.

A)about as warm as present
B)cooler than present
C)warmer than present
D)experiencing wild temperature fluctuations

Question 22

Oxygen-18 and oxygen-16 are useful in studying past climates because ________.

A)ozone formation and decay depend on the ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16
B)both water and calcite contain oxygen
C)oxygen ratios are directly related to carbon dioxide (CO2)levels
D)more oxygen-18 is stored in glacial ice when temperatures drop

Question 23

The hole in the ozone layer has been brought about by anthropogenic emissions of ________.

A)carbon dioxide
B)methane
C)chlorofluorocarbons
D)water vapor

Question 24

What is the difference between weather and climate?

A)Weather is a long-term cycle,whereas climate is a transient condition.
B)Weather is a transient condition,whereas climate is a long-term cycle.
C)Weather relates to precipitation,whereas climate relates to temperature.
D)The two terms are essentially interchangeable.

Question 25

How are greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane different from other atmospheric gases like nitrogen and oxygen?

A)Greenhouse gases absorb thermal energy from the Sun and re-radiate it,whereas other atmospheric gases do not.
B)Greenhouse gases are more efficient at absorbing thermal energy and re-radiating it than the other atmospheric gases.
C)Greenhouse gases are found at higher levels of the atmosphere,where ozone is found.
D)Greenhouse gases are found at lower levels of the atmosphere,where ozone is found.

Question 26

Which greenhouse gases play the most significant role in influencing changes in global atmospheric temperature?

A)carbon dioxide and ozone
B)nitrogen dioxide and ozone
C)nitrogen dioxide and methane
D)carbon dioxide and methane

Question 27

Which modern sea do geologists believe might have filled very rapidly with ocean water when rising sea levels overtopped a small land bridge or a natural dam?

A)the Black Sea
B)the Red Sea
C)the Dead Sea
D)the Caspian Sea

Question 28

Increasing ratios of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 in glacial ice indicate ________.

A)advancing ice sheets
B)warming temperatures
C)increased volcanic emissions
D)uplift of land surfaces

Question 29

The greenhouse effect is caused by ________.

A)the oceans,which absorb heat from the sun
B)anthropogenic gases,which absorb heat from the sun
C)atmospheric gases,which trap heat radiated from Earth's surface
D)solar energy reflected back into space by clouds

Question 30

The primary cause of recent global warming is believed to be ________.

A)chemical reactions in the atmosphere that are driven by solar heat
B)increased burning of fossil fuels
C)increased levels of atmospheric pollution
D)depletion of the ozone layer

Question 31

The ratio of oxygen-16 and oxygen-18 isotopes in plankton fossils in deep-sea sediments can be used to determine ________.

A)past carbon dioxide concentrations
B)past temperatures
C)the age of the fossils
D)water depth

Question 32

As more ice in the Arctic Ocean melts,what effect does this have on the water?

A)Heat absorption increases as the albedo increases.
B)Heat absorption increases as the albedo decreases.
C)Heat absorption decreases as albedo the decreases.
D)There is no effect on heat absorption.

Question 33

How are carbon dioxide (CO₂)levels in the atmosphere affected by tectonic uplift of rocks and their resultant chemical weathering?

A)CO2 is removed from the atmosphere.
B)CO2 is added to the atmosphere.
C)CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by uplift,but returned to the atmosphere by chemical weathering.
D)They have no net effect on CO2.

Question 34

The amount of solar energy reflected by a surface is known as ________.

A)albedo
B)radiation
C)the reflection coefficient
D)the absorption coefficient

Question 35

Milankovitch cycles describe variation in Earth's ________.

A)sea level
B)orbit and tilt
C)atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations
D)cosmic-ray flux

Question 36

The warmest global temperatures since the last ice age occurred in the ________.

A)the recent period of human-induced global warming
B)Younger Dryas,approximately 13,000 years ago
C)Little Ice Age,approximately 400 years ago
D)Holocene Maximum,approximately 6,000 years ago

Question 37

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

A)Ocean water reflects solar energy much more effectively than sea ice.
B)Ocean water absorbs solar energy much more effectively than sea ice.
C)Ocean water is more difficult to heat than sea ice.
D)Ocean water is easier to heat than sea ice.

Question 38

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

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

Question 39

The reliable paleoclimate record from the Antarctic and Greenland ice cores provides information back to approximately ________ years ago.

A)65 million
B)5 million
C)700,000
D)150,000

Question 40

Most industrial nations have intentionally decreased their production and use of refrigerants and other chlorofluorocarbons in the last 20 years to address the ________.

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

Question 41

In the last few decades,global warming has been most strongly affecting climate and wildlife of ________ regions.

A)equatorial
B)temperate
C)polar
D)deep-sea

Question 42

Natural carbon sinks have generally matched the production of carbon dioxide until ________.

A)the end of the last ice age,approximately 16,000 years ago
B)the Little Ice Age,approximately 400 years ago
C)approximately 1900
D)the Eocene Epoch,approximately 50 million years ago

Question 43

In the figure below,why is there a seasonal variation in carbon dioxide (CO₂)concentrations?

A)CO2 concentrations rise and fall as photosynthesis decreases and increases.
B)CO2 concentrations rise and fall in conjunction with power plant emissions.
C)CO2 concentrations rise and fall with variations in solar radiation.
D)The measurements were made in different places at different times of year.

Question 44

Models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that by the year 2100,the average annual temperature will have increased in some parts of the world by as much as ________.

A)1°C
B)2°C
C)4°C
D)8°C

Question 45

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

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

Question 46

Models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that by the year 2100,the sea level may rise by as much as ________.

A)10-20 mm
B)20-60 cm
C)10-20 m
D)20-60 m

Question 47

A blogger writes that global warming is not real,noting that his or her city had its coldest ever-recorded temperature last winter.The correct statement would be that the blogger is ________.

A)correct,because global warming is not occurring
B)correct,because global warming is occurring only in the polar regions
C)incorrect,because the blogger is confusing weather with climate
D)incorrect,because global warming is measured only during the summer

Question 48

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?

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

Question 49

With the increased data collected in recent years,scientists have become increasingly certain that Earth's climate is ________.

A)not warming because carbon dioxide levels are decreasing
B)not warming because the Sun's activity is at a minimum
C)warming solely as a result of increased solar output
D)warming as a result of human inputs of atmospheric greenhouse gases

Question 50

According to the figure below,how much has atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂)increased in parts per million (ppm)in approximately the last 50 years?

A)from about 310 to 320 ppm
B)from about 360 to 400 ppm
C)from about 320 to 400 ppm
D)from about 380 to 400 ppm