Deck 23: Global Change in the Earth System

Question 1

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)

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

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 5

A massive flood would be an example of a _________ change.

A) catastrophic
B) gradual
C) unidirectional
D) cyclic

Question 6

The late heavy bombardment was an example of a__________ change.

A) catastrophic
B) gradual
C) unidirectional
D) cyclic

Question 7

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 8

The evolution of life on the Earth is an example of a(n)______________.

A) static condition
B) Earth system
C) unidirectional change
D) cyclic change

Question 9

Changes that occur ________ are called ________ changes.

A) repeatedly; cyclic
B) gradually; unidirectional
C) slowly; cyclic
D) quickly; unidirectional

Question 10

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 11

The evolution of the Earth's atmosphere has been a(n)__________.

A) static condition
B) Earth system
C) unidirectional change
D) cyclic change

Question 12

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

A) plant tissues and cellulose (the "woody" parts of plants)
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 13

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

Question 14

The cycle of supercontinent formation and breakup is an example of _________ change.

A) catastrophic,unidirectional
B) gradual,unidirectional
C) catastrophic,cyclic
D) gradual,cyclic

Question 15

Short-term cycles of sea level rise and fall often create sedimentary sequences with sandstone at the base,grading up into coal.These cycles are called ________.

A) geotherms
B) Cross-bedding
C) bathycycles
D) cyclothems

Question 16

How does the formation of oil shale deposits,coals,and limestones affect the carbon dioxide (CO₂)concentration in the 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 17

Which of the following best explains how the carbon cycle plays a role in climate change?

A) The carbon cycle influences the amount of moisture in the atmosphere,which influences climate.
B) The amount of carbon dissolved in seawater influences ocean temperatures,and thus climate.
C) Some carbon occurs in greenhouse gases,which influence climate.
D) Carbon in the ozone layer reflects sunlight,which influences climate.

Question 18

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 19

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 20

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 21

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

A) CO₂ (carbon dioxide)
B) O₃ (ozone)
C) NO₂ (nitrous oxide)
D) H₂O (water)

Question 22

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 23

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 24

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

A) 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 25

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 26

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 27

During most of the Mesozoic Era,the Earth was ________.

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

Question 28

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 29

Which of the following best describes the Earth's climate history?

A) The Earth's climate has remained consistent with time.
B) Most of the Earth's climate history has been significantly colder than it is currently.
C) Most of the Earth's climate history has been significantly warmer than it is currently.
D) Temperatures on the Earth have varied throughout geologic time.

Question 30

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 31

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 32

Toxic chemicals dumped into a river are an example of ________.

A) greenhouse gases
B) smog
C) ozone
D) pollution

Question 33

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.

Question 34

Based on the graph below,global temperatures were the coldest ________ years ago.

A) 18,000
B) 10,500
C) 7,000
D) 500

Question 35

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 36

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) 800,000
D) 150,000

Question 37

A basic history of global climate change is preserved in the stratigraphic record because

A) characteristics of igneous rocks depend on climate because of variations in cooling rates.
B) the amount of sediment deposited is a function of climate.
C) the amount of fossils preserved in the rock record is dependent on climate.
D) depositional setting and the assemblages of organisms depend on the climate.

Question 38

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 the Earth's surface
D) solar energy reflected back into space by clouds

Question 39

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 reradiate it,whereas other atmospheric gases reflect it.
B) Greenhouse gases are more efficient at absorbing thermal energy and reradiating 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 40

Milankovitch cycles describe variation in the Earth's ________.

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

Question 41

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 42

Some researchers think that ________ are causing a sixth mass-extinction event.

A) the cosmic rays
B) the tides
C) humans
D) asteroids

Question 43

Describe one way humans have impacted the Earth System.

Question 44

The figure below shows changes in sea level since the last ice age ended.Based on this,if the 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 45

Compare and contrast unidirectional change with cyclic change.Include an example of each in your answer.

Question 46

The graph below is the Keeling Curve,a record of carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa beginning in 1958.What can be learned from this graph? What do the two lines (black and grey)tell us?

Question 47

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

Some researchers have started informally using the term Anthropocene.What is this in reference to? How is this related to the sixth extinction?

Question 49

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 50

What role do greenhouse gases play in the Earth's climate? If there were no greenhouse gases on the Earth,what would the climate be like? Could humans survive?

Question 51

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 52

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

Question 53

With the increased data collected in recent years,scientists have become increasingly certain that the 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 54

Identify five probable outcomes of global climate change.

Question 55

How has the Earth's climate changed in the past? What are some natural causes of long-term climate change? Short-term climate change?

Question 56

Provide an example of a positive feedback process as it relates to global climate change.

Question 57

Discuss three lines of evidence that global climate change is currently taking place.

Question 58

What is a biogeochemical cycle? Provide an example.

Question 59

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.