Deck 13: The Climate System

Question 1

What if the date of perihelion (when Earth is closest to the Sun) changed from January 3 to June 10, and all of the other orbital parameters (tilt and precession) remained the same as they are today. What would this effect the intensity of the season in each hemisphere?

Answer 1

If the date of perihelion changed from January 3 to June 10, it would mean that Earth would be closest to the Sun during the month of June instead of January. This change would have a significant impact on the intensity of the seasons in each hemisphere.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the change in perihelion date would result in the Earth being closest to the Sun during the summer months. This would lead to a more intense summer season, with higher temperatures and potentially more extreme weather patterns. Conversely, the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere would be less intense, with milder temperatures and potentially less snowfall.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite effect would occur. The change in perihelion date would result in the Earth being closest to the Sun during the winter months. This would lead to a more intense winter season, with lower temperatures and potentially more snowfall. The summer season in the Southern Hemisphere would be less intense, with milder temperatures and potentially less extreme weather patterns.

Overall, the change in perihelion date would lead to a shift in the intensity of the seasons in each hemisphere, with potentially significant impacts on weather patterns, temperature extremes, and overall climate conditions.

Question 2

How would a decrease in seasonality (i.e., warmer winters and cooler summers) lead to the growth of glacials?

Answer 2

A decrease in seasonality, meaning warmer winters and cooler summers, would not typically lead to the growth of glacials or glaciers. Glaciers form and grow when more snow accumulates in the winter than melts in the summer. Therefore, warmer winters could lead to less snow accumulation, and cooler summers could lead to less melting, but the overall effect would depend on the balance between these two factors. If the winters are so warm that there is significantly less snowfall, then even with cooler summers, glaciers may not grow and could even shrink. Conversely, if the cooler summers lead to significantly less melting, then even with less snowfall in the winter, glaciers could still grow. However, in general, warmer temperatures both in winter and summer are more likely to lead to shrinking glaciers due to increased melting and decreased snowfall.

Question 3

Because of its ability to absorb energy and retain it in the form of heat, the __________ serves as a great reservoir of thermal energy that helps moderate climate.

Answer 3

ocean

Question 4

The climates of ancient times is known as __________ .

Question 5

Tiny sea creatures called __________ equilibrate with the water around them, thus preserving a chemical record of past climatic changes.

Question 6

The scientific term for the separation and differential concentration of isotopes of slightly different mass is called __________ .

Question 7

Through the study of climate __________ scientists have established a detailed chronology of climatic changes over Earth's history.

Question 8

Throughout much of western Europe and adjacent islands, the __________ climate was characterized by unusually cold, harsh conditions.

Question 9

During the last __________ , the climate of the northern middle and high latitudes became so cold that a vast ice sheet formed over central and eastern Canada.

Question 10

__________ studies show that in glacial times the vegetation distribution was quite different from what we see today.

Question 11

When all of the evidence is accounted for, it shows that for the Pleistocene Epoch, about ___________ glacial ages occurred.

Question 12

A __________ is a temporary cool, dark spot on the Sun's photosphere.

Question 13

Eccentricity influences perihelion and __________ , the points at which Earth is nearest and farthest from the Sun.

Question 14

Earth's __________ acts like a selective filter for solar radiation and thus causes greenhouse warming.

Question 15

The chemical composition of air __________ trapped in ice indicates that during glacial times the atmosphere contained less carbon dioxide than it does today.

Question 16

Today, Earth's largest existing glacier is centered on the __________ .

Question 17

Under full-glacial conditions, __________ that are currently limited to polar and high-altitude regions could move into forests in northwestern Europe.

Question 18

Controlling the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere requires __________ feedbacks in the carbon cycle.

Question 19

__________ molecules can become trapped by molecules of ice in sediment that is near the freezing temperature of seawater.

Question 20

Each of the past 10 years has been one of the 25 __________ temperature years on record.

Question 21

Earth's climate system is dynamic, with many interacting components.

Question 22

The Köppen Climate Classification system combines measurements of average temperature, precipitation, and seasonal variation to define climate types.

Question 23

The 1990s and the 2000s were the coolest decades on record.

Question 24

Paleoclimatic evidence includes desert sand dunes now covered by vegetation and channel systems of now-dry streams.

Question 25

For a climate proxy to be useful, there must be a mechanism for determining the age of climatic evidence in the record.

Question 26

Measurements of oxygen isotopes in glacier ice enable scientists to determine the time frame when the snow was accumulating.

Question 27

Trees and corals lay down annual growth rings, which can provide paleoclimate information.

Question 28

The Medieval Warm Period gave way about 10,000 years ago to the Little Ice Age.

Question 29

The most recent Pleistocene glaciation started about 1 million years ago.

Question 30

During the last glaciation, world sea level was about 120 meters lower than it is today.

Question 31

Seafloor sediments provide a continuous historical record of climate change.

Question 32

The average length of a glacial-interglacial cycle over the past 800,000 years was about 50,000 years.

Question 33

The earliest recorded glacial episode dates to about 2.4 billion years ago.

Question 34

Fluctuations in the energy output of the Sun does not influence insolation.

Question 35

The chemical compositions of ancient air samples trapped in ice show that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide fluctuate quite regularly, with no correlation to air temperature.

Question 36

Aerosols such as fine dust can cause dramatic changes in atmospheric albedo, causing global cooling.

Question 37

The positions, shapes, and altitudes of landmasses have little influence on climate.

Question 38

Thermohaline circulation plays a central role in climate.

Question 39

Earth's climate system is characterized by feedbacks, both positive and negative.

Question 40

Humans emit more than 8 billion tons of carbon in the atmosphere every year through fossil fuel burning alone.

Question 41

What is the Milankovitch Cycle?

A) A mathematical explanation of long term climate changes based on Earth-Sun geometrical relationships.
B) A type of motor car used in the late 1800's for geologic exploration.
C) An explanation of climate changes on Earth based on Molecular cloud.
D) An explanation of long term climate changes on Earth, based on human activity.

Question 42

Tropical climatic environments ("A" environments)

A) Are humid, with precipitation exceeding evaporation throughout the year
B) Have small annual temperature ranges.
C) Have virtually no recognizable season.
D) All of these.

Question 43

The natural vegetation of tropical climatic environments ("A" environments) is generally

A) Desert scrub.
B) Boreal forest.
C) Tropical rainforest.
D) Mediterranean.

Question 44

The 41,000 year cycle of the tilt of Earth's axis is called the

A) Motorcycle.
B) Eccentricity cycle.
C) Precession cycle.
D) Obliquity (tilt) cycle.

Question 45

The 100,000 year cycle of the extent of Earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun is called the

A) Obliquity (tilt) cycle.
B) Eccentricity cycle.
C) Precession cycle.
D) Motorcycle.

Question 46

A climate type not found at sea level in the Southern Hemisphere is

A) B.
B) D.
C) C.
D) E.

Question 47

The Medieval Warm Period

A) Began before the Little Ice Age.
B) Persisted until the middle of the nineteenth century.
C) Lowered crop production significantly.
D) None of these.

Question 48

Sunspots

A) May be one of the causes for global climate change.
B) Occur on a regular seven-year cycle.
C) Affect the orbit of the Earth around the Sun.
D) Are areas of much higher surface temperature than non-sunspot regions.

Question 49

How many climate groups are in the Köppen Climate Classification system?

A) Two.
B) Four.
C) Three.
D) Five.

Question 50

The burning of which of the following has added largest quantities of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

A) Paper.
B) Fossil fuels.
C) Crop burning.
D) Forest fires.

Question 51

How were the Great Lakes of North America created?

A) By continental glaciers carving troughs that filled with water.
B) By continental glaciers that filled with loess.
C) By the movement of cirque glaciers.
D) All of these.

Question 52

Temperatures increased by about how many degrees from the Pleistocene Epoch to the Holocene Epoch?

A) 3 degrees Centigrade.
B) 6 degrees Centigrade.
C) 20 degrees Centigrade.
D) 1 degree Centigrade.

Question 53

Which of the following discoveries in the subarctic is a strong indication that global climates have changed?

A) Palms.
B) Prehistoric tundra.
C) Tropical fossils.
D) All of these.

Question 54

What is dendrochronology?

A) The technique of establishing a date using ice cores.
B) The technique of establishing a date using tree rings.
C) The technique of establishing a date using shark teeth.
D) The technique of establishing a date using sedimentary deposits.

Question 55

Which of the following climate proxies provide the longest time frame of data?

A) Human records.
B) Deep-sea sediments.
C) Tree ring analysis.
D) Antarctic ice cores.

Question 56

What is the difference between present and ice-age snowlines along western North America?

A) About 900 to 1000 meters along the southern part of the transect.
B) About 1500 to 2000 meters along the southern part of the transect.
C) About 200 meters along the southern part of the transect.
D) About 3000 meters along the southern part of the transect.

Question 57

During the warm Middle Cretaceous Period, about how much higher was sea level versus today?

A) 50 to 75 meters.
B) 100 to 200 meters.
C) 500 to 600 meters.
D) 1000 to 1100 meters.

Question 58

Which of the following is an important greenhouse gas?

A) Oxygen.
B) Nitrogen.
C) Carbon dioxide.
D) Carbon monoxide.

Question 59

The obliquity cycle (the Earth's tilt) fluctuates between what angles during its 41,000 year cycle?

A) 20 to 22 degrees.
B) 25 to 27 degrees.
C) 23 to 26 degrees.
D) 21.5 to 24.5 degrees.

Question 60

Cold water absorbs more carbon dioxide than warm water. Assume a mechanism (such as the Milankovitch Cycle) leads to global cooling. Sea surface temperatures will then begin to decrease. Subsequently, more carbon dioxide will be removed from the sky (as it will be absorbed in large quantities by the cold water). As a result, atmospheric temperatures will get cooler. This process is an example of

A) Feedback.
B) Threshold.
C) Global warming.
D) Thermohaline circulation.

Question 61

The release of __________ by volcanoes could lead to cooling, whereas the release of __________ by volcanoes could lead to warming.

A) Oxygen, ash.
B) Carbon dioxide, ash.
C) Ash, carbon dioxide.
D) Ash, oxygen.

Question 62

What would be the greatest effect to climate from the movement of continents via plate tectonics?

A) Polar wandering.
B) Changes in the position of the forests.
C) Changes in the position of certain land animals.
D) Changes to thermohaline circulation.

Question 63

Earth has been relatively warm for about how many years?

A) 1000 years.
B) 1 million years.
C) 100,000 years.
D) 15,000 years.

Question 64

Which of the following is considered a short-term external climate change factor (versus a long-term climate change factor)?

A) Sunspots.
B) Changes in the Earth's orbit (eccentricity).
C) Changes in the Earth's tilt (obliquity).
D) Changes in the Earth's orientation (precession).

Question 65

Which of the following would lead to a potential ice age?

A) Smaller contrast between winter and summer.
B) Larger contrast between winter and summer.
C) Neither of these.

Question 66

Assume you are a climatologist analyzing tree rings to determine past climates. If you see a period of time where the length between tree rings are larger than at other times, what does that tell you?

A) During periods of greater moisture and warmer conditions, tree rings will be gray in color.
B) During periods of greater moisture and warmer conditions, tree rings will generally be narrow.
C) During periods of greater moisture and warmer conditions, tree rings will generally be wider.

Question 67

Assume you are a climatologist analyzing seafloor sediment. You have a 200,000 year old cross section of sediment in which you are going to analyze the ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16. During your analysis, you determine that there is a greater quantity of oxygen-18 than oxygen-16 (beyond today's present values). What does this tell you?

A) The past climate was the same as today.
B) The past climate was warmer than today.
C) The past climate was cooler than today.

Question 68

Assume you are a climatologist analyzing carbon dioxide bubbles trapped in an ice core. The cross section of ice core you are looking at is 1 million years old. During your analysis, you find that there is a greater quantity of carbon dioxide in the ice core than there is today. What does this tell you?

A) The past climate was warmer than today.
B) The past climate was cooler than today.
C) the past climate was the same as today.

Question 69

Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has

A) Doubled.
B) Remained the same.
C) Decreased in half.
D) Quadrupled.

Question 70

When the Earth's tilt is minimal, which would probably be true?

A) There will be greater seasonal variation between summer and winter.
B) There will be less seasonal variation between summer and winter.
C) There will be no seasonal variation between summer and winter.
D) None of these.

Question 71

Large volcanic eruptions (like Mount Pinatubo in 1991) can produce a veil of ash that envelopes the stratosphere. If this were to occur, what would be the most likely temperature result at sea level?

A) Increase in temperature.
B) Decrease in temperature.
C) Increase in precipitation.
D) Decrease in precipitation.

Question 72

During periods of glaciation, ocean waters become more enriched with which isotope?

A) Oxygen-18
B) Oxygen-16
C) Oxygen-17