Complete Test Bank Ch.16 Test Bank Global Climate Change

Chapter 16 Test Bank: Global Climate Change

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following statements with respect to Earth’s climate is NOT true?

A. the greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon.

B. variation in energy output from the Sun is too small to explain current warming.

C. Earth is currently in a strong warming trend.

D. atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are currently well within Earth’s recent operating range.

E. past climate changes have caused societies to collapse.

2. Which of the following best explains the effect of greenhouse gases on Earth’s atmosphere?

A. allow the atmosphere to hold more water vapor.

B. act as a shield that reflects some of the incoming radiation from the Sun.

C. produce more carbon dioxide which generates more plant growth.

D. absorb some of the incoming radiation from the Sun.

E. absorb some of the energy Earth radiates out into space.

3. Which of the following statements regarding carbon dioxide (CO₂) and the greenhouse effect is true?

A. global warming from burning fossil fuels was predicted in the 1800s.

B. all of the answers listed here.

C. link between CO₂ and the greenhouse effect was proven in the 1800s.

D. CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere is relatively low.

E. without CO₂, the average global temperature would be below freezing.

4. Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas?

A. methane (CH₄)

B. nitrogen (N₂)

C. water (H₂O)

D. nitrogen oxide (N₂O)

E. carbon dioxide (CO₂)

5. There are several long-term changes in Earth’s orbit that affect how heat from the Sun is distributed over the planet. Which of the following describes how the orbit changes from being elliptical to more circular?

A. eccentricity

B. precession

C. axial cyclicity

D. axial tilt

E. solar obliqueness

6. Which of the following statements regarding variations in Earth’s orbit is true?

A. even together, they don’t produce enough temperature change to cause an ice age.

B. all of the answers listed here.

C. their effect on global temperatures was only recently discovered by NASA scientists.

D. their combined effect on past global temperatures is purely hypothetical.

E. they can fully account for the recent rise in global temperature.

7. Which of the following are considered climate feedback mechanisms?

A. greenhouse gases and reflection/adsorption of sunlight

B. short-wavelength radiation and reflection/adsorption of sunlight

C. short-wavelength radiation and ocean circulation

D. greenhouse gases and short-wavelength radiation

E. ocean tides and ocean circulation

8. With respect to modeling Earth’s climate system, which of the following best describes global circulation models (GCMs)?

A. are only models, hence cannot accurately simulate something as complicated as climate

B. can accurately simulate future temperature increases, but not precipitation

C. simulations of the past climate are too uncertain, thus future projections are fairly meaningless

D. have too many unknown variables to be used with any degree of certainty

E. accurately simulate the past climate and are used to project the future climate

9. What best explains the problem with using sediment layers to determine past climatic conditions?

A. only provide information at a given location as opposed to globally

B. do not provide details on year-to-year variations

C. are typically buried and not very accessible

D. do not provide information on igneous and metamorphic rocks

E. do not go far enough back in time

10. What best explains why glacial ice cores are ideal for examining climatic conditions in Earth’s past?

A. all of the answers listed here

B. record both warming and cooling periods

C. are not contaminated by volcanic activity

D. provide actual atmospheric temperatures going back millions of years

E. provide high-resolution data on both temperature and carbon dioxide

11. Ice core data have revealed which of the following?

A. Earth’s climate shows a history of abrupt and rapid changes in temperature.

B. Earth’s climate has been remarkably stable for the past 10,000 years.

C. there’s a strong correlation between atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature.

D. current carbon dioxide concentrations are far outside of Earth’s recent operating range.

E. all of the answers listed here.

12. What do climatologists NOT expect to see now that Earth’s climate system has been pushed to a higher energy level?

A. more intense storms

B. less record lows

C. changing precipitation patterns

D. more record highs

E. the warming trend to reverse in the near future

13. What do climatologists fear might happen if the Earth system crosses a climate threshold?

A. record precipitation levels will cause flooding over most of the continents

B. carbon dioxide will become a major constituent of the atmosphere

C. global temperatures will spike

D. trees will no longer be able to absorb carbon dioxide

E. system will enter a period of abrupt and dramatic climate change

14. Which of the following do climatologists predict will occur as the Earth continues to warm?

A. all of the answers listed here

B. higher evaporation rates

C. more frequent droughts

D. more frequent heavy rain and snow events

E. atmosphere will hold more water vapor

15. One important consequence of global warming is that Earth’s climatic zones are expected to shift. Which of the following would affect large parts of Earth’s population as winters arrive later and end earlier?

A. colder winters

B. less sunlight during the agricultural growing season

C. increased flooding during the winter months

D. less melt water to sustain streams during the summer months

E. shortening of the agricultural growing season

16. Sea level is expected rise due to continued melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. Which of the following best describes why climatologists are likely to have underestimated the rate of sea level rise?

A. the volume of ice is larger than expected.

B. the greenhouse effect is more intense than expected.

C. the rate at which ice sheets flow into the ocean is much slower than expected.

D. the volume of ocean water is larger than expected.

E. ice sheets are melting from within as water flows down through fractures.

17. Ocean acidification is taking place as the oceans absorb some of the additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What is the basic environmental problem that this creates?

A. all of the answers listed here.

B. causes the oceans to become even more saline, thereby reducing ocean circulation.

C. makes it unsafe for humans to go swimming in the ocean.

D. more difficult for marine organisms to secret their own protective shells.

E. increases the rate of evaporation of seawater.

18. Which of the following best explains why continued warming of the Arctic is expected to greatly accelerate the rate of global warming?

A. sea level rise and thawing of gas hydrates

B. slowing of the Jet Stream and loss of sea ice

C. reversal of the Gulf Stream and slowing of the Jet Stream

D. reversal of the Gulf Stream and sea level rise

E. loss of sea ice and thawing of gas hydrates

True / False Questions

19. Earth’s glacial periods are explained by orbital variations that produce a small temperature change, which is then amplified by changes in carbon dioxide concentrations.

True False

20. To slow the current warming trend, industrialized nations must reduce their overall rate of greenhouse gas emissions.

True False

Multiple Choice Questions

21. Which is not a greenhouse gas?

A. Carbon dioxide

B. Methane

C. Radon

D. Nitrous oxide

22. What is the primary driving force behind the Earth's climate system?

A. Gravity

B. Decay of radioactive elements

C. Solar radiation

D. Tidal fluctuations

23. Who first proved the relationship between carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effect?

A. Louis Agassiz

B. Joseph Fourier

C. John Tyndall

D. Al Gore

24. Who was the first to recognize that large-scale burning of fossil fuels could lead to global warming?

A. Svante Arrhenius

B. Louis Agassiz

C. James Croll

D. Milankovitch

25. In the Milankovitch model, what is the cause of Earth's Ice Ages?

A. Sunspot activity

B. Plate tectonic activity

C. Cyclic changes in solar heating

D. Changes in ocean circulation

26. What is a climatic example of negative feedback?

A. Increased amounts of fossil fuel combustion

B. Increased amounts of volcanic ash in the atmosphere

C. Permafrost melts at a higher rate

D. Plants absorb carbon dioxide at a higher rate

27. What is meant by carbon sequestration?

A. Excessive amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere by volcanic activity.

B. Carbon is removed from the surface environment and placed in storage.

C. Carbon is released from melting permafrost.

D. Heat is absorbed by atmospheric carbon dioxide.