Chapter 21 Environment

Which of the following nations has made the most progress toward carbon dioxide reductions? a. Germany b. India c. Canada d. the United States e. China

a. Germany

Which of the following is an example of an entire planet in distress as Earth's global climate warms with unprecedented speed? a. Ice is melting much faster than before at the poles and higher altitudes. b. Ocean ecosystems are being affected by cooler temperatures near the equator. c. Heat waves are becoming less frequent but more extreme. d. Precipitation patterns are getting drier everywhere, at unprecedented rates. e. Increasing crop yields are linked to temperature or precipitation changes.

a. Ice is melting much faster than before at the poles and higher altitudes.

According to some, the current increase in average global temperature is due to the "wobble" effect. If this were true, which of the following would also be true? a. The axis of Earth would be shifted to point toward the star Vega, resulting in hotter summers in the Northern Hemisphere. b. Earth would be rotating around the Sun in an ellipse as opposed to a circle. c. Earth would be tilted on its axis at an angle that maximizes the differences between summertime highs and winter lows (temperatures). d. The Sun would be rotating around Earth in an ellipse as opposed to a circle.

a. The axis of Earth would be shifted to point toward the star Vega, resulting in hotter summers in the Northern Hemisphere.

hat relationship is seen between temperature and atmospheric CO2 levels? a. They are positively correlated. b. They are negatively correlated. c. They are not correlated in any meaningful way.

a. They are positively correlated.

Which of the following is the least compelling line of evidence that climate is indeed changing? a. an increase in the number of hurricanes b. an increase in global average temperature c. temperature-dependent shifts in the ranges of species d. sea level rise

a. an increase in the number of hurricanes

Long-term patterns or trends of meteorological conditions in a given area refer to its _________. a. climate b. model c. weather d. temperature e. forecast

a. climate

Which of the following best describes radiative forcers? a. factors that can alter climate b. events that increase the likelihood of a future change in the same direction as past changes c. long-term patterns in meteorological conditions d. natural factors, such as volcanoes, that affect the amount of sunlight that reaches the surface of Earth

a. factors that can alter climate

Based on Infographic 21.2, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported all of the following except a. higher-latitude areas generally show less warming than mid-altitude areas. b. temperatures have increased over most of Earth's surface since 1901. c. precipitation has increased in mid-latitude areas. d. permafrost is thawing in high-latitude and high-altitude regions. e. sea level has risen 10-20 cm over the last century.

a. higher-latitude areas generally show less warming than mid-altitude areas.

Climatologists generally look for directional changes over at least ______ before concluding that the changes represent a trend. a. a century b. 30 years c. 50 years d. 500 years e. a decade

b. 30 years

Between 2013 and 2014, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased by ______ parts per million. a. 3 b. 4 c. 1 d. 5 e. 2

b. 4

Current atmospheric CO2 levels are above 390 parts per million (ppm). What is the upper limit of CO2 predicted by most scien¬tists that we can live with and still avoid substantial negative effects? a. 400 ppm b. 500 ppm c. 680 ppm d. 750 ppm

b. 500 ppm

Which of the following has the greatest albedo? a. a forest b. a light-colored roof c. a dark asphalt road d. the surface of the ocean

b. a light-colored roof

One of the biggest uncertainties of the impact of climate change is the effect that it will have on the world's ______. a. oceans b. forests c. atmosphere d. ice sheets e. glaciers

b. forests

The ______ may have been the first species to go extinct due to climate change. a. orange-spotted filefish b. golden toad c. Adélie penguin d. white rhino e. lynx

b. golden toad

An increase of a few degrees in the "average temperature" results in a(n) ______ in the number of years that have the previous "extreme" hot weather and a(n) ______ in temperature for the new extreme. a. increase; decrease b. increase; increase c. decrease; decrease d. decrease; increase

b. increase; increase

One example of climate change that is already happening is that in many places around the world heat waves are becoming ______ frequent and ______ extreme. a. more; less b. more; more c. less; less d. less; more

b. more; more

The sugar maple is one of 11 out of 15 tree species that showed an average ______ shift in range of 21 kilometers. a. westward b. northward c. eastward d. outward e. southward

b. northward

Changes in the distribution of pines, oaks, and other trees in Minnesota's great North Woods after the end of the last ice age is an example of tree ______. a. pattern switching b. range migration c. species extinction d. variety replacement e. habitat destruction

b. range migration

Which of the following factors tends to increase the albedo effect and contribute to cooling? a. melting glaciers b. sulfate aerosols c. clear, sunny days d. increasing CO2 levels

b. sulfate aerosols

Compared to the mid-20th-century average, global temperatures have increased about ______ degrees Celsius. a. 1.7 b. 3.0 c. 1.0 d. 2.0 e. 5.5

c. 1.0

Which of the following is an example of an entire planet in distress as Earth's global climate warms with unprecedented speed? a. Increasing crop yields are linked to temperature or precipitation changes. b. Precipitation patterns are getting drier everywhere, at unprecedented rates. c. Ice is melting much faster than before at the poles and higher altitudes. d. Ocean ecosystems are being affected by cooler temperatures near the equator. e. Heat waves are becoming less frequent but more extreme.

c. Ice is melting much faster than before at the poles and higher altitudes.

All of the following choices are evidence for the recent changes in global climate except a. coral reefs dying off due to ocean acidification and heating. b. heat waves becoming more frequent and more extreme. c. a single weather event like a hurricane or tornado. d. polar ice melting at unprecedented rates. e. prairies giving way to deserts in Africa and the American west.

c. a single weather event like a hurricane or tornado

With an increase in average global temperature, what used to be rare, extreme hot weather events would ______. a. stop happening altogether b. become less common c. become more common d. occur at about the same frequency

c. become more common

According to the stabilization wedge strategy proposed by Pacala and Socolow we: a. must reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations below 350 ppm to avoid disastrous consequences. b. can continue to burn fossil fuels for the next 50 years if we reduce greenhouse gas emissions in other ways. c. can use a variety of currently available strategies to prevent atmospheric CO2 from exceeding 500 ppm. d. should focus our efforts on adapting to inevitable climate change rather than mitigation

c. can use a variety of currently available strategies to prevent atmospheric CO2 from exceeding 500 ppm.

Based on fossil plant and pollen records, which of the following happened in northern Minnesota after the North American ice cap retreated about 10,000 years ago? a. Summers became cooler. b. Spruce trees replaced oaks. c. Prairie plants took root. d. Water levels rose. e. Birches and Pines moved south.

c. prairie plants took root

What would happen to cold and hot temperature extremes if climate change produces a new temperature curve that is broader and flatter? a. The cold extremes would get warmer, and the hot extremes would get cooler. b. The cold extremes would get warmer, and the hot extremes would get hotter. c. The cold extremes would get colder, and the hot extremes would get hotter. d. The cold extremes would get colder, and the hot extremes would get cooler. e. The cold extremes would remain the same, and the hot extremes would also remain the same.

c. the cold extremes would get colder, and the hot extremes would get hotter

Scientists have documented that climate change is a normal process. What is the PRIMARY reason that the current warming trend is so alarming to those same scientists? a. It raises the possibility of another ice age. b. We have no means of stopping it. c. It is solely due to human activities. d. It is occurring at a rapid rate.

d. It is occurring at a rapid rate.

Recent sea level rise is attributed to: a. melting glaciers. b. thermal expansion of water. c. melting icebergs. d. a and b. e. a, b, and c.

d. a and b

With respect to radiative forcing of the atmosphere, all of the following are positive forcers except a. carbon dioxide. b. methane. c. nitrogen oxides. d. aerosols. e. halocarbons.

d. aerosols

Which is causing the Maple syrup production in the United States to suffer from climate change? a. Polar vortex b. Declining winter snowpack c. Too much rainfall in the spring d. Fewer freeze-thaw cycles e. Drought conditions

d. fewer freeze-thaw cycles

One piece of evidence that climate change is already happening is that land-based glaciers in ______-altitude and ______-latitude areas are melting at unprecedented rates. a. high; low b. low; high c. low; low d. high; high

d. high; high

Which of the following has the highest albedo? a. Ocean water b. Rocks and soil c. Lake water d. Ice and snow e. Dark asphalt

d. ice and snow

The blue-gray gnatcatcher has extended its breeding range more than 300 kilometers ______ since the 1970s. a. outward b. westward c. southward d. northward e. eastward

d. northwards

Which of the following is NOT a mitigation strategy for climate change? a. green taxes b. cap-and-trade c. carbon-sequestration techniques d. planting different crops

d. planting different crops

For most of modern history, which nation has been the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide? a. China b. United Kingdom c. Canada d. The United States e. The Soviet Union/ Russia

d. the United States

Past ice ages on Earth are thought to be due to predictable long-term cycles of Earth's position relative to the Sun. These cycles include all of the following except a. the angle of Earth's tilt. b. the shape of Earth's orbit. c. the direction Earth's axis points. d. the abundance of sunspots.

d. the abundance of sunspots

Ecologist's studying the boreal forest in Minnesota's North Woods have witnessed which of the following changes? a. There is a shorter growing season. b. The trees are budding weeks behind schedule. c. Red maples grow much slower. d. The soil is colder and drier. e. A rapid die-off of adult birch trees occurred.

e. a rapid die-off of adult tree occurred

Based on Infographic 21.2, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has very high confidence that ______. a. the rate of sea level rise has accelerated since 1993 b. sea level has risen 10-20 cm over the last century c. glaciers around the world have a net loss of ice d. precipitation has increased in mid-latitude areas e. the number of strong cyclones in the Atlantic has increased

e. the number of strong cyclones in the Atlantic has increased

True or False: A hurricane is evidence for global climate change.

false

True or False: Adaptation refers to efforts intended to minimize the extent or impact of climate change.

false

True or False: Deforestation helps to minimize climate change.

false

True or False: Ecological predictions suggest that trees in North America should migrate north but the actual tree-seedling density and forest biomass data indicate the opposite trend.

false

True or False: Regional climate data doesn't correlate well with the changes observed in Minnesota's North Woods.

false

True or False: Small changes in climate have correspondingly small impacts on weather.

false

True or False: Taking steps to address greenhouse gas emissions will cost a great deal of money, even when the health benefits of controlling air pollution are factored in.

false

True or False: The cause and effect relationship between carbon dioxide and temperature is the same today as it was in the distant past.

false

True or False: When studying tree range migration, seedlings tell you where the current range is.

false

True or False: China now releases nearly 30% more carbon dioxide than the United States

true

True or False: Clouds can both raise and lower the heat of the planet.

true

True or False: Earth's current climate change has both human and natural causes.

true

True or False: Fossilized mud at the bottom of lakes and rivers is used to analyze climate change.

true

True or False: Some people and places will benefit from climate change.

true

True or False: The timing of seasonal shifts is an aspect of climate.

true

True or False: When it comes to climate change, some species are migrating faster than others.

true