Earth Science B - Climate and Climate Change (96%)

What are the negative effects of rising ocean temperatures? Check all that apply.

A, C the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps the flooding of low-lying coastal areas

What statements are accurate based on the study of tree rings? Select 3 options.

A, C, D Narrow rings indicate a cool and dry climate. The number of rings can give the tree's age. Size and density of tree rings can give information on past climates..

Which sources do scientists use to reconstruct past climate conditions? Check all that apply.

A, C, E fossils frozen in glaciers pollen grains preserved in sediment tree rings

What attribute of the pollen grains helps scientists identify the types of plants they belonged to?

shape

seasonal winds

blow in opposite directions of normal winds and cause droughts in winter

mountain ranges

force coastal air masses to rise, cool, and form rain clouds

During El Niño, what do the unusual wind patterns move east?

A warm water

How does altitude affect climate patterns in a region?

A Areas at high elevations have cooler temperatures.

How does La Niña affect the climate of the Pacific Ocean?

A It cools the water to below its normal temperature.

Which statement describes the impact of ocean currents on climate?

A Ocean currents create changes in the temperature of air over land masses.

What happens when volcanoes release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?

A The climate gets warmer.

How does latitude affect climate?

B Latitude determines the duration of daylight hours.

What indicates that an area in the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing summer?

B The Sun is directly over Earth's north end.

Which statement best explains how tectonic activity affects long-term climate change?

B The movement of continents changes wind patterns and ocean currents.

What effects do wind patterns have on climate?

B They change the amount of precipitation in an area and affect a region's climate.

Which definition best describes global warming?

B a long-term increase in the Earth's average temperature

Which is a possible result of rising ocean temperatures caused by global warming?

B increase in strength of hurricanes

In what type of climate do trees produce wider rings?

B warm and wet

Why are pollen grains useful when studying the climate history of a region?

They provide clues about the types of plants that grew in a region at a particular time.

What natural factors do scientists study to understand long-term climate change? Check all that apply.

A, C, D, E Earth's position tectonic activity volcanic activity solar energy

How can sunspots affect Earth's climate?

An increase in sunspots could cause an increase in Earth's temperature.

Riley lives near a polar zone, where it is cold. He visits his friend Thalia, who lives in a tropical zone, where it is warm all year. They live at similar elevations, and neither lives in a coastal area. What causes the differences in climate where Riley and Thalia live?

B latitude

What major factors play a role in global warming?

B natural factors and human activity

What do scientists study to reconstruct past climate conditions?

B pollen grains, tree rings, and fossils

What happens when the south end of Earth's axis is tilted toward the Sun? The Northern Hemisphere experiences fall. The Northern Hemisphere experiences spring. The Southern Hemisphere experiences winter. The Southern Hemisphere experiences summer.

D

Which substance is a greenhouse gas that is emitted by human activities, is the most widespread, and remains in the air the longest?

D carbon dioxide

According to some scientists, which is a cause of global warming?

D increase in carbon dioxide

What negative effect occurs when there is a decrease in air quality?

D increased illnesses that result in a decrease in population

Which of these are causes of long-term climate change? Check all that apply.

Earth's orbit around the Sun movement of continents solar energy volcanic activity

Which effects are factors in long-term climate change? Check all that apply.

Earth's orbit around the Sun solar energy volcanic eruptions

Which statements describe the influence of latitude on temperature? Select 2 correct choices.

Latitude determines the duration of daylight. Latitude creates polar and temperate zones.

Which of these are negative effects of global warming? Check all that apply.

Low-lying coastal areas may flood. Fertile land may become dust bowls. Air quality decreases, posing threats to human health.

During which months do both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres receive the same amount of energy from the Sun? Select 2 correct choices.

March September

Which statement best describes how the distance from a large river affects an area's climate in the summer?

Regions near rivers experience winds from the water that prevent extreme temperature changes.

What statements accurately describe sunspots? Check all that apply.

Sunspots are storms on the Sun's surface. Sunspots are marked by intense magnetic activity. Sunspots produce solar flares and hot gassy ejections. Sunspots can affect Earth's climate.

If Earth was not tilted on its axis, what changes would you expect to see in the seasons?

Temperatures in summer and winter would be very similar.

Which statements best describe monsoons? Select 3 correct choices.

They are winds that blow in the opposite direction of a normal wind. They bring rain in the summer and drought in the winter. They increase rainfall in South Asia, Africa, and Australia.

How do ocean currents affect temperature? Check all that apply.

They carry cold water from the poles to the equator and cool air over land. They move warm water from the equator to the poles and heat air over land.

In what ways do coastal mountains affect a region's climate? Select 3 correct choices.

They increase precipitation on the windward sides of mountain ranges. They force cool, moist air from oceans to rise as they move toward land. They decrease precipitation totals on the leeward sides of mountain ranges.

Which factors are causes of short-term climate change?

XXX

Your family moves from Tennessee to California. After a few weeks, you notice that temperatures are much cooler in California than they were in Tennessee. Which factors cause these cooler temperatures? Check all that apply.

being closer to the ocean ocean currents bringing cooler air

Which of these substances are greenhouse gases? Check all that apply.

carbon dioxide methane nitrous oxide

What natural element is one of the best preservers of prehistoric life?

ice

Where do scientists find pollen grains to study ancient climate change?

in sediment layers

Which are possible consequences of decreasing air quality resulting from global warming? Check all that apply.

increase in illnesses decrease in population due to health threats

Which factors were affected by the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea? Check all that apply.

global wind patterns ocean currents global climates

What causes the cycle of seasons on Earth? the tilt of Earth's axis the shape of Earth's orbit the direction of Earth's orbit the distance between Earth and the Sun

A

Which statement describes the weather and climate in a tropical region?

A The angle of the Sun's rays affects daylight hours, creating warm temperatures all year.

How do scientists study pollen grains to help them understand climate change?

A by analyzing and making inferences about them

What clues in fossils help scientists identify different ice ages?

plant and animal remains

Which factors cause Earth to experience seasons? Check all that apply.

the tilt of Earth's axis the directness of the Sun's rays

Which factor causes Earth's seasons?

the tilt of Earth's axis as it orbits around the Sun

Which greenhouse gas has an average lifetime in the atmosphere of a few weeks to thousands of years and is the largest contributor to climate change?

A carbon dioxide

In what type of climate do trees produce narrower rings?

A cool and dry

Pollen grains help scientists

A identify plants and make assumptions on past climate conditions.

Which factors of Earth's position would contribute to long-term climate change?

A its elliptical orbit and the tilt on its axis

What should scientists consider when studying tree rings to understand the variations in the local climate?

A patterns in their width, their density, and their composition

What climate conditions occur during La Niña?

A stronger prevailing winds and more hurricane activity

What is a fossil?

A the remains of an animal or plant preserved within a layer of rock

How do scientists use ice to study ancient climates?

A through glacial deposits and ice cores

How does analyzing ice benefit scientists who study ancient climates? Check all that apply.

A, B, C Ice is one of the best preservers of prehistoric life remains. Scientists have identified several major ice ages from fossils. Scientists can drill deep into the ice to collect ice cores.

What effects do ocean currents have on short-term climate change? Check all that apply.

A, C Ocean currents can carry warm water, which can raise the temperature of the air and land. Ocean currents can carry cold water, which can cool the air and land.

Which substance may lower air temperatures after a volcanic eruption?

B sulfur dioxide

Which weather factors are indicators of climate change? Check all that apply.

B, C, D ocean currents temperature wind patterns

Which statement explains why many scientists believe that carbon dioxide has likely contributed more to global warming than other greenhouse gases?

C Carbon dioxide has increased as a result of increased human activities.

In what ways do prevailing winds affect precipitation in a region? Select 3 correct choices. Prevailing winds force cool, moist air from oceans to rise. Prevailing winds blow in the opposite direction as normal winds. Prevailing winds influence wind movement from large bodies of water. Prevailing winds cause huge air masses, both warm and cool, to move. Prevailing winds controls the amount of water vapor in the air masses.

C D E

Which statement best describes the greenhouse effect?

C It is a process by which greenhouse gases allow the sun's light to penetrate the atmosphere but stop the heat from escaping.

What effect does the release of volcanic gases and ash into the air have on long-term climate?

C It reflects solar energy back into space and lowers temperatures.

Why does the Northern Hemisphere experience spring in March, while the Southern Hemisphere experiences fall?

C The Northern and Southern Hemispheres get the same amount of energy from the Sun in March.

What must happen for most areas on Earth to experience all four seasons?

C The axis must be tilted at a certain angle that remains unchanged.

During the entire month of June, temperatures increase in the Northern Hemisphere and decrease in the Southern Hemisphere. What causes these temperature changes?

C The north end of Earth's axis is tilted toward the Sun.

Why does a coastal area have less variation in temperature than a noncoastal area?

C The temperatures on land change more rapidly than temperatures on water.

In December, a city in the Southern Hemisphere has warm weather all month long. What causes this to happen?

C There is a high concentration of the Sun's rays in that region.

Which substance(s) have been added by humans to the atmosphere to help trigger climate change?

C greenhouse gases

Which is a possible result of higher air temperatures caused by global warming?

C rapid evaporation of water in the soil

What do glaciers deposit that helps scientists study ancient climates?

C sediment that contains fossils

What most likely caused the ice ages?

C the tilt of the Earth's axis and the shape of its orbit

What do El Niño and La Niña have in common? Check all that apply.

C, E Both occur in the Pacific Ocean. Both are causes of short-term climate change.

a prevailing wind is / what is a prevailing wind

a wind that blows mainly from a single general direction.

Which factors affect the temperature of a region? Check all that apply.

altitude distance from large bodies of water latitude ocean currents

Why are physicists interested in studying Europa? Check all that apply.

because it is covered in ice because it has a deep ocean beneath ice because there is a chance it hosts life

Riley lives near a polar zone, where it is cold. He visits his friend Thalia, who lives in a tropical zone, where it is warm all year. They live at similar elevations, and neither lives in a coastal area. What causes the differences in climate where Riley and Thalia live? altitude latitude ocean currents a large body of water

B

Which played a major role in altering wind patterns and ocean currents?

C movement of continents

An atmospheric scientist used a high-resolution camera to take images of snowflakes during a snowstorm. The scientist observed that the snowflakes were heavily rimed. What can the atmospheric scientist infer about the snowstorm that was happening at that time?

The storm was deep and turbulent.

a monsoon is / what is a monsoon

a seasonal wind that blows in the opposite direction of normal winds.

prevailing winds

blow mainly in one direction and move huge air masses

Which factors are causes of short-term climate change?

D an increase of hurricanes and volcanic eruptions

Which sources do scientists use to study ancient climates? Check all that apply.

tree rings pollen grains fossils

Which factor is present in higher amounts in winds that come from oceans than winds that come from land?

water vapor