Geo exam

The last glacial period reached its maximum ice coverage

18,000 years ago

During an extremely rainy season, the surface groundwater stored in ponds and lakes will increase water levels

Because there is more precipitation

If widespread habitat destruction and urbanization continues, we should see both the

Biosphere and atmospheric levels of oxygen decrease

The human activity of _______________ is believed to have an adverse effect on earths natural processes

Burning fossil fuels

The rain forests of the world trap a large amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, every year, however,

More rain forest is cut down and burned releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide

In the process of ____________ atmospheric nitrogen is changed into usable forms through the nitrogen cycle

Nitrogen fixation

The practice of using irrigation techniques that promote erosion is

Not a good practice in farming

Norway is warmer than southern greenland in winter.

Ocean currents carry heat toward Norway but not toward Greenland

Moving water, like that of a river, carries sediment as it moves along its bed.

The greater the force of the water, the faster the particle accelerates

The relationship between CO2 emissions and a change in surface temperature indicates that an increase in emissions leads to an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere which may be the

cause for an increase in temperature.

Scientists believe most of the change in sea surface temperatures to be significant. However, increased atmospheric water vapor feeding weather systems that produce precipitation,

increasing the risk of heavy rain and snow seems less likely.

Ocean temperature plays an important role in the Earth's climate system. This slow but consistent rise in the ocean heat content will influence Earth's climate. Ocean heat content influences the ocean surface temperature, Heat from ocean surface waters provides the energy for storms and thereby

influences weather patterns on Earth.

Global warming is caused by an increase in the level of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. This affected the world's oceans in that the

oceans are absorbing the excess carbon, causing the oceans to become acidic.

Changes in climate influence ecosystems by altering animal behavior and ranges. Bir are a particularly good indicator of environmental change. The trend in the abundanc moving northward can be related to

rising average winter temperatures in North America.

Given a data table showing the annual sediment losses with clearcutting vs, selected Harvesting Methods, one might be able to conclude that n all five years of the study

the control resulted in the Least soil erosion as well as substantially less waler loss compared to the two treatment situations.

Students set up variables to be tested in their lab exercises. If you were looking at how the slope of the land could affect the erosion of a stream,

you could vary the number of blocks stacked beneath your stream table.

The climate of a place also depends upon the amount of water in the air. Rising temperatures around Earth affect the amount of water in the air in that

there is more water in the air because the rate of evaporation increases.

Compared to the other energy sources used in the US, _______ of US energy needs are met by fossil fuels compared to 15% from other sources

85%

Large-scale measurements of sea-ice became possible with the development of satellite technology.

A factor not responsible for the gradual decline in sea ice is rising sea level

1815 is know as the Year Without a Summer. This catastrophic event is the largest of its kind in the last 10,000 years. The events of 1815 were caused by

A massive volcanic eruption

Porous rocks in reservoirs are called

Aquifers

Changes in the migratory patterns of birds may have a adverse effect on their populations because the ______________________ to take advantage of the peak numbers of their insect preys.

Birds may arrive too early or too late

The oceans of the world are considered to be ________. A carbon sink is anythir that absorbs more carbon than it releases as carbon dioxide, all of the places in the ocean that you would find carbon are locations that you would expect to find carbon stored.

Carbon sinks

Decomposition affects the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle in that decomposition

Causes an increase in the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide

With the human population on the rise, the condition of growth which is more rapid than can be handled by availability resources

Causes stress within the human population

In the relationship between climate and weathering,

Cold and dry increase the rate of physical weathering

Boiling and freezing points change in solutions due to the presence and number of particles dissolved in the solvent. Those are what are known as

Colligative properties

The hypothetical scenario on Earth could be the result of

Massive volcanic eruptions

The oceans absorb carbon through three processes that draw atmospheric carbon dioxide into the oceans; the physical carbon pump, the biological carbon pump and the carbonate pump.

More CO2 is diffusing into sea surface water than is diffusing from sea surface water out to the atmosphere.

A balance between incoming and outgoing radiation produces a stable climate. Lacking a balance between incoming and outgoing radiation results in a net loss or gain of radiant energy to the system. In this system of energy input and output, the steps are

solar radiation reaching the Earth system and being absorbed, thermal radiation emitted by the system

Period changes on earth are a result of the _________ that have occurred throughout earths history

Five major ice ages

________ are formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that take millions of years to form

Fossil fuels

Looking at Hoover Dam, we can see the interactions of the

Geosphere and atmosphere

_________ has led to the largest changes in worldwide sea levels

Glaciation

A _______, an agent of erosion, could scratch, transport, and deposit a boulder far from its source

Glacier

Reducing the emissions of CO2 gas will lead to reducing the

Greenhouse effect

________,_________, and __________ are produced when fossil fuels are burned

Heat, particulates, and carbon dioxide

The petroleum product __________ is used to warm homes , schools, and workplaces

Heating oil

A period of prolonged continental glaciation often indicates an

Ice age

Worldwide demand for fossil fuels is

Increasing

Burning of fossil fuels has changed the atmosphere by

Increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide

CO2 is returned to the atmosphere primarily by the

Respiration of consumers

________ is used to describe when acids contained in sea water dissolves rocks like limestone

Solution

A disadvantage of building a sea wall to stop erosion of a beach would be that it will increase the probability of flooding during a

Storm surge

The petroleum product ____________ is used to creat clothing, tents and umbrellas

Synthetic fabric

Chemical weathering is most effective in a

Warm, moist climate

A consequence of warmer, North Atlantic currents would not be

Decreased precipitation

The mass of most of a rock is weathered in a river, the rest is

Dissolved in water

Considering the trends worldwide in green energy resource development and usage, the impact this field has had on the overall carbon dioxide emissions is none, as

Emissions are increasing

Fossils found in the __________________ indicate a California climate that was similar to todays climate

La Brea tar pits

It is projected that an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere will most likely

Lead to higher than average sea levels

__________ Are formed by acidic groundwater

Limestone caves

The largest percentage of energy used in the US is

Petroleum

________,______ and ________ supply 85% of US energy needs.

Petroleum, coal, and natural gas

Water that freezes in the cracks of rocks and later expands to break the rock apart is an example of

Physical change

sedimentary rocks form through

Physical weathering

_________ is a petroleum product used to create toys and kitchen utensils

Plastic

_____________ are a major source of marine pollution, endangering many marine mammals, birds, and fish. Computer simulations are being used to analyze the redistribution and accumulation of this material. Critical in studying their motion would be ocean circulation

Plastic debris

The steady rise in the ocean heat content influences earths climate in a

Positive nonlinear correlation

Growing crops affects soil quality how

Reduces

15% of energy used in the US is supplied by

Renewable resources

When carbon dioxide and oxygen cycle throughout an ecosystem,

Respiration adds CO2 to the atmosphere while removing oxygen

Climate change is a significant, long-lasting distribution of weather patterns over periods of time ranging from decades to millions of years

The ozone hole does not contribute to climate change

Many farmers plant legumes as cover crops so that in the second year,

There would be a reduced need for nitrogen fertilizer

The ocean's biological carbon pump plays a major role in processes involved in oceanic carbon cycling but is not related to __________bringing deep, cold ocean water to the surface to warm and release carbon back to the atmosphere.

Upwelling currents

What correlation, if any, is there between winds and ocean currents

Winds drive currents

Prior to the industrial era, pre 1780, ______ affected Earth's climate because they emitted both aerosols and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

Volcanoes