Chapter 21!!!!!!!!
If the Earth had no atmosphere (no greenhouse gasses), what would the average temperature of the planet be?
-18°C
Which of the following can be used as a marine paleothermometer?
-Coral
What percentage of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide?
0.0400%
The Vostok ice core curve shows CO2 concentrations over the last __________.
400,000 years
Which of the following spheres is not part of the climate system?
Asthenosphere
___ are a proxy that can be used to recreate past variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.
Bubbles in glacial ice
Which of the following is an example of a natural process that created long-term global warming?
Emission of carbon dioxide from sustained volcanic eruptions during the Cretaceous
Which planktonic marine organism, often found in sea sediments, can be used to make interpretations about past climates?
Foraminifera
The two main locations where ice cores are drilled are the Antarctic and __________ Ice Sheets.
Greenland
________ are often the best-preserved, most easily identifiable plant remains in sediments and can be used to interpret the paleoclimate.
Pollen
What are proxy data, and why are they necessary in the study of climate change?
Proxy data are indirect evidence of past climates taken from natural recorders of climate variability. These data are necessary because direct measurements of past climates are limited to the recent past.
Which of the following is not one of the three paths taken by incoming solar radiation?
Radiation is deflected by the magnetic field
In which layer of the atmosphere is the ozone layer found?
Stratosphere
the second layer of the atmosphere where temperatures gradually increase from bottom to top.
Stratosphere
According to research, how how much has the total global temperature increased over the last century?
0.8°C
What was the approximate increase in global temperature during the 20th century?
0.8°C
Which of the following oxygen isotopes is the most common?
16O
Which oxygen isotope would be concentrated in glacial ice and is used as a proxy in past climate analysis?
16O
Which of the following is not part of the Milankovich Cycle, which would affect climate change by reducing the distribution of incoming solar radiation?
Accretion
How does air pressure change with an increase in altitude?
Air pressure decreases rapidly near Earth's surface and continues to decrease gradually at greater heights.
Which of the following trace gases is not natural to the atmosphere and is purely the result of human activities?
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
The ________ refers to water in solid form, such as ice and snow that exists on the Earth's surface.
Cryosphere
Which of the following characteristics of Earth's relationship to the Sun explains the existence of Earth's seasons?
Earth's axis always points in the same direction relative to the stars Earth spins on its axis, completing one rotation each day. Earth orbits around the Sun, completing one orbit each year. Earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane.
Which of the following best illustrates the connection between climate and geologic processes?
Heavy rainfalls trigger debris flows
How might volcanism lead to global warming?
Massive outpouring of hot lava combined with the release of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide may both increase and maintain global warming.
the third layer of the atmosphere where the coldest temperatures are found.
Mesosphere
Which two gases make up the majority of the atmosphere?
Nitrogen and Oxygen
What is the molecule for ozone?
O3
How will explosive volcanic eruptions affect global temperatures?
Temperatures will lower
In 1991, Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted. The accompanying photo shows the ash and debris that the volcano propelled high into the atmosphere. What meteorological impact could these aerosols have on the global weather and climate?
The ash and smoke could lead to an increase in clouds and fog. Global temperatures could decrease.
How does the inclination of Earth's axis change over the course of a year?
The inclination of Earth's axis does not change
the outermost layer of the atmosphere where temperatures are extremely high due to solar radiation.
Thermosphere
How can tree rings provide information about past climates?
Thickness and spacing of tree rings reflect environmental conditions
Distinguish between weather and climate.
Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place; climate is a description of aggregate weather over time.
In the climate system diagram, modeling results show that observed changes in temperature closely align with __________.
a combination of both natural and human effects
Light-colored surfaces __________ than dark-colored surfaces.
have a higher albedo
Trap gases to provide info about the atmosphere
ice cores
Part complete The greenhouse effect raises Earth's surface temperature (from what it would be otherwise) because the infrared light radiated by Earth's surface __________.
is temporarily absorbed by greenhouse gases and then reemitted in random directions
Sea level rise is a combination of ________ and ________ as the climate becomes warmer.
melting ice; thermal expansion
CO2 levels drop during spring and summer months because __________.
photosynthetic organisms are absorbing CO2
More solar radiation is absorbed by Earth's surface than by __________.
the atmosphere
The climate system includes interactions among which spheres?
the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere
From 400,000 to 50,000 years ago, the carbon dioxide levels fluctuated between ___________.
180 and 280 ppm
According to research, how high has sea level risen since 1870?
25 cm (9.8 inches)
Of the 50% of incoming solar radiation that is not absorbed by Earth's surface, how much is lost to space by reflection and scattering?
30%
________ are small solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere.
Aerosols
Which statement best summarizes the greenhouse effect?
After absorbing solar energy, Earth's surface emits long-wave radiation, which is absorbed by water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases in the atmosphere. These gases in turn emit some of the energy back down to Earth.
Which process has been largely responsible for increasing the amount of CO2 in the last 200 years?
Burning of fossil fuels
What material makes up the shells of many marine microorganisms?
CaCO3
Why are environmentalists concerned about Siberia's melting permafrost?
Environmentalists are alarmed that Siberia's permafrost is starting to melt because of the amount of methane that could be released during the thawing process.
What substance is responsible for the increasing concentrations of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere?
Fertilizers
What is the difference between a positive feedback mechanism and a negative feedback mechanism?
In a positive-feedback mechanism, the effects reinforce the initial change. In a negative-feedback mechanism, the effects tend to offset the initial change, as they are the opposite of that change.
Why is the use of proxy data necessary when studying past climate change?
Instrumental records only go back a couple of centuries and are more incomplete the older they are
What happens to the energy that the ground absorbs in the form of visible sunlight?
It is returned upward in the form of infrared light.
On a cloudless day, what happens to most of the visible light headed toward Earth?
It reaches Earth's surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed.
Of the following materials, which single selection is most commonly used to study 16O:18O ratios and has been an important proxy used to determine global paleo climates?
Marine microorganisms
How can agriculture be responsible for increasing the amount of methane in the atmosphere?
Methane is emitted by bacteria in the gut of agricultural animals, such as cattle and sheep
How will melting permafrost in polar regions lead to a positive feedback loop that will continue to warm the climate, which will allow for more permafrost to melt?
Methane will be released as the vegetation thaws
Aside from CO22, which trace gases are contributing to global temperature change?
Methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons
Sixty percent of the Tomsk region is covered by different types of forests. These forests grow on what type of land?
Most of the forests in the Tomsk region grow on a huge swamp.
________ is the study and reconstruction of past climates through the use of proxy data.
Paleoclimatology
When do all locations on Earth experience equal lengths of day and night?
September Equinox March Equinox
What is a possible consequence of global warming? CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.
Shoreline erosion will increase. The oceans will become more acidic.
On a day with complete cloud cover, what happens to the visible light headed toward Earth?
The clouds reflect much of it back to space, though some still reaches the surface.
In one season, a single logging company in the Tomsk region can fell approximately 750,000 trees. What has to occur before they can move the logs out for processing once they have been cut down?
The logging companies must wait for the swamp mud to turn to ice so they can truck the trees out before the swamp mud thaws.
The peat bog of Western Siberia has sequestrated how much of the world's carbon dioxide?
The peat bog of Western Siberia has sequestrated approximately 26 percent of the world's carbon dioxide.
What effect did the El Chichón and Mount Pinatubo eruptions have on global temperature?
These eruptions both emitted massive amounts of tiny particles and aerosols, which reflected solar radiation before it could reach Earth. As a result, global temperature dropped slightly while the particles slowly settled.
the layer of the atmosphere with the greatest amount of air molecules. Temperatures decrease from bottom to top.
Troposphere
The higher temperatures during the Cretaceous Period were the result of ________.
additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
What is the term for the total radiation that is reflected by a surface?
albedo
What two trends are commonly seen in modern monthly CO2 concentration charts?
an up-and-down seasonal trend, and 2) overall increasing CO2 levels through time
Where does the length of day remain the same throughout the year?
at the equator
During periods of glacial advance, ______ in seawater. CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.
concentrations of 16O decrease concentrations of 18O increase
Provide information about past temperature
corals
When are the Sun's rays perpendicular to Earth's surface at the equator?
during the March equinox and September equinox
Sunspots occur in cycles with the maximum number of sunspots occurring about every ________ years.
eleven
Which of the following absorbs most incoming solar radiation?
forest
The temperature range of the past 7,000 years was __________ the temperature range of the preceding 30,000 years.
more stable than
Provide vegetation patterns for a location
pollen
Nitrogen makes up the largest percentage of the atmosphere.
t
The sun emits slightly more solar radiation during a period of high sunspot activity.
t
Which of the choices below are connections between climate and geology?
the creation of desert dunes in a hot, dry climate the impact of mountain building on regional temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns the changing of the atmosphere by gases and particles emitted by volcanoes
The most recent spike of CO2 (over 280 ppm) in the atmosphere correlates to __________.
the onset of the Industrial Revolution
What is the December solstice?
the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly away from the Sun
What is the June solstice?
the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly toward the Sun
Which of the following is true when comparing the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station and Barrow, Alaska CO2 concentration curves?
they show opposite seasonal curves
In addition to glacial ice, what other natural climate recorder is discussed in the SmartFigure?
tree rings
Provide periods of plentiful rain and drought
tree rings
Massive thunderstorms (which result from vertical mixing of the atmosphere) occur in the ____.
troposphere
Which of the options below correctly describes the four vertical layers of Earth's atmosphere from bottom to top?
troposphere (temperature decreases as altitude increases), stratosphere (temperature remains constant and then begins to increase as altitude increases), mesosphere (temperature decreases as altitude increases), and thermosphere (temperature increases as altitude increases)
Part complete Small sea level rise on a shore with a gentle slope will cause a substantial shift in shoreline location.
true