ENVS Module 5 Part 1

11) Human sources of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere include all the following EXCEPT ________. A) burning fuel wood B) animal feedlots C) chemical manufacturing plants D) automobiles E) synthetic nitrogen fertilizers

A

13) Raising livestock, growing rice, and depositing organic material in landfills result in the release of ________ into the atmosphere. A) methane B) sulfur oxides C) ozone D) nitrous oxide E) sulfate aerosols

A

14) The greenhouse effect involves warming of Earth's surface and the ________. A) troposphere B) mesosphere C) stratosphere D) thermosphere E) ionosphere

A

19) The most recent analyses of polar ice cores have given us the ability to profile global climate change back as far as ________ years. A) 800,000 B) 100,000 C) 1000 D) 50,000 E) 300,000,000

A

24) Small island nations such as the Maldives are in the international spotlight because they ________. A) may be among the first nations to be completely flooded by rising sea levels B) are accepting climate change refugees from other nations C) have exceeded the emissions reductions set by the Kyoto Protocol D) are the largest emissions producers in their respective areas E) opposed China's proposals for global carbon neutrality at the Copenhagen Conference in 2009

A

26) Scientists are beginning to agree that one of the reasons climate change is leading to more extreme weather events stems from polar warming and weakened ________. A) jet streams B) tides C) Coriolis effect D) tectonic activity E) lunar pull

A

8) Keeling's reports from Mauna Loa demonstrated ________. A) an increase in tropospheric CO2 from the 1950s to the present B) that sediments deposited on the seafloor can yield clues about past climates C) that as distances from cities decreased, CO2 concentrations increased D) that CO2 levels have been stable over the last 40 years E) the presence of El Niño

A

15) Which of the following may result in a positive feedback mechanism that would intensify climate change? A) Warmer temperatures result in increased evaporation of water, leading to an increase in cloud cover. B) Warmer temperatures result in the melting of permafrost. C) At higher temperatures, trees increase rates of photosynthesis. D) A large volcano emits huge quantities of sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere. E) An increase in rainfall results in increased plant growth.

B

17) Which of the following states is expected to experience the greatest increase in temperature by the year 2100? A) Florida B) Alaska C) California D) Hawaii E) Iowa

B

18) In the wake of the U.S. failure to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, ________. A) many nations have severed diplomatic relations with the United States B) U.S. cities and states are setting their own programs for reducing greenhouse gas emissions C) the United States has shown that it is a leader in carbon emission reduction without having signed the Protocol D) dozens of other nations pulled out of the Protocol E) oil-exporting nations have refused to sell to the United States

B

2) Earth's atmosphere can cause global warming because ________. A) warm air cannot escape, as in a greenhouse B) molecules in the atmosphere trap heat radiated from Earth's surface C) fossil fuels release heat when they are burned D) plants absorb CO2 E) plants release CO2

B

3) Earth's climate ________. A) has been stable over the history of the planet B) is changing as a result of natural and human processes C) will stabilize over the next century, according to the predictions of most scientists D) has been documented to have changed once due to the evolution of green photosynthesizing plants E) history is undeterminable because there is no method of studying the climatic history of the planet

B

6) Milankovitch cycles ________. A) refer to shifts in the temperature of surface water in the middle latitudes of the Pacific Ocean B) are changes in Earth's rotation and orbit that may trigger climate variation C) describe the timing of the northern lights in the thermosphere D) describe the transpiration, evaporation, and precipitation of Earth's water E) describe upwelling and downwelling in the ocean

B

9) All of the following are anthropogenic factors contributing to climate change EXCEPT ________. A) the combustion of fossil fuels B) breathing C) deforestation D) growing rice E) raising livestock

B

16) Which of the following is an adaptation response to climate change? A) replacing incandescent lightbulbs with LED bulbs B) increasing fuel efficiency of new automobiles C) a Pacific island nation building higher seawalls D) building a nuclear power plant to replace an outdated coal-burning power plant E) replanting a tropical rainforest

C

22) Rising sea levels result in all the following EXCEPT ________. A) saltwater contamination of drinking water supplies B) increased flooding from hurricanes C) ocean acidification D) increased beach erosion E) more dangerous storm surges

C

25) Which of the following are market mechanisms for addressing climate change? A) international treaties from global conferences B) carbon taxes C) cap-and-trade and carbon offsets D) mitigation and adaptation E) carbon neutrality and carbon aggression policies

C

7) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an international panel that ________. A) constructed the Kyoto Protocol B) performed the research included in the climate change findings C) reports on how climate change influences wildlife, ecosystems, and society D) fines companies that pollute E) could not achieve its objectives because of lack of popular support

C

What proportion of incoming solar radiation reaches Earth's surface? A) 7% B) 47% C) 54% D) 67% E) 77%

C

1) The largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the United States is ________. A) agriculture B) transportation C) nuclear power plants D) electricity generation E) tropical deforestation

D

12) Which of the following technologies is currently allowing us to decrease carbon emissions from automobiles? A) nuclear cars B) solar cars C) the internal combustion engine D) electric cars E) wind-powered vehicles

D

20) Evidence from polar ice core analysis shows that, until now, global carbon dioxide levels have never exceeded ________ ppm in the last 800,000 years. A) 500 B) 1000 C) 25 D) 300 E) 200

D

21) Recent research indicates that the variation in solar output ________. A) is the major factor driving temperature change B) is greater than all the anthropogenic factors affecting climate change C) has a radiative force of 20 watts/m2 D) is less than any of the anthropogenic factors affecting climate change E) will increase by a hundredfold over the next century

D

27) Which of the following is a mitigation approach to climate change? A) redirecting water flow to combat saltwater intrusion B) redesigning a city drainage system C) building a levee D) replanting forests E) restricting coastal development

D

5) Carbon dioxide is ________. A) the most potent (per molecule of gas) of the greenhouse gases B) the most abundant greenhouse gas C) more potent (per molecule of gas) than methane D) produced during the combustion of fossil fuels E) the only greenhouse gas presently increasing in the atmosphere

D

10) The Kyoto Protocol ________. A) increased federal funding for controlling greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants B) required equal concessions from all countries involved in greenhouse gas emission C) required increases in nuclear power generation D) would have resulted in overall increases in greenhouse emissions E) was intended to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases to levels lower than those of 1990

E

Which of the following greenhouse gases has (have) experienced at least a 50% increase in atmospheric concentration since 1750? A) carbon dioxide only B) methane only C) nitrous oxide only D) carbon dioxide and methane E) carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide

E