Global Warming MC Exam 2
After two half-lives, all of a parent radioactive isotope will have decayed to a daughter isotope. Select one: True False
False
Positive internal Earth system feedbacks: Select one: a. always amplify climate changes initially caused by external forcing. b. always cause climate warming. c. help maintain a constant temperature on Earth. d. Both A and C are correct.
A
800,000-year-old glacial ice has been recovered from the Antarctic ice sheet. Select one: True False
True
Rates of sediment deposition are typically lowest in deep-ocean settings. Select one: True False
True
Which of the following approaches do climate scientists use to reconstruct past global climate change? Select one: a. Recover and study cores from trees, corals, ice, lake sediments, and ocean sediments. b. Develop climate models that require no assumptions. c. Limit study to a single proxy from any particular archive. d. Work under the assumption that the terrestrial, ocean, and atmospheric environments are all closed systems. e. All of these are approaches used.
a
A powerful volcanic eruption whose airborne particles lead to a reduction in solar energy for a period of six months would have what effect on the deep ocean? Select one: a. The deep ocean would change very little, as the response time of the deep ocean is too slow for it to show significant changes. b. The deep ocean would cool quickly, tracking the reduction of solar energy. c. There would be a highly dynamic response in the deep ocean to the reduction of solar energy. d. The deep ocean would respond with varying amplitude to the changes in solar energy.
a
For what portion of geologic time do climate scientists have access to the climate archive consisting of sediments preserved in ocean basins? Select one: a. younger than 150 million years b. only younger than 15 million years c. only younger than 1.5 million years d. only younger than 150,000 years e. None of the answers is correct.
a
Ocean sediment: Select one: a. can be used to reconstruct climate on land. b. distribution patterns remain constant over geologic time at any particular location on the seafloor. c. is a lower-quality climate archive than most records from land due to the high rate of erosion along the seafloor. d. All of the answers are correct. e. None of the answers is correct.
a
Physical climate computer models: Select one: a. must simulate the modern climate reasonably well to be trusted as a tool for exploring past climate. b. track geochemical tracers through the climate system. c. are structured to allow continuous interaction of the atmosphere and ocean. d. modify physical laws of radiation and circulation of fluids (ocean and atmosphere) to match data from geologic archives. e. Both C and D are correct.
a
Which of the following is an example of a biotic proxy that could be used for reconstructing past climate change? Select one: a. a data set of temperature-sensitive planktic foraminifera species changes over time at a deep marine site b. instrumental temperature measurements recorded at a weather station c. burial flux of ice-rafted debris at a deep marine site d. isotopes of oxygen in benthic foraminifera from a deep marine site e. All of these are examples for reconstructing past climate change.
a
Which of the following is an example of an internal response to climate variations? Select one: a. changes in forest cover b. changes in plate tectonics c. changes in Earth's orbit d. changes in Sun's strength e. All of these are examples.
a
Which of the following would be an appropriate archive for reconstructing what the climate was like 50 million years ago? Select one: a. ocean sediments cores b. ice cores c. instrumental records d. tree rings e. All answers but C are correct.
a
A climate scientist uses data from a sediment core to quantify changes in the rate of accumulation of organic material, sand, and diatoms in a lake. She is developing a: Select one: a. chemical reservoir model. b. mass balance model. c. one-way transfer model. d. reservoir-exchange model. e. None of the answers is correct.
b
Chemical weathering of continental rocks: Select one: a. is accelerated in cold, dry climates. b. involves chemical interactions between the soil/rock and atmospheric CO2 and H2O. c. produces ions that are most commonly transported to the deep sea via eolian processes. d. supplies ions to the deep sea, which pollute the waters making it difficult for ocean plankton to thrive. e. None of the answers is correct.
b
In which of the following depositional settings is the disturbance of sediments least likely over the long term? Select one: a. the coastal margin in a storm-prone region b. the deep ocean floor c. a lake in a tectonic basin d. in the ocean along a steep continental slope e. the ocean floor in 100 meters of water depth
b
In which of the following scenarios would the resolution of the climate record (degree of resolvable detail) be greatest? Select one: a. high sediment influx rate, deep mixing b. high sediment influx rate, shallow mixing c. low sediment influx rate, deep mixing d. low sediment influx rate, shallow mixing e. Resolution would be the same for all of the above cases.
b
Numerical simulations of past climate occur in an ordered three-step sequence. The order is: Select one: a. Run a climate simulation → Specify boundary conditions → Analyze the climate data output by comparing them with independent geologic data. b. Specify boundary conditions → Run a climate simulation → Analyze the climate data output by comparing them with independent geologic data. c. Analyze the climate data output by comparing them with independent geologic data → Specify boundary conditions → Run a climate simulation. d. Run a climate simulation → Analyze the climate data output by comparing them with independent geologic data → Specify boundary conditions. e. None of the answers is correct.
b
The scope of time focused on in the textbook: Select one: a. amounts to most of the span of Earth history. b. includes the last several hundred million years. c. begins after the extinction of the dinosaurs. d. does not include the period in which humans evolved. e. All of the answers are correct.
b
What do we call the features that are altered to test hypotheses of climate change within a physical climate model? Select one: a. aerosols b. boundary conditions c. geochemical tracers d. grid boxes e. None of the answers is correct.
b
What type of atmospheric model treats Earth's climate system in a globally averaged fashion? Select one: a. atmospheric general circulation models b. column models c. O-GCMs d. two-dimensional models e. None of the answers is correct.
b
What type of rock can be dated using potassium-40/argon-40 radiometric dating? Select one: a. any rock that contains carbon b. basalts c. corals d. sedimentary rocks e. All of the answers are correct.
b
Which of the following is true of the Earth system approach to climate history? Select one: a. It takes a geophysical perspective on the climate system. b. It investigates the interconnectedness of the many parts of Earth's climate system. c. It focuses on the atmosphere to understand the causes and effects of climate change. d. It recognizes that written records are not useful for reconstructing past climates. e. All of the answers are true.
b
Which two major types of biotic data are most important to climate reconstructions? Select one: a. petrified trees and corals b. microfossils of plankton and pollen c. dinosaurs fossils and corals d. leaves and grass impressions in sedimentary rocks e. insect and fish remains
b
Why is a "spin-up" interval necessary when altering boundary conditions in an A-GCM? Select one: a. The model requires large amounts of stored power to achieve the simulation. b. The model requires simulated time to reach a state of equilibrium. c. The model simulations start slowly and pick up speed through time. d. Both A and C are correct. e. All of the answers are correct.
b
A climate scientist uses data from a sediment core to quantify changes in the rate of accumulation of organic material, sand, and diatoms in a lake. She is developing a: Select one: a. chemical reservoir model. b. mass balance model. c. one-way transfer model. d. reservoir-exchange model. e. None of the answers is correct. Feedback
c
A sensitivity test performed in an atmospheric climate model (A-GCM): Select one: a. requires changing all known boundary conditions at the same time. b. simulates the full state of the climate system at some time in the past. c. describes the case when only one boundary condition is altered in relation to the present-day configuration to study the unique impact of that boundary condition on the modeled system. d. Both A and B are correct. e. Both B and C are correct.
c
Diatoms: Select one: a. are a type of marine pollen. b. are calcareous (i.e., made of calcite, CaCO3). c. depend heavily on nutrient supply from either land or upwelling waters for their abundance in the surface waters. d. All of the answers are correct. e. Both B and C are correct.
c
Mismatches between climate data output from circulation models and geologic data: Select one: a. always involve the misinterpretation of geologic data. b. are virtually impossible to resolve. c. cannot result from inadequacies in the modeled climate system. d. often result in the refinement of boundary conditions used in the models. e. All of the answers are correct.
c
Modern sediment accumulating in the North Pacific Ocean is largely derived from: Select one: a. settling of siliceous plankton. b. ice-rafting of sand and gravel from land. c. settling of windblown silt and clay. d. All of the answers are correct. e. None of the answers is correct.
c
Sediment archives: Select one: a. typically accumulate on high exposed spots (e.g., mountain tops) on Earth's surface. b. will have recorded the same climatic event at the same depth everywhere. c. have a temporal resolution dependent on the rate that the sediment accumulated and whether it has been disturbed (mixed-up) after deposition. d. All of the answers are correct. e. Both A and C are correct.
c
The half-life of the radioactive isotope 14C decaying to the stable isotope 14N is 5,780 years. The analysis of a sample of organic material indicates that 25% of its original 14C is still present. The age of the sample is: Select one: a. 1,926 years old. b. 2,890 years old. c. 11,560 years old. d. 17,340 years old. e. It cannot be determined because carbon-dating is only useful for dating material >100 Myr.
c
The science of reconstructing past climates advances best when: Select one: a. mismatched data from geologic archives and model outputs are disregarded or thrown out. b. climate models strive toward using the largest grid box possible. c. the strengths and limitations of both the data derived from geologic archives and the models are constantly tested against one another. d. All of the answers are correct. e. Both B and C are correct.
c
What is a key difference between the sediment that makes up moraines and the sediment that makes up loess? Select one: a. Moraines are deposited by wind, while loess is deposited by water. b. Moraines are found only on continents, while loess is found only in oceans. c. Moraines are made of sediments ranging from large rocks to clay, while loess is made of strictly fine sediments. d. Moraine sediments are an indicator of dry conditions, while loess is an indicator of wet conditions. e. None of the answers is correct.
c
Which of the following is an example of a tectonic process? Select one: a. the increasing strength of the Sun over the last 4.55 billion years b. The changing amount of solar radiation by season c. the opening and closing of ocean basins d. Both A and B are correct. e. All of the answers are correct.
c
Which of the following is true about historical climate archives? Select one: a. They are not useful for climate reconstruction beyond the last few centuries. b. They are useful in climate reconstruction only when they include thermometric observations. c. They can include observations of climate-related phenomena such as found in agricultural records. d. They exist only for Europe and North America. e. None of the answers is correct. Feedback
c
Why are fossil remains from continents more useful than fossils in ocean sediments for climate reconstruction prior to 170 million years ago? Select one: a. Organisms found in ocean sediments have not changed significantly. b. Ocean sediments do not preserve fossils. c. Seafloor older than 170 million years does not exist. d. Both A and B are correct. e. All of the answers are correct
c
Consider the study of past climate change, and determine which of the following is (are) correct. Select one: a. The resolution of climate archives is generally greater in the recent past than for the distant geologic past. b. The types of climate archives available are generally more diverse in the recent past than they are for the distant geologic past. c. Climate proxies allow scientists to directly read the temperature of the past. d. Both A and B are correct. e. None of the answers is correct.
d
Glacial ice is a valuable climatic archive because: Select one: a. annual layers are often resolvable, enabling age determination and correlation. b. the ice contains geochemical proxies of atmospheric composition and temperature of the past. c. the geographic distribution of coring sites ranges from the tropics to both polar regions. d. All of the answers are correct. e. Both A and B are correct.
d
How does the study of fossils complement radiometric dating in establishing the age of rocks? Select one: a. Fossils tend to be more widely distributed in rock sequences than igneous rocks. b. The unique and unrepeated sequence of living things throughout Earth history allows the correlation of fossil-bearing rocks from a wide geographic area. c. Short-lived, geographically widespread organisms in a radiometrically dated fossil sequence can serve as time markers wherever they are found. d. All of the answers are correct. e. None of the answers is correct.
d
The ocean is an important and useful reservoir in geochemical mass balance models because: Select one: a. it receives almost all the erosional products from the continents. b. it interacts with ice, vegetation, and sediment geochemical reservoirs. c. it deposits geochemical tracers in well-reserved sedimentary records. d. All of the answers are correct. e. Both A and B are correct.
d
Three-dimensional ocean climate models (O-GCM): Select one: a. incorporate a more complex physical representation of the climate system than does a two-dimensional model. b. incorporate both vertical and horizontal layers represented by individual grid boxes from the sea floor to the atmosphere-sea surface boundary. c. cannot yet resolve details of flow in narrow, swift currents like those of the Gulf Stream. d. All of the answers are correct. e. Both A and B are correct.
d
Understanding change through time in the flow of carbon between the atmosphere, biosphere, and ocean is best accomplished with a: Select one: a. chemical reservoir model. b. mass balance model. c. one-way transfer model. d. reservoir-exchange model. e. None of the answers is correct.
d
What is the freezing point of water? Select one: a. 32°F b. 273K c. 0°C d. All of the answers are correct. Feedback
d
What traits of plankton and pollen make them especially useful as climate proxies? Select one: a. The species they represent have poorly-defined climate preferences. b. They are found in radiometrically-dated granites. c. They are produced only when climate is warm. d. They are widely distributed and abundant. e. All of the above are traits.
d
Which of the following is not an example of a type of plankton? Select one: a. coccoliths b. diatoms c. planktic foraminifera d. pollen e. radiolari
d
Which of the following is true about our understanding of the history of Earth? Select one: a. Earth formed 4.55 billion years ago. b. Our knowledge of conditions on Earth is clear for the entire span of Earth history. c. Early deposits that could give insight into Earth history have been eroded away. d. Both A and C are correct. e. All of the answers are true about our understanding.
d
Dating, and therefore correlation, of different sediment sequences may be accomplished using: Select one: a. radiometric dating of unstable isotopes. b. the fossil record (i.e., biostratigraphy). c. identification of a marker bed, such as a distinct ash layer. d. orbital tuning. e. All of the answers are correct
e
Past climate change: Select one: a. informs scientists about climate drivers and system interactions, which are necessary for predicting future climate change. b. occurred only in the last 300 million years. c. has been influenced by both natural and anthropogenic drivers. d. All of the answers are correct. e. Both A and C are correct.
e
Radioactive decay of unstable isotopes can be used to determine the age of some rocks, corals, or organic matter because the: Select one: a. amount of parent or daughter isotope can be measured. b. rate of decay of the daughter isotope to the parent isotope occurs at a known rate for each particular isotope. c. rate of decay is essentially a clock marking the time that has passed since that material formed. d. All of the answers are correct. e. Both A and C are correct.
e
What type of ocean sediment is most common in areas of high oceanic productivity? Select one: a. CaCO3-rich b. deep-sea clay c. ice-rafted d. land-margin e. SiO2-rich
e
Which of the following approaches do climate scientists use to reconstruct past global climate change? Select one: a. Recover and study cores from trees, corals, ice, lake sediments, and ocean sediments. b. Develop climate models that require no assumptions. c. Limit study to a single proxy from any particular archive. d. Work under the assumption that the terrestrial, ocean, and atmospheric environments are all closed systems. e. All of these are approaches used.
e
Which of the following climate records has the highest resolution (i.e., can be used to analyze changes through time with the greatest detail)? Select one: a. continental coastal sediments b. lake sediments c. ocean sediments d. tree rings e. All of the above have the same resolution.
e
Which of the following is a source of geochemical climate data? Select one: a. benthic foraminifera b. cave deposits c. glacial ice d. trees e. All of these are sources.
e
Which of the following is not an example of a climate archive that can be dated by counting annual layers? Select one: a. varved sediments b. trees in regions of seasonal climate variations c. ice sheets d. corals e. deeply-mixed ocean sediments Feedback
e
Because of the increase in computing power over the last few decades, the size of grid boxes used in atmospheric general circulation models has gotten larger. Select one: True False
false
800,000-year-old glacial ice has been recovered from the Antarctic ice sheet. Select one: True False
true
Benthic foraminifera are ocean bottom-dwelling organisms that form shells of CaCO3. Select one: True False
true