GPH 314 Final
Analysis of the reading suggests the Earth is losing generally how much of its wild nature every year?
0.5 to 1.5%
Many Scientists are convinced that the west Antarctic Ice sheet will melt and result in how much ocean rise by the end of the 21st century.
1-2 meters
Approximately what percentage of the US population lives within 3 miles of a SuperFund site?
15-20%
How much of the Earth's landmass is covered by urban areas?
2-3%
What is the length of the delay between carbon emissions and their effects on oceans?
About 20 years
Choose the best answer. Resiliency is important because:
All choices are correct
There was a mass extinction event approximately 65 million years ago. What evidence led scientists to determine the most likely cause? - Traces of iridium were found on Earth - An impact crater was discovered - A global layer of charcoal in Earth's soil was discovered - All choices are correct
All choices are correct
Which of the following are factors that can affect ozone?
All choices are correct
Which of the following is true about climate and weather? - They are based on different time scales - They use the same variables (temperature, precipitation, etc.) - They describe the state of the atmosphere - All choices are correct
All choices are correct
What data is captured in ice/sediment cores that can then be interpreted by scientists?
All choices are true
How might remote sensing be used in weather forecasting?
All of the choices are correct
From the faculty presentation on Glacial loess from the last ice age, please select the location of glacial loess deposits would best be found? - All of these are correct - Palouse country of eastern Washington - Loess Plateau in China - Midwest of the U.S.
All of these are correct
Which of the following options is a source of evaporation on Earth? - All of these are correct - Lakes and streams - Plants - Soils - The ocean
All of these are correct
Which of the following statements is true about clouds?
If present during the day, clouds block incoming sunlight and solar radiation. If present at night, they block outgoing radiation.
What is true about air temperature measurements in urban areas such as Phoenix, Arizona over the past 50 years?
Nighttime temperatures have increased much more than have daytime temperatures.
Why was the Earth's temperature much different in the early Precambrian period (~4.6 to 2.5 billion years ago) than it is today?
Radioactivity and meteorite bombardment
The 4 components or stages or the Adaptive Cycle are: Growth/Exploitation phase, Conservation phase, Collapse/Release phase and the _______.
Reorganization phase
The "westerlies" do not flow strictly in a west-east direction largely due to...
Rossby Waves
Which interglacial period occurred most recently?
The Holocene
What would be the best description of the global climate over the last 60 million years?
The climate gradually cooled
In order to understand our future climate, scientists need to understand the past by looking at a time in our geological history when CO2 levels were double what they are today. This is accomplished by:
drilling holes into the soil to obtain sediment cores
Which combination of moisture and temperature levels leads to the smallest tree rings (out of the options listed)?
dry moisture and cool temp
How much of all ocean species depend on and feed from Coral Reefs?
25%
How much of the Earth landmass is covered by trees?
31%
How many mass extinctions has earth had in the last 5 billion years?
5
Considering the mass bleaching event that occurred from 2016 to 2017, about what percentage of coral reefs were killed?
50
When did mild and tropical conditions first appear on earth?
500 million years ago
How much of the Earth's Freshwater is locked up in the Ice Caps and Glaciers?
69%
How many types of precipitation are there?
6: Dizzle, Rain, Sleet, Snow, Graupel, and Hail
Of all the water on Earth, approximately what percentage is saltwater?
97%
A Social Ecological system is:
A complex, evolving system with no equilibrium that has both human and natural components
What happened to the Amazon Rain-forest in 2010?
A drought
What caused the "Year Without a Summer"?
A volcano eruption that occured the year before.
______ makes up 31% of water use in the United States in comparison to about 70% of water use in developing countries.
Agricultural use
In the last Ice age, cold areas that were too dry to form glaciers, where covered by what? - Patterned ground - Ice wedge polygons - Solifluction and pingoes - All of these are correct
All of these are correct
When using remote Sensing to build a dataset, which of the following examples would be best?
All other choices are correct
Although other planets likely have ongoing chemical reactions, they are extremely common on Earth because of what aspect of our planet? Select the best answer.
An abundance of liquid water
Why did sea level go down during glacial periods?
As glaciers stored more water as ice, sea level dropped
What aspects of cities contribute to the Urban Heat effect?
Asphalt and other dark surfaces
In what way do carbon sinks play a part in the carbon cycle?
Carbon sinks can hold carbon for extended periods of time and are often in the form of underground fossil fuels.
What choice of the following is NOT an example of a fast feedback mechanism? - Changes in atmospheric cloud quantities - All of these are examples of fast feedback mechanisms - Changes in atmospheric water vapor quantities - Changes in Earth's Ice Sheet quantities
Changes in Earth's ice sheet quantities
What aspect of a planet's atmosphere helps protect the biosphere by reducing the amount of ultraviolet radiation from reaching the planet's surface? Select the best answer.
Earth has an ozone layer in the stratosphere
The forming and melting of glaciers results in changes of sea level. This process is referred to as:
Eustatic sea level rise
Atmospheric rivers exist high in the atmosphere and require weak winds and high amounts of moisture to transport moisture horizontally.
False
Locations that are further away from an ocean and in a drier area have less variability in air temperatures?
False
On August 6, 2019, Phoenix experienced a high of 101 deg F. On Aug 6, 2020, Phoenix experienced a high of 108 deg F. This demonstrates a change in climate.
False
The development of placental mammals was facilitated by the increase of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.
False
The atmosphere protects the Earth from solar wind
False; The Magnetosphere deflects the solar wind around the planet and protects the atmosphere
By using satellites and radar imaging, what were glaciologists able to discover about what was going on underneath the Greenland ice sheet?
Glacial aquifers of liquid water were draining to the bedrock and eventually to the ocean
Earth's climate history has revealed a strong relationship between sea level, CO2 levels and _____________.
Global temperatures
As measured by satellites what do scientist know quantitatively that has confirmed what we know about climate change?
Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets are losing mass
Select the FALSE proclamation regarding the use of remote sensing:
It can only record and collect data from that is in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
In the summer, India has massive monsoons, which are caused by what?
Low pressure system over the country
All of the following are among the six EPA-regulated "criteria pollutants" except...
Monoterpines
In this weeks lecture videos and readings, scientists calculate that sea levels will rise between approximately 1 and 5 meters. There are many factors that contribute to this global change. Which of the following choices is NOT one of them?
None of the other choices are correct
If all the frozen fresh water on Earth were to melt, how much would the oceans rise?
Over 200 feet
In the context of environmental justice, meaningful involvement in decision-making related to urban environmental planning includes which of the following elements?
People have an opportunity to participate in decisions that affect their environment and/or health
Which of these answers is the best example of a positive feed back that then reaches an equilibrium in an Earth system?
The slow buildup and then maintenance of stratospheric ozone (at least until humans got involved)
Bangladesh is undertaking major steps towards preparing for the negative effects they anticipate from global climate change, including all but which of the following?
These are all measures Bangladesh has taken to prepare for climate change's effects.
Scientists use a technique to study tree rings, what method is it and how much damage does it cause the tree?
They use a special tool to get a slice of the tree to analyze without cutting it down, which causes little to no damage to the tree.
From 2000 to 2012, which of the four domains experienced the greatest total forest gain?
Tropical
According to the Peter Ward group--Kump et al Hypothesis--in the TED talk "Mass Extinction Events" the lowering of Oxygen levels and the increase of Carbon Dioxide has been the cause of most mass extinctions on Earth.
True
Coral cores can provide data about the condition of the ocean. Is this statement True or False?
True
In order to gather information about our planet's past, scientists take core samples from various sources. Please read the following statement and indicate if it is True or False. Core samples taken from corals tell us the temperature of the ocean, while ice/sediment cores tell us the temperature of the atmosphere.
True
Most major Deserts are found at 30 degrees south and 30 degrees north latitude? True or false?
True
Mountains are a key feature related to topographical climate control, True or False?
True
Please indicate if the following statement is True or False: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has set official standards for weather measurements. These include putting thermometers in shelters and raise them roughly 1.5-2 Meters above the surface. This is to provide uniformity among the network of official weather stations in an effort to increase accuracy of weather and climate data.
True
Read the following situation and indicate whether the final statement is true or false: You overhear some people talking about how it is usually cold and windy this time of year, but as you go outside, you notice it's hot and not windy at all. You realize that the people were describing the climate.
True
The mass of the earth helps to make sure that it holds the right atmospheric composition.
True
In the past, Calcium Carbonate springs formed in paleolakes, the results evident today are:
Tufa Towers
These countries were examined and ranked as countries with the lowest risk and a high preparedness for climate change by the ND-GAIN matrix from Notre Dame (choose the best answer):
US and China
The early precambrian period was characterized by which of the following: -The first appearance of plant life on Earth -Very hot conditions that resulted from a combination of factors including radioactive heat resulting from the Earth's formation - The formation of the supercontinent Pangaea - Many ice ages, including the "Little Ice Age"
Very hot conditions that resulted from a combination of factors including radioactive heat resulting from the Earth's formation
Which of the following are examples of factors that contribute to urban warming?
Waste heat emissions from energy use and lots of concrete and asphalt
On Planet Earth, Giant Ergs (sand seas like the Sahara Desert) are produced by what general type of process?
Wet periods decay the rock producing sand, and then winds during dry periods transport the sand to the sand sea.
A Megacity is...
a city with a population more than 10 million
Which of the examples below is ACCURATE about Social Ecological Systems (SES)?
all choices
What are some likely applications for remote sensing?
all choices are correct
The Notre Dame Global adaptation Index list five countries that are most exposed and least prepared for climate change
are all in Africa
When did global stratospheric ozone depleting substances peak?
around 1997
According to this week's readings, predictions suggest that global stratospheric ozone will be back at its 1980 amounts by
around 2030
Choose the best answer that fits the following description. A system where the individual parts cannot be easily summed up to understand the overall system.
complex adaptive system
According to this module's material, between 1990 and 2000, forest cover for moist and dry tropical forests _______ while forest cover for temperate forests ________.
decreased; increased
Two key elements of the EPA definition of environmental justice are:
fair treatment and meaningful involvement
Equilibrium in Ecological Resilience is when a perturbation to a system has a tendency to shift the system to a new state.
false
Extinction rates are estimated using accurate techniques which provide field biologists a clear understanding of why species go extinct.
false
Global climate change and the recognition of humans impact on the planet has lead to the idea of sustainable development but is insignificant in regards to resiliency.
false
Ground-level ozone concentrations typically decrease with increasing air temperature.
false
Ground-level ozone is preferable because it is our primary protection against UV radiation.
false
If the anthropogenic (human-caused) increase of carbon emissions continues at the current rate, the ocean's pH will drop so low that it will turn from a base to an acid within the next ~50 years.
false
Regardless of regulations and the state of air quality in nearby cities, states, or countries, Local regulatory actions are all that are needed to fix air quality problems.
false
Surveying aerosol-cloud interactions at a large scale is much more challenging than it is at a fine scale.
false
Usually those who are most guilty for environmental damage, generally suffer in proportion to their role in causing this damage
false
If the Earth's spin were more like Jupiter's we would have chaotic storms in part due to:
the Coriolis effect
The 1980s were a relatively hot period, followed by a slight cooling in the 1990s. THis cooling was largely attributed to:
the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo
A regime change in Ecological Resilience is when a system loses flexibility in its current state and transforms to a new state.
true
Aerosol-cloud interactions have a large influence on meteorological conditions, and meteorological conditions have a large influence on aerosol-cloud interactions.
true
It appears that the ozone layer over the Antarctic is in the early stages of recovering from its depletion.
true
On average, extreme heat causes more deaths each year in the US than tornadoes.
true
True or False: Remote sensing is very expensive, so its use is limited to a few environmental applications.
true
Which of the following is not an illustration of a climate-energy-water feedback loop?
water use in yards and pools warms the local climate
