Cryosphere Review Sheet

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 1) Which of the following spheres is not part of the climate system? 1) _____ A) Cryosphere B) Biosphere C) HydrosphereD) Asthenosphere 2) Which of the following best illustrates the connection between climate and geologic processes? 2) _____ A) Hydrothermal vents near a mid-ocean rift create chimneys of mineral deposits B) Heavy rainfalls trigger debris flows C) Arid climates make sea level drop D) Water coming off a cooling magma emplaces metallic ores 3) The ________ refers to water in solid form, such as ice and snow that exists on the Earth's surface. 3) _____ A) Cryosphere B) Geosphere C) Biosphere D) Atmosphere 4) It is an exceptionally cold winter's day and one of your classmates makes a comment writing-off the idea of global warming. What is the scientifically correct analysis of that? 4) _____ A) Your classmate is incorrect. Weather is a short-term phenomenon and we cannot make conclusions about the climate based on single-day temperature readings. B) Your classmate is incorrect. One day of exceptional cold shows that the jet stream has been stabilized due to global warming. C) Your classmate is correct. The presence of 1 day of cold weather means that there is no global warming. D) Your classmate is correct: While cold weather can still exist with global warming, the fact that today is colder than usual refutes global warming. 5) ________ is the study and reconstruction of past climates through the use of proxy data. 5) _____ A) Glaciology B) Hydrology C) Climatology D) Paleoclimatology 6) Which planktonic marine organism, often found in sea sediments, can be used to make interpretations about past climates? 6) _____ A) ForaminiferaB) Fish C) Algae D) Clams 7) Why is the use of proxy data necessary when studying past climate change? 7) _____ A) Modern data has been biased by religious influence or political ideologies B) Geological and atmospheric changes occurring at the time work differently than today C) Modern recording instruments are skewed by pollutants in the atmosphere D) Instrumental records only go back a couple of centuries and are more incomplete the older they are 8) Which of the following oxygen isotopes is the most common? 8) _____ 16 18 17 A) O B) O C) O 9) Which oxygen isotope would be concentrated in glacial ice? 9) _____ 16 18 17 A) O B) O C) O 10) What materials are sampled to study A) Sea sediments B) Atmosphere C) Tree rings D) Marine microorganisms 16 O: 18 O ratios during past climates? 10) _____ 11) How can tree rings provide information about past climates? 11) _____ A) Tree rings can measure past CO 2 concentrations B) Tree rings turn colors depending on the climate C) Thickness and spacing of tree rings reflect environmental conditions D) Tree rings trap gas bubbles that can be used to interpret atmospheric conditions 12) What material makes up the shells of many marine microorganisms? 12) _____ A) NaCl B) NO C) SiO D) CaCO 3 2 2 13) Which of the following can be used as a marine paleothermometer? 13) _____ A) Tree rings B) Aerosols C) Coral D) Pollen 14) ________ are often the best-preserved, most easily identifiable plant remains in sediments and can be used to interpret the paleoclimate. 14) _____ A) Corals B) Seeds C) Trees D) Pollen 15) Why would marine organisms be an important part of climate change studies? 15) _____ A) Organism distribution shows surface current flows B) Organisms are commonly found in ice cores, and inside them is the makeup of the past atmosphere C) Different organisms favor different climatic conditions D) Organisms burrow into the sediment and release CO 2 16) Which two gases make up the majority of the atmosphere? 16) _____ A) Hydrogen and Helium B) Nitrogen and Oxygen C) Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide D) Neon and Methane 17) What percentage of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide? 17) _____ A) 1% B) 0.152% C) 5% D) 0.0400% 18) ________ are small solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere. 18) _____ A) Sunspots B) CFCsC) Aerosols D) Radiosondes 19) What is the molecular formula for ozone? 19) _____ A) O B) H O C) O D) CO 2 2 2 3 20) In which layer of the atmosphere is the ozone layer found? 20) _____ A) Troposphere B) Thermosphere C) Mesosphere D) Stratosphere 21) Captain James Kittinger of the U.S. Air Force went up in a balloon to the stratosphere in 1960, and then jumped out, as part of an atmospheric study. He reported feeling like he was floating in space in the stratosphere, even though he was actually free falling. Later, when he reached the troposphere, he could tell he was falling by the ripple on his space suit. Why would that be? 21) _____ A) The troposphere has less air pressure than the stratosphere so would make you feel wind resistance when you are falling through it. B) The stratosphere has less air pressure than the troposphere so would make you feel like you are floating when you are falling through it. C) The stratosphere has more air pressure than the troposphere so would make you feel like you are floating when you are falling through it. D) The troposphere is cooler than the stratosphere so would make you feel wind resistance when you are falling through it. 22) What percentage of solar radiation is reflected back into outer space by the albedo of the Earth? 22) _____ A) 50% B) 20% C) 100% D) 30% 23) Which of the following is not one of the three paths taken by incoming solar radiation? 23) _____ A) Radiation is deflected by the magnetic field. B) Radiation is absorbed by clouds and atmospheric gases. C) Radiation is reflected back into space by clouds, atmosphere, snow, and ice. D) Radiation passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. 24) If the Earth had no atmosphere, what would the average temperature of the planet be? 24) _____ A) 25°CB) 10°C C) Above the boiling point of water D) Below the freezing point of water 25) Which of these has the shortest wavelength? 25) _____ A) Infrared B) Ultraviolet C) Microwave D) X-rays 26) Precession refers to ________. 26) _____ A) Earth's axis changing its angle of tilt B) moonrise arriving 50 minutes later each day. C) Earth wobbling on its axis D) changes in Earth's orbit path around the sun 27) How will explosive volcanic eruptions affect global temperatures? 27) _____ A) Temperatures will remain the same B) Temperatures will rise C) Temperatures will lower 28) The Maunder Minimum occurred at the same time as the ________ and has been used by some to explain the cooling temperatures during that period. 28) _____ A) Industrial Revolution B) Medieval Warm Period C) Little Ice AgeD) Cretaceous Period 29) The higher temperatures during the Cretaceous Period were the result of ________. 29) _____ A) increased sunspot activity B) additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere C) changing locations of continents D) the Milankovich Cycle 30) What does the 1982 eruption of El Chichón, the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, and other volcanic events tells us about climatic effects of such volcanic activity? 30) _____ A) Volcanic activity has almost no effect on the planet's weather or climate. B) Volcanic activity warms the planet therefore climate change is not man-made. C) Volcanic activity cools the planet therefore one volcanic eruption could nullify any man-made effects. D) Volcanic activity causes cooling but it only lasts a few years and then the effect disappears. 31) What was the approximate increase in global temperature during the twentieth century? 31) _____ A) 1.0°C B) 1.5°CC) 0.8°C D) 0.5°C 32) Which of the following trace gases does not contribute to climate change? 32) _____ A) CFCs B) Methane C) Argon D) Nitrous oxide 33) Which of the following trace gases is not natural to the atmosphere and is purely the result of human activities? 33) _____ A) Argon B) Methane C) Nitrous oxide D) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 34) What substance is responsible for the increasing concentrations of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere? 34) _____ A) Nuclear waste B) Fertilizers C) Fossil fuels D) Coolants in refrigerators 35) If CFCs have not been widely used since the late twentieth century, why are they considered a major greenhouse gas in the twenty-first century? 35) _____ A) Greenhouse gases such as methane will break down into CFCs B) CFCs are released by a number of natural processes, such as volcanoes C) CFCs can stay in the atmosphere for decades D) Although they have been banned, they are being use illegally 36) How can agriculture be responsible for increasing the amount of methane in the atmosphere? 36) _____ A) Overtilling the land will cause the soil to break down and release greenhouse gases B) Fumes from liquid fertilizer are opening holes in the ozone C) Methane is emitted by bacteria in the gut of agricultural animals, such as cattle and sheep D) Crops like corn and soybeans add methane to the atmosphere 37) According to Figure 21.25, the year 1998 was significantly warmer than 2008. Why do we still say the Earth is warming? 37) _____ A) Recognizing the overall trend line shows us more accurate trends. B) Long-term trends show that there is significant warming since the Industrial Revolution began C) Comparing single years is not a good way to understand Earth's climate D) All of the above are correct 38) Temperature increases in polar regions as a result of climate change are generally ________ the global average.38) _____ A) equal to B) lower than C) greater than 39) 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? 39) _____ A) Carbon dioxide is sequestered in the water infiltrating the landscape B) Nitrous oxide will be trapped in the meltwater generated and pulled out of the atmosphere C) Methane will be released as the vegetation thaws D) Buried CFCs will be released from contaminants in frozen vegetation 40) Which process has been largely responsible for increasing the amount of CO 2 in the last 200 years? 40) _____ A) Disintegration of petroleum-based plastics B) Increasing cattle ranching worldwide C) Use of industrial fertilizers D) Burning of fossil fuels 41) What effect will black carbon deposits have on glacial ice? 41) _____ A) Black carbon has no effect on glacial ice B) Black carbon will absorb more heat, increasing melting C) Black carbon will slow the rate of melting D) Black carbon will insulate the ice, preserving it 42) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows data indicating a clear link between human activity and climate change. The IPCC is comprised of ________. 42) _____ A) a green industry lobby group whose primary aim is to make a profit B) an authoritative group of trained scientists C) a group of politicians motivated by a particular ideology D) an uninformed organization of amateurs with little background in atmospheric science 43) According to research, how much has sea level risen since 1870? 43) _____ A) 7 cm B) 10 cm C) 25 cm D) 1 cm 44) What is produced when carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater? 44) _____ A) Carbonic acid B) Sulfuric acid C) Calcium carbonate D) Sodium chloride 45) Why would increasing acidity of the ocean be a problem? 45) _____ A) Acid would dissolve calcium carbonate shells or sea organisms B) Acid decreases the stability of basaltic rocks on the ocean floor C) Acid will increase the rate of seafloor spreading D) Acid would be evaporated and create clouds that precipitate acid rain 46) Sea level rise is a combination of ________ and ________ as the climate becomes warmer. 46) _____ A) plate tectonics; mountain uplift B) evaporation; sublimation C) freezing ice; increasing salinity D) melting ice; thermal expansion 47) Which coastline will be more significantly impacted by sea level change: the Pacific Coast or the Atlantic Coast and why? 47) _____ A) The Atlantic Coast, as it has a gently sloping shoreline B) The Atlantic Coast, as there are more buildings along the shoreline C) The Pacific Coast, as it has a steeply sloping shoreline D) The Pacific Coast, as there are more people living there