Ch. 18.3 - Long-Term Changes in Climate

Ch. 18.3

Long-Term Changes in Climate

Multiple Choice

What principle do scientists follow in studying ancient climates?

• If the climate on Earth has changed over millions of years, then it is not likely to change ever again.

• If the Sun has been stable for the last 5 billion years, then the Earth's climate is likely to change soon from the Sun.

• If plants an animals today need certain conditions to live, then plants and animals in the past also required those things.

• If weather patterns today are very unstable, then weather patterns in the past must have been very stable.

Multiple Select

Select each type of evidence that scientists gather to study changes in climate.

• Pollen at the bottom of lake beds

• Bones of dead animals

• Meteorites from space

• Tree rings

Open Ended

Suppose that you are a scientist studying tree rings in a cross-section of an ancient tree. What could several narrow tree rings in a row tell you about the climate when those rings were formed?

Fill in the Blank

A huge sheet of ice that covers large parts of Earth's surface is called a __________.

Open Ended

What occurs during an ice age?

Open Ended

How is the climate different today than what it would be like during an ice age?

Multiple Choice

True or False? Variations in the Earth's position relative to the Sun could be a possible explanation for long term climate change.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False? Changes in the Earth's core would be a possible explanation for long term climate change.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False? Movement of the continents could be a possible explanation for long term climate change.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False? Changes in the Sun's energy output could be a possible explanation for long term climate change.

• True

• False

Open Ended

Explain how major volcanic eruptions can cause climate to change.