Global Change Review

Which of the following correctly pairs a greenhouse gas with its primary anthropogenic source?

• Methane and vehicular emissions

• Nitrous oxide and agricultural practices

• Chlorofluorocarbons and fossil fuel combustion

• Carbon dioxide and municipal solid waste from homes

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NGSS.HS-LS2-7

Which of the following correctly explains a positive climate feedback loop found in the Arctic?

• Increased melting a permafrost increases Earth's ability to absorb methane gas, which deceases greenhouse warming and decreasing the melting of permafrost

• Increased global temperatures lead to decreased sea ice coverage and decreased albedo, which further increases global temperatures

• Increased evaporation and cloud formation decreases the amount of solar energy reaching the surface of Earth, which leads to cooler temperatures at the surface and decreased evaporation and cloud formation

• Increased precipitation increases the size of high albedo snow pack in polar regions, which leads to increased habitat for Arctic organisms such as polar bears.

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NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

In 1978, the United States banned the use of CFCs in aerosols. Based on the data in the graph, which of the following best explains the effect of this ban as a solution to decrease global CFC production?

• The ban on CFCs led to a decrease of CFC-11 and CFC-12 production by more than 15% between 1978 and 1980, which supports the ban as an effective solution to reduce global CFC production

• The ban on CFCs in aerosols led to an increase in CFC-113 production for use in refrigerants and air conditioners in the United States, which led to a 10% overall increase in global CFC production between 1970 and 1980.

• The ban on CFCs also led to a decrease in HCFC production beginning in 1980, reducing the reliance on chlorinated chemicals used in industrial processes and greatly reducing stratospheric ozone depletion

• The ban on CFCs in aerosols in the United States was not effective on a global scale because it led to an increase in reports of skin cancer and cataracts in patients in the Southern Hemisphere from 1970 to 2000.

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NGSS.HS-ESS3-1

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

NGSS.HS-ESS3-6

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

Describe how a decrease in ocean pH can affect marine organisms

• As the pH decreases, acidity increases, which weakens the shells of calcium carbonate-dependent marine organisms

• As the pH decreases, alkalinity increases, negatively affecting the ability of marine organisms to maintain homeostasis

• As the pH decreases, acidity decreases, which may be outside the range of tolerance for certain marine organisms

• As the pH decreases, alkalinity decreases, which makes the the exoskeletons of coral too hard and they may bleach

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NGSS.HS-LS2-5

NGSS.HS-LS2-6

Explain the effect of carbon dioxide on the pH of the oceans.

• Reduced CO2 in the ocean disrupts the carbonate buffering system and the ocean becomes more acidic

• Increased CO2 dissolves in the oceans, leading to the formation of carbonic acid, decreasing the pH

• Increased CO2 dissolved in the ocean leads to an increase in alkalinity and methane concentrations

• Decreased CO2 in the water reduces the pH, leading to a decrease in temperature

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NGSS.HS-ESS2-6

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are human-made chemicals that have been used as temporary replacements for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in refrigerants because they decompose more readily in the atmosphere and thus pose less of a threat to Earth’s protective ozone layer. Levels of HCFCs have been measured in the stratosphere, and the concentrations of many different HCFCs have been steadily increasing since the mid- to late 1990s. HCFCs were originally introduced as a solution to help phase out the use of CFCs. Which of the following most likely contributed to the increased levels of HCFCs in the stratosphere over the past 30 years?

• Thermal inversions in the troposphere

• Conversion of CO2 to HCFCs in the troposphere

• Reduced albedo in the Arctic because of climate change

• Leaking of refrigeration and air-conditioning units

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NGSS.HS-ESS3-4

The graph above shows CO2 measurements taken frmo Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and the Vostok ice core, which was drilled from ice sheets in Antarctica. Which of the following hypotheses is best supported by the graph?

• Temperatures were much colder 125,000 years ago than the average temperature over the past 400,000 years.

• Temperatures were the same 125,000 years ago as they are today

• Temperatures were warmer 125,000 years ago than the average temperature over the past 400,000 years

• Temperatures were cooling at a rate of 125,000 years ago that was unprecedented compared to the rate over the past 400,000 years

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NGSS.HS-ESS2-2

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS2-6

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

The graph above shows CO2 measurements taken frmo Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and the Vostok ice core, which was drilled from ice sheets in Antarctica. Based on the data shown in the graph, which of the following is the most plausible hypothesis about the number of glacial periods that occurred in the past 400,000 years?

• One glacial period occurred in the past 400,000 years

• Two glacial periods occurred in the past 400,000 years

• Three glacial periods occurred in the past 400,000 years

• Four glacial periods occurred in the past 400,000 years

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NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

Which of the following gases has the greatest impact on global climate change as a result of having the highest global warming potential (GWP)?

• Carbon dioxide

• Methane

• Nitrous oxide

• Chlorofluorocarbons

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NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

Which of the following best identifies the primary cause of increasing acidity in the oceans?

• Microplastic pollution from personal-care products

• Agricultural fertilizer runoff into rivers that feed into the ocean

• Petroleum pollution from large-scale oil tanker spills

• Carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels

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NGSS.HS-ESS2-6

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5