Natural Climate Change

The greenhouse effect is caused by…

• Too much heat in the atmosphere

• Too much sunshine reaching Earth

• Greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere absorbing radiation from the Earth's surface, and preventing much of it escaping into space

• Greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere absorbing solar radiation

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In 2018 several large volcanoes erupted including the Popocateptl volcano in Mexico, which is still erupting today. It continues to pump ash and gas into the atmosphere. If nothing else was affecting the climate, how would the global temperature be affected by these volcanic eruptions?

• The temperature would lower due to the ash reflecting UV radiation

• The pH of the atmosphere will change

• The carbon dioxide that it emits will help to raise the temperature

• Volcanoes only affect plate tectonics, not global temperatures

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Ocean acidification is what happens when excess CO2 is absorbed by the oceans. This change in pH can have devastating impacts on aquatic plants and animals. Based on the information in the graph which statement best predicts biodiversity of ocean life now versus the 1960’s?

• A. Biodiversity has been unaffected by ocean acidification

• B. Biodiversity has been unaffected because there has been no ocean acidification

• C. Biodiversity has increased because acidification leads to new opportunities to fill niches

• D. Biodiversity has decreased because ocean acidification has made the ocean uninhabitable by some life

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What is global warming?

• The rise in the Earth's average surface temperature

• The melting of glaciers and polar ice caps

• The absorption of excess carbon dioxide by the world's oceans

• The increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere

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Which of the following has caused repeating 100,000-year cycles of ice ages in the past?

• an increase in sun spots

• several major volcanic eruptions

• changes in Earth's orbit and the tilt of its axis

• continental drift

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According to the data, how many cooling periods occurred during the past 400,000 years?

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

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Which is a natural source of greenhouse gases that cause climate change?

• burning fossil fuels

• deforestation

• volcanic eruptions

A large volcanic eruption that emits high gas/ash into the atmosphere can have what type of effect on the Earth's climate?

• It can warm the climate

• It can cool the climate

• The climate stays the same

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Of the roles that greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane) have in Earth's climate system, which is not accurate?

• help prevent the earth from cooling substantially each night

• allows for light (short-wavelength) energy to travel through the atmosphere.

• help trap and hold thermal (short-wavelength) energy in the atmosphere

• helps keept the Earth at a moderate 59 degrees Farenheit.

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Earth is currently in an interglacial period (a period of milder climate between Ice Ages). If there were no human influences on climate, scientists say Earth’s current orbital positions within the Milankovitch cycles predict our planet should be cooling, not warming, continuing a long-term cooling trend that began 6,000 years ago.

• True

• False

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