Amplify-Earth's Changing Climate Unit Test Review

A climatologist is creating a simulation for Earth’s climate and is working on how to set it up. One of the options for the simulation is to increase methane in the atmosphere. How should the energy in the Earth system change when the amount of methane in the atmosphere increases?

There should be

• more energy in the Earth system and more energy absorbed by Earth’s surface, because less energy enters than exits.

• more energy in the Earth system and more energy absorbed by Earth’s surface, because more energy enters than exits.

• less energy in the Earth system and less energy absorbed by Earth’s surface, because more energy enters than exits.

• less energy in the Earth system and less energy absorbed by Earth’s surface, because less energy enters than exits.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

Climate researchers in Greenland can use ice core samples to tell them about methane in the atmosphere in the past. Researchers found a sample that showed a time period when methane in the atmosphere increased. What happened to amount of energy absorbed by Earth's surface during this time?

During this time, the amount of energy absorbed by Earth’s surface

• stayed at a constant level.

• changed unpredictably.

• increased.

• decreased.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

Climate researchers are creating a computer simulation to help them understand changes in the Earth system. They want to use the simulation to see what happens when they increase the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What should their simulation show about energy absorbed by Earth’s surface?

When carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the amount of energy absorbed by Earth’s surface should . . .

• increase

• decrease

• stay at a constant level

• change unpredictably

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

The graph above shows global temperature changes between the years 1880 and 2011. Which of the following best describes the changes seen in the graph?

• The graph shows a trend of increasing temperature over time.

• The graph shows the Annual Mean and 5-Year Mean have different trends.

• The graph shows temperatures go up and down, with no trend.

• The graph shows too much fluctuation to be confident about a trend.

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What happens when energy hits sulfur dioxide?

• When energy hits sulfur dioxide, more energy is created.

• Sulfur dioxide traps some energy and holds it in the atmosphere.

• Sulfur dioxide redirects (bounces) some incoming energy from the sun back toward outer space.

• Energy always passes through sulfur dioxide.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

Fossil evidence from the time of Tyrannosaurus rex (85–65 million years ago) shows less energy entered the Earth system than exited, even though energy from the sun didn’t change. How might the amount of carbon dioxide changed to cause this, and how would that have changed the energy absorbed by Earth’s surface??

• Carbon dioxide decreased so there was less energy in the Earth system and less energy absorbed by Earth's surface.

• Carbon dioxide decreased so there was more energy in the Earth system and more energy absorbed by Earth's surface.

• Carbon dioxide increased so there was more energy in the Earth system and more energy absorbed by Earth's surface.

• Carbon dioxide increased so there was less energy in the Earth system and less energy absorbed by Earth's surface.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS2-6

Scientists who study the atmosphere often need to take samples of the atmosphere in order to learn more. They take some atmosphere samples near the ground. They take other atmosphere samples high in the air, while flying in a helicopter. What would the scientists find out about the samples?

• Both samples are made of one kind of gas.

• Both samples are made of a mix of several different kinds of gases.

• Neither sample is made of anything.

• The samples are different from each other because each gas forms its own layer in the atmosphere.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

A scientist says that even if the amount of energy entering the system from the sun doesn’t change, there can still be less energy entering than exiting the Earth system. What could change in the atmosphere that would cause this and what effect would this have on energy in the Earth system?

• Methane could increase, leading to more energy in the Earth system because more exiting energy would be redirected (bounced) back toward Earth.

• Methane could increase, leading to less energy in the Earth system because more energy from the sun would be redirected (bounced) back toward outer space.

• Methane could decrease, leading to less energy in the Earth system because less exiting energy would be redirected (bounced) back toward Earth.

• Methane could decrease, leading to less energy in the Earth system because less energy would be trapped by gases and held in the atmosphere.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

Geologists have found rocks showing that about 700 million years ago, there was a time period when the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decreased. How did energy in the Earth system change during this time?

• There was more energy in the Earth system and more energy absorbed by Earth’s surface, because more energy entered than exited.

• There was more energy in the Earth system and more energy absorbed by Earth’s surface, because lessenergy entered than exited.

• There was less energy in the Earth system and less energy absorbed by Earth’s surface, because moreenergy entered than exited.

• There was less energy in the Earth system and less energy absorbed by Earth’s surface, because less energy entered than exited.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

The Karoo Ice Age started about 360 million years ago and lasted for about 40 million years. During this time, less energy entered the Earth system than exited. What is one change to the atmosphere that could have caused this?

• Carbon dioxide decreased, leading to less energy in the Earth system because less energy was trapped by gases and held in the atmosphere.

• Carbon dioxide decreased, leading to less energy in the Earth system because less exiting energy was redirected (bounced) back toward Earth.

• Carbon dioxide increased, leading to more energy in the Earth system because more exiting energy was redirected (bounced) back toward Earth.

• Carbon dioxide increased, leading to less energy in the Earth system because more energy from the sun was redirected (bounced) back toward outer space.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5