READING QUESTIONS: Global Climate Change GEOL /WI. 2. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences from the textbook (p.

Transcription

1 READING QUESTIONS: Global Climate Change GEOL /WI NAME DUE: Tuesday, April 24 57pts Climate and Geology (p. 382) 1. List the five spheres included in the climate system. (5 pts) Detecting Climate Change (p ) 2. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences from the textbook (p. 383): During times, there is little, if any, permanent ice at either pole, and relatively temperate climates are found even at latitudes. During conditions, global climate is enough to support ice sheets at one or both." (6 pts) 3. Why are seafloor sediments useful recorders of climate change? 4. (More / less) 18 O is evaporated from the oceans when temperatures are high and (more / less) is evaporated with temperatures are low. (2 pts)

2 Some Atmospheric Basics (p ) 5. The two most abundant gases in the atmosphere are and. (2 pts) 6. List two reasons why water vapor is an important part of the atmosphere, even though it only makes up a small fraction of the air s total volume. (2 pts) 7. How is ozone different from the normal oxygen we breathe? a. Ozone only has two oxygen atoms; normal oxygen has three b. Ozone has three oxygen atoms; normal oxygen has two c. Ozone has two oxygen and one carbon atom; normal oxygen has no carbon d. There is no difference 8. Explain why ozone is such an important component of the atmosphere. 9. As your altitude increases, does air pressure (increase or decrease) (circle one)? Is this change (constant or variable) (circle one)? (2 pt) 10. List each of the four temperature-based atmospheric layers in order from highest to lowest. (4 pts) a. (highest layer) b. c. d. (lowest layer)

3 Heating the Atmosphere (p ) 11. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences from the textbook (p. 391): On average, about percent of the solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere passes through the atmosphere and is at Earth s surface. Another percent is absorbed directly by clouds and certain atmospheric gases (including and ) before reaching the surface. The remaining percent is back to space by the atmosphere, clouds, and reflective surfaces such as snow and ice. (7 pts) 12. Fill in the blanks with words from the list in capital letters below the question: In the greenhouse effect, is absorbed by the Earth s surface. The surface then re-radiates this energy as, or radiation. This energy is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere. (4 pts) NITROGEN, MICROWAVE, HEAT, VISIBLE LIGHT, GREENHOUSE, INFRARED, COSMIC Natural Causes of Climate Change (p ) 13. How might plate movement cause climate change? 14. Although the eruption of El Chichon was less explosive than Mount St. Helen s, it had a greater impact on global temperatures. Explain why this was true. (2 pts)

4 15. Fill in the blanks using the textbook (p. 394) (NOTE: not a direct quote!): The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo injected million tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. During the following year, increased and global temperature were lowered by. (3 pts) 16. EXTRA CREDIT: Is there a solid connection between sunspot numbers and climate change on Earth? Explain. (2 pts) Human Impact on Global Climate (p ) 17. What are two causes of CO2 increases over the last two centuries? (2 pts) 18. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences from the text book (p. 398): The planet s average surface air temperature has risen about degree C since the late nineteenth century, with most of the warming occurring in the past. of the 16 warmest years on record have occurred since. (4 pts) 19. What are the three most important trace gases that contribute to increased global temperature? (3 pts)

5 Climate Feedback Mechanisms (p ) 20. EXTRA CREDIT: List an example of both a positive feedback mechanism and a negative feedback mechanism. (2 pts) Some Consequences of Global Warming (p ) 21. What are three of the major consequences of global warming? (3 pts) c. 22. Approximately ⅓ of the human-generated CO2 ends up in the ocean, resulting in (higher / lower) ph and therefore (more / less) acidic seawater. (2 pts)