epsc 201 ch 19

1. The change in organisms over geologic history is known as the \________.
a. biogeochemical cycle
c. biospheric change
b. evolutionary cycle
d. evolution of life

D

2. There have been at least three or four times in Earth's history when \________ formed.
a. Himalayan-style mountain ranges
c. supercontinents
b. divergent plate boundaries
d. continental glaciers

C

3. A crater in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula may be the result of an impact that brought about the extinction of numerous dinosaur species at the end of the \________ Period.
a. Silurian
c. Cretaceous
b. Jurassic
d. Tertiary

C

4. The climate on Earth has changed frequently, with at least \________ times in which Earth experienced icehouse conditions.
a. five
c. ten
b. two
d. eight

A

5. Life on Earth has changed drastically over time, including the occurrence of \________, which paved the way for the evolution of new species to fill old niches.
a. supercontinents
c. photosynthetic organisms
b. mass extinctions
d. glaciation

B

6. During most of the Mesozoic Era, Earth was \________.
a. about as warm as present
b. cooler than present
c. warmer than present
d. experiencing wild temperature fluctuations

C

7. Which geologic event is NOT suspected as a source of major climate change or mass-extinction events?
a. the massive eruption of flood basalts
c. the impact of asteroids
b. the eruption of super volcanoes
d. very large earthquakes

D

8. Which of the following has NOT changed?
a. the position of the plates on Earth's surface
b. the tilt of Earth's axis of rotation
c. the position of Earth relative to the Sun
d. the amount of solar insulation on Earth

C

9. A \________ change will only occur one time.
a. bidirectional
c. cyclic
b. unidirectional
d. periodic

B

10. Changes that occur \________ are called \________ changes.
a. repeatedly; cyclic
c. slowly; cyclic
b. gradually; unidirectional
d. quickly; unidirectional

A

11. The shifting of the plates on Earth's surface is an example of \________ change.
a. bidirectional
c. multidirectional
b. unidirectional
d. cyclic

B

12. The evolution of life takes place \________, while the mass extinction of life takes place \________.
a. gradually; abruptly
c. quickly; gradually
b. suddenly; hastily
d. suddenly; slowly

A

13. Which of the following is an example of cyclic change?
a. Earth colliding with an asteroid
c. the formation of supercontinents
b. the creation of an ocean basin
d. the formation of mountains

C

14. Which of the following is an example of a unidirectional change?
a. shifting of climate belts
c. evaporation of water out of the ocean
b. a glacier carving a U-shaped valley
d. formation of a supercontinent

B

15. Which of the following represents a unidirectional change in the nature of Earth?
a. differentiation of the layers of Earth
b. the supercontinent cycle
c. the movement of water from one reservoir to another
d. the rise and fall of global sea levels

A

16. The \________ cycle describes how water moves between reservoirs on Earth.
a. carbon
c. biogeochemical
b. hydrobaric
d. hydrologic

D

17. The \________ cycle helps us understand how the concentration of greenhouse gases changes in the atmosphere.
a. carbon
c. biogeochemical
b. carbon dioxide
d. hydrologic

A

18. Which of these is the longest-lasting sink for carbon dioxide?
a. plant tissues and cellulose
c. air bubbles within glacial ice
b. the atmosphere
d. limestones

D

19. The hydrologic cycle includes which of these?
a. the advance and retreat of glaciers
b. the accumulation of methane in the atmosphere
c. the secretion of carbonate shells by marine organisms
d. photosynthesis

A

20. Using the diagram included, which list contains only carbon sinks?

a. combustion, decay of plant materials, metamorphism
b. metamorphism, burning of fossils fuels, animal digestion
c. chemical weathering, growth of vegetation, formation of coral reefs
d. chemical weathering, decay of vegetation, formation of coral reefs

C

21. How are carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere affected by tectonic uplift and subsequent chemical weathering of rocks?
a. CO2 is removed from the atmosphere.
b. CO2 is added to the atmosphere.
c. CO2 is removed by uplift and returned by weathering.
d. They have no net effect on CO2.

A

22. Why is tracking the carbon cycle important?
a. Carbon is contained in all living things and can be used to determine the evolution of various species on Earth.
b. Carbon alone is responsible for the increase in temperatures seen on Earth and thus affects our well-being.
c. Carbon is part of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas that is partially responsible for the current global warming trend.
d. Carbon is contained in a large majority of rocks and minerals on the planet and can thus help us decipher Earth's history.

C

23. \________ is a change in atmospheric conditions over minutes to days, whereas \________ is the average of conditions over years to decades.
a. Climate; weather
c. Storm formation; hurricane formation
b. Weather; climate
d. Global cooling; global warming

B

24. Greenhouse gases heat Earth by absorbing the radiation from \________.
a. the Sun
c. Earth
b. the Moon
d. the stars

C

25. If the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is high, Earth could experience \________.
a. global warming
c. icehouse conditions
b. global cooling
d. weaker storms

A

26. Oxygen isotopes are often used to estimate changes in paleoclimate by measuring the ratio of 18O to 16O in ice cores. If the 18O/16O ratio is high, this indicates a(n) \________.
a. icehouse condition
c. polar climate
b. snowball Earth
d. warm climate

D

27. Using the graph below, when was the first period of global cooling?

a. Quaternary
c. Proterozoic
b. Archean
d. Jurassic

B

28. Which of the following situations could lead to icehouse conditions?
a. a large volcanic eruption with a sharp decrease in the amount of vegetation on Earth
b. a decrease in surface albedo due to melting glaciers plus an increase in sunspots
c. the growth of large forests and increase of albedo from the growth of mountain glaciers
d. a decrease in cosmic radiation along with a large volcanic eruption

C

29. What would Earth's climate be like if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
a. much colder than now
c. the same temperature as the Sun
b. much warmer than now
d. about the same as now

A

30. The amount of solar energy reflected by a surface is known as \________.
a. albedo
c. the reflection coefficient
b. radiation
d. the absorption coefficient

A

31. Which greenhouse gases play the most significant role in influencing changes in global atmospheric temperature?
a. carbon dioxide and ozone
c. nitrogen dioxide and methane
b. nitrogen dioxide and ozone
d. carbon dioxide and methane

D

32. What is the difference between weather and climate?
a. Weather is a long-term cycle, whereas climate is a transient condition.
b. Weather is a transient condition, whereas climate is a long-term cycle.
c. Weather relates to precipitation, whereas climate relates to temperature.
d. The two terms are essentially interchangeable.

B

33. The ratio of oxygen-16 and oxygen-18 isotopes in plankton fossils in deep-sea sediments can be used to determine \________.
a. past carbon dioxide concentrations
c. the age of the fossils
b. past temperatures
d. water depth

B

34. According to the figure below, how much has atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) increased in parts per million (ppm) in approximately the last 50 years?

a. from about 310 to 320 ppm
c. from about 320 to 390 ppm
b. from about 360 to 390 ppm
d. from about 380 to 390 ppm

C

35. According to the figure below, approximately how much has the sea level risen since the last ice age ended, approximately 16,000 years ago?

a. 110 m
c. 20 m
b. 60 m
d. 15 m

A

36. How are pollen species used to interpret ancient environments?
a. Each plant species is found in many different climates.
b. Different plant species live in different climates.
c. The ratio of oxygen isotopes can be measured in pollen.
d. Specific plant species directly track the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere.

B

37. Toxic chemicals dumped into a river are an example of \________.
a. greenhouse gases
c. ozone
b. smog
d. pollution

D

38. Mines, construction areas, and farmland are all examples of ways humans modify the \________.
a. ecosystem
c. landscape
b. landfill
d. biome

C

39. The primary cause of recent global warming is believed to be \________.
a. chemical reactions in the atmosphere that are driven by solar heat
b. the increased burning of fossil fuels
c. increased levels of atmospheric pollution
d. the depletion of the ozone layer

B

40. The hole in the ozone layer has been brought about by anthropogenic emissions of \________.
a. carbon dioxide
c. chlorofluorocarbons
b. methane
d. water vapor

C

41. Which of the following activities can lower the level of the water table?
a. urbanization
c. pollution
b. mining
d. deforestation

A

42. Most industrial nations have intentionally decreased their production and use of refrigerants and other chlorofluorocarbons in the last 20 years to address the \________.
a. decrease in Arctic Sea ice cover
b. decrease in plankton fecundity in tropical and subtropical waters
c. increase in hurricane, typhoon, and tropical cyclone intensity and/or number
d. decrease in atmospheric ozone over the Antarctic

D

43. Which of the following is NOT the result of human interaction?
a. the loss of biodiversity
c. the hole in the ozone layer
b. climate change
d. the existence of radioactive materials

D

44. Models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that by the year 2100, the average annual temperature will have increased in some parts of the world by as much as \________.
a. 1°C
c. 4°C
b. 2°C
d. 8°C

C

45. The eventual death of Earth will be the result of a(n) \________.
a. greenhouse period
c. nuclear explosion
b. red giant star
d. asteroid collision

B

46. The Anthropocene layer on Earth will show which of the following characteristics?
a. a decrease in trace fossils
c. a decrease in biodiversity
b. nutrient-rich soils
d. an increase in plant life

C

47. Some biologists think that \________ are causing a sixth mass-extinction event.
a. the cosmic rays
c. humans
b. the tides
d. asteroids

C

48. Which of the following scenarios is most likely to occur if the climate continues on its current trajectory?
a. Large expanses of continental shelf will be exposed above sea level.
b. Cities like New York, New Orleans, and Miami will be flooded by ocean water.
c. Continental glaciers will form and expand outward from Canada and Norway.
d. Glaciers will grow larger, carve more U-shaped valleys, and deposit moraines.

B

49. The figure below shows changes in sea level since the last ice age ended. Based on this, if Earth were to enter another ice age similar to the last one, what would the sea level most likely do?

a. rise about 120 m
c. fall about 20 m
b. rise about 20 m
d. fall about 120 m

D

50. As more ice in the Arctic Ocean melts, what effect does this have on the water?
a. Heat absorption increases as the albedo increases.
b. Heat absorption increases as the albedo decreases.
c. Heat absorption decreases as the albedo decreases.
d. There is no effect on heat absorption.

B