Earth's Changing Climate Pre-Unit Assessment

Front

What happens to energy in the Earth system when carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decreases?

Back

Energy decreases because less energy entered than exited. This is because less exiting energy was redirected (bounced) back toward Earth.

Front

What happened to the energy absorbed by Earth’s surface when the amount of methane in the atmosphere increased from 300 to 290 million years ago?

Back

The energy absorbed by Earth’s surface increased.

Front

What is the composition of the atmosphere?

Back

The atmosphere is made of a mix of different kinds of gases.

Front

What does the graph of global temperature changes from 1880 to 2011 show?

Back

The graph shows a trend of increasing temperature over time.

Front

What happens to the amount of energy absorbed by Earth’s surface when carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases?

Back

The amount of energy absorbed by Earth’s surface should increase.

Front

Define greenhouse gases.

Back

Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that trap heat, such as carbon dioxide and methane.

Front

What is the greenhouse effect?

Back

The greenhouse effect is the process by which greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, keeping the Earth warm.

Front

What role do rocks play in understanding Earth's climate history?

Back

Rocks provide evidence of past atmospheric conditions, including the levels of gases like methane.

Front

How do scientists measure changes in global temperature?

Back

Scientists use temperature records and graphs to analyze trends over time.

Front

What is the significance of the year 1880 in climate studies?

Back

The year 1880 is often used as a baseline for measuring global temperature changes.