Climate Change

The sun's rays are least direct

• near the poles
• near the equator
• at high altitudes
• far from the ocean

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 tilt of its axis
• continental drift

Over the past 200 years, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has

• decreased slightly
• increased until recently, and then decreased
• increased steadily
• stayed about the same

What does the term "anthropogenic" mean?

• something that is NOT caused by human activity
• a naturally occurring cause
• originating from human activity
• something that everyone should care about

The average temperature of the surface of Earth has increased approximately 1°C in the past century. Which reason best explains this increase in temperature?

• lower levels of ozone in the atmosphere
• lower levels of nitrogen in the atmosphere
• higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
• higher levels of oxygen in the atmosphere

Visible light reaches Earth’s surface while infrared light is trapped as heat. Which characteristic of Earth’s atmosphere causes this to happen?

• the hole in the ozone
• the greenhouse effect
• atmospheric pressure
• the inversion layer

How do scientists collect evidence about climate? 

• using remote sensing from space with satellites
• by ground-based measurements of surface temperatures, carbon dioxide concentration and sea level
• by collecting “proxy data” from tree rings, ice cores, and historical records
• all of the above

If you took away the atmosphere’s natural greenhouse effect, and everything else stayed the same, Earth’s temperature would be 

• 10-20°F warmer
• 30-40°F warmer
• 10-20°F cooler
• 50-60°F cooler

El Nino occurs when the tropical ocean waters are warmer in which ocean?

• Atlantic
• Indian
• Pacific
• Arctic

Which of the following is a natural cause of long term climate change?

• Burning Fossil Fuels
• Milankovitch Cycles
• Deforestation
• All of them