Critical Juncture Climate Change

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 the 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.

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NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

As food waste and other compostable items decompose in landfills, methane is released into the air. If this type of landfill waste increases, the amount of methane in the atmosphere will increase. What would happen to the total amount of energy in the Earth system and to global average temperature if methane in the atmosphere increases? If there is a change, explain how that change would happen.

• Decomposing landfill increases methane in the atmosphere.

• When methane increases, more outgoing energy is redirected back toward Earth’s surface.

• More energy enters the Earth system than exits, and there is more energy in the Earth system.

• This causes global average temperature to increase.

• A, B, C and D.

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NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

The ice record shows a period in Earth’s history when there was an ice age and the global average temperature was much colder. During this time, the ice record shows the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decreased, but the amount of energy from the sun did not change. How did the total amount of energy in the Earth system change, how did this change happen, and how did it contribute to the ice age?

• When carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased, less energy entered the earth system than exited.

• When carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decreased, more energy entered the earth system than exited.

• When carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decreased, less energy entered the earth system than exited.

• When carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased, more energy entered the earth system than exited.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

A scientist says that even if the amount of energy entering the Earth 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

Fossil evidence from the time of Tyrannosaurus rex (85 to 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 have 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

A climatologist was working with a computer simulation that models Earth’s climate and atmosphere. She set up the controls of the simulation to decrease the amount of methane in the atmosphere. What should happen to the amount of energy absorbed by Earth’s surface? When methane decreases, the amount of energy absorbed by Earth’s surface should

• change unpredictably.

• stay at a constant level.

• increase.

• decrease.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

Scientists think that a large amount of carbon dioxide was released from rock on the ocean floor from 120 to 80 million years ago and that this led to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What happened to energy in the Earth system during this time? Energy in the Earth system

• increased, because less energy entered than exited. This is because more exiting energy was redirected (bounced) back toward Earth.

• increased, because more energy entered than exited. This is because more exiting energy was redirected (bounced) back toward Earth.

• increased, because more energy entered than exited. This is because more energy was trapped by gases and held in the atmosphere.

• decreased, because less energy entered than exited. This is because more energy from the sun was redirected (bounced) back toward outer space.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

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

Fossilized shells from the Pacific Ocean show that about 15 million years ago, there was a time period when carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased. What would have happened to the energy absorbed by Earth’s surface during this time? During this time, energy absorbed by Earth’s surface

• stayed at a constant level.

• changed unpredictably.

• decreased.

• increased.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

Ice core data from Greenland indicates there was a time period on Earth when the atmosphere changed so more energy entered the Earth system than exited. What change to the atmosphere could have caused this, and how would it have affected energy on Earth during that time?

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

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4