Topic 10 Test - Climate

Nick lives in Houston, Texas, in the southern part of the United States. The usual amount of rainfall is 50 inches per year, with an average of 106 days of rain. While winter temperatures are in the mid-40s in degrees Fahrenheit, summer temperatures are generally in the 90s in degrees Fahrenheit. What do these statistics describe?

• atmosphere

• circulation

• weather

• climate

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

In what climate zone is Greenland, and what sort of features would it have?

• polar with highlands

• polar with ice caps

• temperate and arid

• temperate and humid

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Identify three of these factors, and explain how they determine the climate in an area.

• Latitude, altitude, and ocean currents

• Population, economy, and culture

• Technology, politics, and history

• Language, religion, and art

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Lily has a greenhouse in her back yard. She plans to grow tomato plants in the greenhouse in early spring. The greenhouse effect in Earth's atmosphere works much like a greenhouse that houses plants. What is the difference between the air inside and the air outside of a greenhouse, and why?

• The air inside the greenhouse is cooler than the outside air due to the solar energy available outside.

• The air inside the greenhouse is warmer than the outside air because of the trapped solar energy inside.

• The air inside the greenhouse is cooler than the outside air due to the cooling effect of having no sunlight during the night.

• The air inside the greenhouse is warmer than the outside air because sunlight can escape through the glass.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

Mason visited the Museum of Natural History in New York City. In another exhibit, he saw a display of a cross-cut tree sample. He examined the rings, looking for differences in their widths to learn about the climate at the time the tree was growing. How would a tree ring provide information about past climates?

• Wide rings indicate a season of changing climate, and narrow rings indicate a season of stable climate.

• Wide rings indicate a season of slow growth, and narrow rings indicate a season of fast growth.

• Wide rings indicate a rainy season, and narrow rings indicate a dry season.

• Wide rings indicate a dry season, and narrow rings indicate a rainy season.

Mason visited the Museum on Natural History in New York City. In one of the exhibits, he saw a fossilized warm-weather plant that had been found in Antarctica. He was surprised, but knows that scientists use a variety of ways to study past climates. Why would a warm-weather plant fossil be found in Antarctica?

• a. Earth's continents move gradually.

• b. The fossil was deposited from another location.

• c. Warm weather plants form better fossils in cold climates.

• d. Antarctica's climate was warmer in the past.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Identify two human actions that are contributing to a warming climate. Then explain how these activities affect the climate.

• Burning fossil fuels and deforestation contribute to a warming climate by increasing greenhouse gases.

• Recycling and planting trees contribute to a warming climate by reducing greenhouse gases.

• Using solar panels and wind turbines contribute to a warming climate by increasing renewable energy.

• Driving electric cars and using public transport contribute to a warming climate by reducing emissions.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Brody knew that Earth's climate could be unpredictable. However, he was surprised to learn that a warming climate would bring some serious changes, and that organisms would have to adapt or die out. What conditions might result from warming temperatures?

• new environmental conditions

• additional salt in oceans

• reductions in greenhouse gases

• changing weather patterns

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS3-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Keisha lives in St. Augustine, Florida, which is on the eastern coast. Keisha is concerned because temperatures have been rising around the world gradually over a number of years. Which of the following statements about the effects of rising temperatures is true?

• Warmer temperatures will not cause extreme changes.

• Warmer temperatures will change climates everywhere, but will not affect the polar regions.

• Warmer temperatures will affect only people living in the center of continental areas.

• Warmer temperatures will change climates, and rising water from melting glaciers would flood coastal cities.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

NGSS.MS-ESS3-5

In polar regions, a thin layer of soil supports plant life. The soil below this layer, called permafrost, is frozen year-round. How could melting permafrost accelerate global warming?

• a. Polar plants would die out, causing an increase in carbon dioxide.

• b. Polar sea water would decrease in temperature, causing changes to ocean and air currents.

• c. Additional carbon dioxide would enter the atmosphere as decomposing plant matter is exposed.

• d. Additional water vapor would be released into the atmosphere, changing the climate conditions.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-2

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5