Lesson 2: Climate Cycles

A(n) ______ climate cycle takes much longer than a lifetime to complete.

• long-term

• short-term

• medium-term

• immediate-term

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

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To learn about long-term climate cycles, scientists study natural records, such as growth rings of trees, fossilized pollen, and ocean ______.

• sediments

• currents

• waves

• temperatures

The most recent ice age began about ______ years ago.

• 2 million

• 1 million

• 500,000

• 10,000

The maximum extent of the ice sheets was ______ years ago.

• 20,000

• 10,000

• 30,000

• 40,000

The current interglacial period is the ______ Epoch.

• Holocene

• Pleistocene

• Eocene

• Miocene

Earth is cooler if the shape of its orbit is ______, because Earth is then farther from the Sun.

• circular

• elliptical

• triangular

• square

Seasonal ______ are one source of short-term climate cycles.

• changes

• patterns

• variations

• fluctuations

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Seasons are caused by the ______ of Earth's axis.

• tilt

• rotation

• revolution

• orbit

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

On the summer solstice, which occurs on June 21 or 22 in the northern hemisphere, Earth's axis is tilted toward the Sun.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

In the Pacific Ocean, trade winds usually blow from east to west.

• True

• False

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

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