8.11 Investigating Climate Article

What caused the global temperature drop after the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991?

• Release of aerosols reflecting sunlight

• Increase in greenhouse gases

• Formation of the Chicxulub crater

• Melting of permafrost

Which natural event led to the extinction of dinosaurs?

• Volcanic eruptions

• Meteor impact

• El Niño events

• Deforestation

What is the primary role of the ocean in Earth's climate system?

• Absorbing carbon dioxide

• Acting as a heat conveyor belt

• Releasing methane

• Creating urban heat islands

How do greenhouse gases naturally get released into the atmosphere?

• Burning fossil fuels

• Melting permafrost

• Deforestation

• Urbanization

What human activity is the main contributor to increased CO₂ levels since the Industrial Revolution?

• Deforestation

• Burning fossil fuels

• Urbanization

• Volcanic eruptions

What is the urban heat island effect?

• Cities absorbing heat and raising temperatures

• Deforestation causing higher CO₂ levels

• Volcanic eruptions cooling the atmosphere

• Ocean currents redistributing heat

What evidence links the Chicxulub crater to the asteroid impact?

• Satellite data showing reduced sunlight

• Presence of iridium layer worldwide

• Temperature measurements in urban areas

• Carbon cycle disruptions

What happens during an El Niño event?

• Warm water spreads across the Pacific Ocean

• Methane is released from permafrost

• Carbon dioxide levels decrease

• Volcanic eruptions occur

How does deforestation affect the carbon cycle?

• It releases stored carbon into the atmosphere

• It increases methane emissions

• It creates urban heat islands

• It reduces ocean absorption of carbon dioxide

What is the carbon cycle?

• The movement of carbon through Earth's systems

• The process of volcanic eruptions releasing carbon

• The redistribution of heat by ocean currents

• The effect of urbanization on climate