The boundary between air masses that have different temperatures and/or amounts of water vapor is called a
  • gradient
  • conundrum
  • divide
  • front
A large volume of air that has the same temperature and humidity throughout is called a(n)
  • front
  • air mass
  • convection current
  • tropospheric anomoly
Convection moves as a current because cool air sinks and warm air rises. Air moves this way due to changes in
  • air pressure
  • density
  • radiation level
  • amounts of conduction
The main chemicals responsible for breaking down ozone in the stratosphere are
  • sulfuric and nitric acids
  • VOCs
  • carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide
  • CFCs
This brown haze forms when sunlight interacts with certain types of air pollutants.
  • smog
  • temperature inversions
  • dust storms
  • tropospheric ozone
This is a dangerous pollutant in the troposphere, but protects life as a concentrated layer in the stratosphere
  • oxygen
  • nitrogen
  • ozone
  • carbon dioxide
As a result of this treaty, manufacture of CFCs has fallen dramatically.
  • Clean Air Act
  • Cartegena Convention
  • Clean Water Act
  • Montreal Protocol
Pollutants that are released directly to the troposphere, like soot and carbon monoxide, are:
  • primary air pollutants
  • secondary air pollutants
  • point source air pollutants
  • nonpoint source air pollutants
Secondary air pollutants
  • are less toxic than primary air pollutants
  • form when primary pollutants undergo chemical reactions
  • are more toxic than primary air pollutants
  • stay in the second layer of Earth's
The main source of the pollutants in photochemical smog is
  • exhaust of vehicles
  • soot from factory smokestacks
  • water vapor released from power plants
  • combustion of waste
Fossil fuels are carbon-containing fuels that formed millions of years ago from
  • the combustion of various types of igneous rocks
  • substances that reached Earth via meteoroids
  • the remains of once-living organisms
  • the cooling of Earth's surface during its formation
When sulfur dioxide or nitric oxide combine with water and oxygen in the atmosphere,
  • temperature inversions are common
  • acid deposition occurs
  • industrial smog develops
  • global climate change develops
Manaus and Miami are both locations with a lot of rainfall. Which statement is NOT true about the average precipitation graphs shown below?
  • Both locations have six months where the average precipitation is less than 4.0 inches.
  • The month of peak rainfall in Manaus occurs in March.
  • Both locations average at least 1.5 inches of precipitation each month of the year.
  • The wettest part of the year occurs in January-May for Manaus and June-September for Miami
Which of the following events could increase Earth's temperature?
  • a decrease in the relative percent of greenhouse gases
  • planting more trees
  • widespread removal of tropical forests
  • a reduction in the use of fossil fuels
Notice that a sudden change occurred at the start of Day 4 in the graph below. What change in greenhouse gases would cause this change? How would you expect temperatures to change as a result of this?
  • Greenhouse gases increased and temperatures will increase.
  • Greenhouse gases decreased and temperatures will increase.
  • Greenhouse gases increased and temperatures will decrease.
  • Greenhouse gases decreased and temperatures will decrease.
There are several pieces of evidence that support the theory Earth's climate is changing. Which of the following is not evidence that supports climate change theory?
  • heat waves have become more frequent
  • some species have changed their migration patterns
  • ice caps around the world are melting
  • cold snaps are longer and colder
Which of these is NOT a greenhouse gas?
  • carbon dioxide
  • oxygen
  • water vapor
  • methane
If Earth's atmosphere did not contain any greenhouse gases, its climate would
  • be more stable and more suitable for life
  • stay below freezing all the time
  • be much hotter and dryer
  • be more extreme, with eight seasons instead of four
How do we know how much carbon dioxide was in Earth's atmosphere 2000 years ago?
  • it's an estimate made by extrapolating backwards from modern climate data
  • gas bubbles trapped in ice cores contain air from that time period and have been analyzed
  • it's really just a guess
  • evidence found in certain types of rocks and minerals provides clues to CO2 concentrations
This greenhouse gas is released from cows we raise for beef and milk, and from waste in landfills as it decays.
  • CFCs
  • carbon monoxide
  • methane
  • sulfurous oxide
Why do we focus on carbon dioxide in the atmosphere if methane is a more powerful greenhouse gas?
  • because carbon dioxide is easier to measure
  • because we don't know how to deal with the methane, but we do know how to remove excess carbon dioxide
  • there is less methane being released into the atmosphere, and it doesn't stay as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide does
Some human and natural activities cool Earth, while others cause average temperatures to increase. When all the different ways Earth's atmosphere is warmed and cooled are added up, the net effect currently is
  • Earth's average atmospheric temperatures are warming
  • Earth's average atmospheric temperatures are fluctuating every few years, but generally are stable
  • Earth's average atmospheric temperatures are cooling
Even if we stop using fossil fuels immediately, Earth's atmosphere will continue to warm for a few more years. Why?
  • fossil fuel emissions multiply in the presence of sunlight
  • chemical reactions from secondary pollutants will warm the atmosphere
  • the sun itself is emitting an increasing amount of radiation
  • there is a lag time between our emission of greenhouse gases and actual warming of Earth
Which of the following has been found to be true about where excess carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion is stored?
  • most is stored in the atmosphere for a few decades then absorbed by the ocean
  • most is stored in the ocean for a few decades, then released to the atmosphere
  • most is stored in the atmosphere for centuries
  • most is stored in the ocean for centuries
Since the Industrial Revolution, scientists have known burning fossil fuels would add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. What misconception caused them to conclude it would be harmless?
  • they thought animals taking in carbon dioxide during respiration would compensate for the increase from fossil fuels
  • they thought the ocean would absorb all of the extra carbon dioxide being released
  • they thought forests would take in enough carbon dioxide to reduce the impact
  • they thought most of the carbon dioxide would be removed from the atmosphere as it interacted with exposed rocks
Rising sea levels are a result of
  • increased amounts of precipitation
  • melting ice only
  • increased carbon dioxide levels in the ocean
  • melting ice and expansion of heated water
What causes Earth to have seasons?
  • different areas of Earth are closer or further from the sun as it revolves throughout the year
  • Earth is tilted, causing some areas to be closer to the sun than others at various points in its revolution
  • some areas receive the sun's radiation at a more direct angle than others because the Earth is tilted
  • the planet is shaped like a slightly flattened beach ball (an oblate spheroid)
Which of the following best descries the approach scientists take to study climate change?
  • Scientists only look at direct measurements being made today, because we cannot accurately estimate conditions from many years ago.
  • Scientists rely mainly on evidence from Earth's geologic history, because today's technology is not precise enough to give consistent readings.
  • Scientists measure atmospheric conditions around the world now and combine that information with indirect evidence gathered about past climates.
  • Scientists rely on modern data collection and computer models, which help predict possible changes to Earth's climate in the future, but past climates are not included in the models because they may not be accurate.
How is the ocean changing in response to climate change?
  • it is becoming warmer and more acidic
  • it is becoming warmer and less acidic
  • it is becoming cooler and more acidic
  • it is becoming cooler and less acidic
Which of the following is not one of the impacts of climate change currently observed on Earth?
  • more frequent outbreaks of disease and insect infestations in forests
  • saltwater intrusion into aquifers has increased due to sea levels decreasing
  • economic impacts due to storm damage and lower crop productivity
  • heat waves have caused more cases of heat stroke
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