Question 1. Every day, tremendous amounts of the sun's energy strikes the earth. Why doesn't the earth overheat?
- Much of the heat melts rocks, forming lava deep inside the earth.
- Most of the energy is used in photosynthesis, to help plants grow and survive.
- The energy mostly is absorbed in various weather systems.
- The energy is ultimately radiated back to space.
- None of the above
Question 2. The jet streams in the United States generally flow from west to east because of
- ocean currents off the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines.
- convection currents between the troposphere and stratosphere.
- rotation of the earth.
- high pressure systems generated by the sun striking the North American continent.
- the moons gravitational pull.
Question 3. Which of the following activities have contributed the greatest amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over the past 100 years?
- Increased farming and production of grains
- Increased reliance upon coal, oil, and natural gas
- Deforestation of rain forests and other parts of the world
- Volcanic eruptions
- Widespread forest fires
Question 4. Which of the following illustrates a risk assessment of climate system change?
- Using natural gas instead of coal to generate electricity
- Using solar and nuclear power to generate electricity instead of burning coal
- Measuring the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
- Determining what sorts of crops will be better suited to the new climate
- Determining the best location for a new coal power plant
Question 5. When an automobile heats up in bright sunlight with windows rolled up, the glass in the car functions most like
- rain in the atmosphere
- clouds in the atmosphere
- sulfate aerosol in the atmosphere
- carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
- soil in the lithosphere
Question 6. Rising GHGs in the 21st century most confidently predict
- increases in global temperatures and sea levels
- decreases in polar temperatures but increases in sea levels
- decreases in sea levels but increases in polar temperatures
- increases in ocean pH and increases in sea levels
- None of the above
Question 7. Rising GHGs in the 21st century most confidently predict
- increases in global temperatures and sea levels
- decreases in polar temperatures but increases in sea levels
- decreases in sea levels but increases in polar temperatures
- increases in ocean pH and increases in sea levels
- None of the above
Question 8. Which of the following U.S. national parks would be mostly eliminated by a 1 m rise in sea level?
- Glacier National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Everglades National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- None of the above
Question 9. Climatologists warn of a tipping point when global temperatures trigger catastrophic events and sea levels rise of close to 2 meters. About how much warmer does the world need to get for this tipping point to happen?
- Increased precipitation over the continents
- Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet
- Thermal expansion of the oceans
- Melting of the polar ice cap
- Increased precipitation over the oceans
Question 10. The most effective way to reduce GHG emissions is to increase
- the production of electric cars
- energy efficiency and renewable energy
- our reliance on widely available natural gas resources.
- the use of coal gasification plants and scrubber technologies to reduce sulfur emissions
- expanded oil drilling in ANWR