Practice

Questions – 9. Long-Term Climate Evolution

We don’t post the answers to these questions, but you can find all the answers within the notes. Use the discussion board to
clarify with your fellow students. Also, think of OTHER questions that address the learning goals that might be asked.

Construct these concept sketches (exams will include concept sketching):
1. Sketch, label, and describe the sequence of events that changes Earth’s greenhouse gas concentrations
as solar output increases. This is the stabilizing feedback loop that keeps Earth within a temperature
range for liquid water. Earth’s “natural thermostat”.
2. Sketch, label, and describe the feedback loop involving ice and albedo.
3. Sketch, label, and describe the situation that probably got Earth into the “Snowball Earth” cold period.
4. Sketch, label, and describe the plate tectonic movements that brought the Earth into the Pleistocene
glaciations. Explain why these tectonic movements cooled the Earth.
5. Sketch, label, and describe the fractionation of oxygen isotopes, and the resulting isotopic
composition of ocean water compared to ice on land.

Practice with these questions (exams will include multiple choice questions):

1. Which of these factor(s) influence(s) the long term evolution of climate?

1) Changes in solar radiation
2) Positions of continents
2) Concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

A) 1 only
B) 3 only
C) 1 & 2 only
D) 1 & 3 only
E) 1, 2 & 3

2. What is the “Faint Young Sun Paradox”?

A) Early in Earth’s history, lower energy from the then-fainter Sun would have kept ozone from
forming in the atmosphere, yet there is evidence for ozone early in Earth’s history.
B) Early in Earth’s history, lower energy from the then-fainter Sun would have meant that greenhouse
gases were low, yet there is early evidence for high greenhouse gas concentrations.
C) Early in Earth’s history, energy from the then-fainter Sun would not have been enough to support
life, yet there is early evidence for life.
D) Early in Earth’s history, energy from the then-fainter Sun would not have been enough to keep
Earth’s temperature in the range of liquid water, yet there is early evidence for liquid water.

3. Imagine a planet like ours, on which, over a long period of time, the area covered by continents grew
larger and larger. How would you expect this trend to influence the planet’s climate?
A) The planet’s temperature would warm because the climate is warmer in the middle of large
continents.
B) The planet’s temperature would warm because larger continents are more likely to have vegetation
with low albedo.
C) The planet’s temperature would warm because more continental area would reduce the albedo
effect of the ocean.
D) The planet’s temperature would cool because more area would be available for chemical
 weathering.
E) The planet’s temperature would cool because more continental area would reduce the planet’s
overall albedo.

4. Which of the following sequences describes correctly the stabilizing feedback loop that may have
resulted in a gradual decrease in atmospheric CO2 in response to the gradual increase in solar
intensity over the entire Earth’s history?
A) As the Sun’s radiation increasesà temperature on Earth increases à weathering rates and CO2
uptake decreases à atmospheric CO2 increases à greenhouse warming increases, compensating for
the higher solar radiation.
B) As the Sun’s radiation increasesà temperature on Earth decreases à weathering rates and CO2
uptake decreases à atmospheric CO2 decreases à greenhouse warming decreases, compensating for
the higher solar radiation.
C) As the Sun’s radiation increasesà temperature on Earth increases à weathering rates and CO2
uptake increases à atmospheric CO2 increases à greenhouse warming decreases, compensating for
the higher solar radiation.
D) As the Sun’s radiation increasesà temperature on Earth increases à weathering rates and CO2
uptake increases à atmospheric CO2 decreases à greenhouse warming decreases, compensating for
the higher solar radiation.

5. The Sun is still getting brighter. A billion years into the future, how do you think greenhouse gas
concentrations will compare to today, in general (think only of long-term processes)?
A) Greenhouse gas concentrations will be higher than today.
B) Greenhouse gas concentrations will be lower than today.
C) Greenhouse gas concentrations will be about the same as today.

6. Consider a future time in Earth’s history, far in the future, when the Pacific Ocean Basin closes and
North America and Asia are about to collide. What might you expect for Earth’s climate following
that collision?
A) Earth’s climate will warm after that time, because the collision will reduce the area covered by
continents and decrease Earth’s albedo.
B) Earth’s climate will warm after that time, because the collision will cause new mid-ocean ridges
on the opposite side of the planet to increase volcanic output of CO2.
C) Earth’s climate will cool after that time, because the collision will increase chemical weathering
and draw CO2 out of the atmosphere.
D) Earth’s climate will cool after that time, because the collision will reduce the area covered by
continents, and thus reduce the area available for chemical weathering.
E) Earth’s climate will cool after that time, because the mountains that would form would be tall
enough to support glaciers, which would increase Earth’s albedo.

7. Consider a future time in Earth’s history, far in the future, when, for some reason, the rate of burial of
organic carbon in sediments increases. What’s the likely climate response?
A) Earth would likely cool off.
B) Earth would likely warm up.
C) Earth would likely stay about the same temperature.

8. Consider a future time in Earth’s history, far in the future, when about half the continental land mass
is low-lying, swampy land in the tropics, and the other half is near the poles. What might you expect
for Earth’s climate with this scenario?
A) Earth would likely cool off.
B) Earth would likely warm up.
 C) Earth would likely stay about the same temperature.

9. Make up your own future scenarios that would likely cause changes in Earth’s climate, and determine
what you think would happen, based on logical consequences involving solar radiation, albedo,
and/or greenhouse gas concentrations.

10. The Indian Subcontinent collided with Asia starting about 50 million years ago. For about 10 million
years prior to the collision, Earth’s temperature was increasing. Which of the following processes
likely contributed to that pre-collision warming?
A) Subduction of sediments rich in organic carbon and calcium carbonate under Asia as India moved
toward the collision.
B) Faster-than-average sea floor spreading which was responsible for India’s movement toward Asia.
C) Uplift of the Himalayan Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau.
D) Increase in continental area as smaller pieces of islands were incorporated onto the front edge of
India as it moved toward the collision.
E) Release of large amounts of methane as India moved away from the poles and the permafrost on
that continent melted.

11. What kind of feedback is the ice-albedo feedback (1) during the formation and growth of continental
ice sheets, and (2) during the melting and disintegration of continental ice sheets?
A) Amplifying feedback during formation, stabilizing feedback during melting.
B) Stabilizing feedback during formation, amplifying feedback during melting.
C) Amplifying feedback during both formation and melting.
D) Stabilizing feedback during both formation and melting.
E) Could be either amplifying or stabilizing, during either formation or melting.

12. What has been the general trend in Earth’s temperature over the past 65 million years?
A) Earth’s temperature has generally been increasing.
B) Earth’s temperature has generally been decreasing.
C) Earth’s temperature has generally stayed constant.

13. What role did organisms play in causing the Huronian glaciations 2.5-2.3 billion years ago?
A) Methanogens evolved and started releasing a lot of methane into the atmosphere.
B) Methanogens died out and stopped releasing a lot of methane into the atmosphere.
C) Oxygen-producing organisms evolved and started releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere.
D) Oxygen-producing organisms evolved and the oxygen oxidized a lot of methane.
E) Lots of organic material started getting buried in swamps.

14. What role did organisms play in causing the Permo-Carboniferous glaciations 300-270 million years
ago?
A) Methanogens evolved and started releasing a lot of methane into the atmosphere.
B) Methanogens died out and stopped releasing a lot of methane into the atmosphere.
C) Oxygen-producing organisms evolved and started releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere.
D) Oxygen-producing organisms evolved and the oxygen oxidized a lot of methane.
E) Lots of organic material started getting buried in swamps.

15. Which major glaciation in Earth’s history resulted in the deposition of most of the coal deposits we
use as fossil fuels today?
A) The Huronian glaciations 2.5-2.3 billion years ago.
B) Snowball Earth 800-600 million years ago.
C) The Permo-Carboniferous glaciations, 300-270 million years ago.
 D) The Pleistocene glaciations in the last 2.5 million years.

16. When large areas of continents are covered by ice, what happens to the rate of chemical weathering?
A) It increases because the glaciers grind up rocks and expose more surface area to water.
B) It increases because the glaciers trap CO2 emitted from volcanoes under the ice sheets, making the
water at the rock surface more acidic.
C) It increases because glaciers move large amount of rock from the continents into the oceans.
D) It decreases because the continents are mostly covered with ice and not exposed to the atmosphere.
E) It decreases because volcanoes keep adding CO2 to the atmosphere regardless of whether glaciers
are present.

17. During an ice age, when there’s lots of ice piled up on land, what is sea level like, compared to a
warmer time?

18. During an ice age, when there’s lots of ice piled up on land, what is the oxygen isotope composition
of ocean water like, compared to a warmer time?

19. During an ice age, when there’s lots of ice piled up on land, what is Earth’s albedo like, compared to
a warmer time?

20. A stabilizing feedback loop stabilizes atmospheric CO2 on multi-million year timescales because…
A) higher atmospheric CO2 decreases the rate of decomposition of organic matter and increases the
sequestration of carbon in sediments, soils and sedimentary rocks.
B) higher atmospheric CO2 increases the dissolution of CO2 and the formation of carbonic acid in
seawater.
C) higher atmospheric CO2 increases the rate of photosynthesis and the sequestration of atmospheric
CO2 by land plants .
D) higher atmospheric CO2 decreases the acidity of rain water, the reaction rate between carbonic
acid and silicate minerals and the uptake of atmospheric CO2 by weathering.
E) higher atmospheric CO2 increases the acidity of rain water, the reaction rate between carbonic acid
and silicate minerals and the uptake rate of atmospheric CO2 by weathering.

21. Which one of the following sequences describes correctly the “carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle”
A) Atmospheric CO2 dissolves in rainwater to produce carbonate ions that are directly added to the
ocean and taken up by marine organisms which produce calcium carbonate shells. At the death of the
organisms, the shells sink to the seafloor and accumulate as marine sediments. Reactions between
marine sediments and hydrothermal fluid generated at the mid ocean ridges produce CO2, which is
returned to the atmosphere.
B) Atmospheric CO2 dissolves in rain water to produce carbonic acid; carbonic acid is taken up by
bacteria in soils to produce dissolved silica, which is transported to the ocean by rivers; in the ocean
silica is taken up by other organisms which produce silica shells. At the death of the organisms, the
shells sink to the seafloor and accumulate as marine sediments; marine sediments are transported to
subduction zones by seafloor spreading where they are subjected to high temperature and pressure.
Under these conditions silica release CO2, which is returned to the atmosphere by volcanism.
C) Atmospheric CO2 reacts directly in a gaseous form with silicate minerals in rocks on the surface of
the continents; this reaction produces carbonic acid, calcium ions and silica, which are transported to
the ocean by rivers; in the ocean calcium and bicarbonate ions are taken up by marine organisms
which produce calcium carbonate shells and dissolved silica is taken up by other organisms which
produce silica shells. At the death of the organisms, the shells sink to the seafloor and accumulate as
marine sediments; marine sediments are transported to subduction zones by seafloor spreading where
they are subjected to high temperature and pressure. Under these conditions carbonate and silica react
 together to reconstitute silicate minerals, releasing CO2, which is returned to the atmosphere by
volcanism.
D) Atmospheric CO2 dissolves in rain water to produce carbonic acid; carbonic acid reacts with
silicate minerals in rocks on the surface of the continents; this reaction produces dissolved
bicarbonate ions, calcium ions and silica, which are transported to the ocean by rivers; in the ocean,
calcium and bicarbonate ions are taken up by marine organisms which produce calcium carbonate
shells and dissolved silica is taken up by other organisms which produce silica shells. At the death of
the organisms, the shells sink to the seafloor and accumulate as marine sediments; marine sediments
are transported to subduction zones by seafloor spreading where they are subjected to high
temperature and pressure. Under these conditions carbonate and silica react together to reconstitute
silicate minerals, releasing CO2, which is returned to the atmosphere by volcanism.

22. Mountain ranges formed when two continental plates are colliding…
A) contribute to increasing atmospheric CO2 by increasing volcanism.
B) contribute to decreasing atmospheric CO2 by increasing the uptake rate of atmospheric CO2 by
weathering because glacier abrasion and increased erosion fragment rocks and increase the surface of
contact with rain water.
C) contribute to increasing atmospheric CO2 by decreasing the uptake rate of atmospheric CO2 by
covering land surfaces with ice sheets.
D) contribute to increasing atmospheric CO2 by reducing land biomass.
E) contribute to decreasing atmospheric CO2 by trapping it in glacier ice.

23. Vast swamps covered large areas of land during the Carboniferous era, increasing the burial of
organic carbon. This resulted in an atmosphere with..
A) higher O2 content and higher CO2 content.
B) lower O2 content and higher CO2 content.
C) higher O2 content and lower CO2 content.
D) lower O2 content and lower CO2 content.

What other questions or question variations can you think of? Try them on others in the class.