Living Physical Geography 1st Edition

Gervais Test Bank

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1. The Medieval Warm Period occurred from approximately __________.
A) 950 to 1250 CE
B) 1350 to 1850 CE
C) 950 to 1250 BCE
D) 1350 to 1850 BCE

2. The Little Ice Age occurred from approximately __________.

A) 950 to 1250 CE
B) 1350 to 1850 CE
C) 950 to 1250 BCE
D) 1350 to 1850 BCE

3. The Greenland Norse society failed because of __________.

A) frozen soils
B) disease that killed its livestock
C) summer sea ice
D) global warming

4. Which is an example of climate?

A) a tornado
B) the average July temperature
C) one week of rain
D) the relative humidity for an afternoon

5. Which is an example of weather?

A) the average date of the first frost
B) the average number of hurricanes per season
C) the date of the first frost
D) the average number of days of thunderstorms

6. Which is an example of weather?

A) drought
B) the Asian monsoon
C) El Niño
D) a midlatitude storm

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 7. Which has the longest temporal scale?
A) a rainbow
B) Cenozoic cooling
C) a hurricane
D) the Younger Dryas

8. Since 1880, the average temperature of the lower atmosphere has increased __________
degrees Celsius.
A) 0.83
B) 0.9
C) 1.3
D) 2.1

9. A __________ causes climate change but is not affected by climate change.

A) climate forcing
B) climate feedback
C) climate teleconnection
D) climate anomaly

10. A __________ causes climate change and is affected by climate change.

A) climate forcing
B) climate feedback
C) climate teleconnection
D) climate anomaly

11. Which is an example of a climate feedback?

A) a volcano
B) changes in solar output
C) changes in snow coverage
D) changes in Earth-Sun orbital geometry

12. The Cenozoic Era is used as an example of __________.

A) a climate anomaly
B) a climate cycle
C) a climate trend
D) a climate feedback

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13. The Quaternary period is used as an example of __________.
A) a climate anomaly
B) a climate cycle
C) a climate trend
D) a climate feedback

14. The Younger Dryas event is used as an example of __________.

A) a climate anomaly
B) a climate cycle
C) a climate trend
D) a climate feedback

15. About 55 million years ago, during the Cenozoic, the average global temperature was
about __________ degrees Celsius warmer than today.
A) 4
B) 8
C) 10
D) 12

16. About 55 million years ago, during the Cenozoic, atmospheric carbon dioxide
concentrations were about __________ parts per million.
A) 300
B) 500
C) 900
D) 1,000

17. The Cenozoic cooling is thought to have been caused by __________.

A) a gradual dimming of the Sun
B) changes in Earth-Sun orbital relations
C) the uplift of the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau
D) changes in snow and ice cover in the Northern Hemisphere

18. Glacial periods last about __________ years on average.

A) 10,000
B) 30,000
C) 60,000
D) 90,000

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19. Interglacial periods last about __________ years on average.
A) 10,000
B) 30,000
C) 60,000
D) 90,000

20. There have been about __________ glacial-interglacial cycles during the Quaternary
period.
A) 10
B) 16
C) 22
D) 43

21. The orbital eccentricity component of a Milankovitch forcing takes about __________
years to complete one full cycle.
A) 10,000
B) 24,000
C) 41,000
D) 100,000

22. The precession component of a Milankovitch forcing takes about __________ years to
complete one full cycle.
A) 10,000
B) 24,000
C) 41,000
D) 100,000

23. The axial tilt component of a Milankovitch forcing takes about __________ years to
complete one full cycle.
A) 10,000
B) 24,000
C) 41,000
D) 100,000

24. Glacial cycles develop as ice sheets grow in __________.

A) Eurasia
B) North America
C) the Northern Hemisphere
D) the Southern Hemisphere

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25. Glacial cycles require that the __________ cools.
A) summer
B) fall
C) winter
D) spring

26. Increased sunspot activity can cause __________.

A) warming
B) cooling
C) drought
D) flooding

27. Volcanic eruptions cause short-term cooling by __________.

A) injecting ash and sulfur dioxide into the troposphere
B) injecting ash and sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere
C) releasing large amount of carbon dioxide
D) depositing reflective ash on the ground

28. The Younger Dryas was a cooling period that was caused by __________.
A) volcanic eruptions
B) Milankovitch cycles
C) ocean currents
D) snow coverage

29. During the Younger Dryas, Greenland temperature dropped by __________ degrees
Celsius.
A) 4
B) 8
C) 12
D) 15

30. The __________ is a global system of surface and deep ocean currents.
A) ocean conveyor belt
B) Medieval Warm Period
C) ice-albedo positive feedback
D) Holocene epoch

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31. The Gulf Stream transports __________ percent of all global heating moving north and
south.
A) 10
B) 25
C) 30
D) 50

32. If the ocean conveyor belt slows down, the Northern Hemisphere gets __________.
A) warmer
B) colder
C) wetter
D) drier

33. The __________ was the large ice sheet that formed over North America during the
previous glacial cycle.
A) Laurentide ice sheet
B) Scandinavian ice sheet
C) Cordilleran ice sheet
D) Pleistocene ice sheet

34. Scientists suspect that the ocean conveyor system was slowed during the Younger Dryas
due to __________.
A) warm water from the Gulf Stream
B) cold water from the Laurentide ice sheet
C) fresh water from the Laurentide ice sheet
D) volcanic eruptions

35. Which material provides the longest record of climate change?

A) tree rings
B) marine sediments
C) glaciers
D) corals

36. Which material provides the highest temporal resolution?

A) tree rings
B) marine sediments
C) glaciers
D) corals

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37. About 99.9 percent of all carbon on Earth is stored in the __________.
A) atmosphere
B) biosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) lithosphere

38. Which does not transfer carbon from the atmosphere to the lithosphere?
A) chemical weathering of rocks
B) volcanic activity
C) the activities of shell-building organisms
D) the preservation of photosynthetic organisms on land and in the oceans

39. In the short-term carbon cycle, 91 percent of carbon is in the __________.

A) oceans
B) biosphere
C) atmosphere
D) cryosphere

40. How does carbon leave the lithosphere?

A) through volcanic eruptions and burning of fossil fuels
B) through photosynthesis
C) through chemical weathering
D) through sedimentation

41. Human activity moves about __________ times more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
than all volcanic activity.
A) 5 to 10
B) 20 to 30
C) 50 to 70
D) 100 to 300

42. Each year, human-caused deforestation moves about __________ billion metric tons of
carbon to the atmosphere.
A) 1.3
B) 2.5
C) 3.4
D) 4.5

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43. Each year, burning of fossil fuels moves about __________ billion metric tons of carbon
to the atmosphere.
A) 1.4
B) 6.8
C) 19.3
D) 31.6

44. In about __________ days, human activity emits an entire year's worth of average
volcanic emissions.
A) 4
B) 32
C) 68
D) 100

45. Human activity is increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by __________ parts per
million per year.
A) 1
B) 2.5
C) 3
D) 4.5

46. The Keeling curve shows measurements of __________.

A) carbon dioxide
B) methane
C) sulfur dioxide
D) ozone

47. Scientists measure atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from Mauna Loa Observatory in
Hawai'i because __________.
A) Hawai'i is a convenient location and centrally located
B) Hawai'i is far away from pollution from human activity
C) Hawai'i has naturally high levels of carbon dioxide
D) Hawai'i has naturally low levels of carbon dioxide

48. Scientists study ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide levels preserved in __________.
A) marine sediments
B) tree rings
C) corals
D) ice cores

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49. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels began to dramatically increase around the year
__________.
A) 1600
B) 1750
C) 1850
D) 1920

50. The __________ began the era of fossil fuel burning.

A) Holocene epoch
B) Industrial Revolution
C) Agricultural Revolution
D) Green Revolution

51. During the last 800,000 years, carbon dioxide and __________ have increased and
decreased synchronously.
A) air temperature
B) methane levels
C) volcanic activity
D) human populations

52. During the last 800,000 years, carbon dioxide concentrations have never exceeded
__________ parts per million.
A) 200
B) 300
C) 400
D) 500

53. The average rate of annual warming is __________ degrees Celsius.

A) 0.013
B) 0.25
C) 0.51
D) 0.78

54. Most atmospheric warming is occurring __________.

A) in the Southern Hemisphere
B) in the tropics
C) in the Arctic
D) at midlatitudes in the Northern Hemisphere

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55. Earth's average temperature is now higher than at any time in the last __________ years
as a result of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect.
A) 100
B) 500
C) 1,000
D) 1,500

56. The last time temperatures were warmer than today was during the __________.
A) Eemian
B) Holocene
C) Pleistocene
D) Cenozoic

57. When Earth's temperatures were last warmer than today they were about __________
degrees Celsius above today's average temperature.
A) 1 to 2
B) 3 to 4
C) 5 to 6
D) 7 to 8

58. When Earth's temperatures were last warmer than today, sea levels were about
__________ meters higher than today.
A) 1 to 2
B) 3 to 4
C) 4 to 6
D) 6 to 8

59. When Earth's temperatures were last warmer than today, atmospheric carbon dioxide
concentrations were about __________ parts per million.
A) 250
B) 300
C) 350
D) 400

60. Which is not being observed in the current warming trend?

A) The pace of warming mirrors the pace of carbon dioxide increases in the
atmosphere.
B) The nights are warming faster than the days.
C) The lower stratosphere is cooling.
D) The tropics are warming faster than middle and high latitudes.

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61. From 1880 to 2010, the average sea surface temperature increased by __________
degrees Celsius.
A) 0.31
B) 0.56
C) 0.78
D) 1.3

62. The oceans have absorbed about __________ percent of carbon dioxide emitted to the
atmosphere by human burning of fossil fuels.
A) 10
B) 20
C) 30
D) 40

63. What happens as the oceans absorb carbon dioxide?

A) They become more acidic.
B) They become less acidic.
C) They become warmer.
D) They become colder.

64. Global sea level is rising about __________ millimeters per year.
A) 1.1
B) 1.6
C) 2.4
D) 3.2

65. Altogether, sea level has risen about __________ millimeters since 1880.
A) 100
B) 150
C) 200
D) 250

66. Which is not contributing to sea-level rise?

A) increased rainfall on land
B) melting mountain glaciers
C) expansion of seawater as it warms
D) runoff from water pumped from the ground

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67. The year __________ recorded the lowest-ever extent of Arctic sea ice.
A) 2010
B) 2011
C) 2012
D) 2013

68. In some places in the western United States snowpack has decreased by as much as
__________ percent over the last 50 years.
A) 50
B) 60
C) 70
D) 80

69. Bird populations have shifted north by about __________ kilometers on average since
1965.
A) 40
B) 56
C) 67
D) 78

70. Since 1900, the growing season is on average __________ days longer for the lower 48
states.
A) 7
B) 12
C) 15
D) 20

71. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) projects that sea levels could
rise by __________ meters by 2100.
A) 0.5
B) 1.2
C) 2.2
D) 2.6

72. Climatologists use __________ to develop predictions about how climate might respond
to greenhouse gas forcing.
A) Earth system models
B) samples from marine sediments
C) measurements of atmospheric temperature
D) public opinion polls

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 73. By the year 2100, lower estimates of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are
__________ parts per million.
A) 400
B) 450
C) 500
D) 550

74. By the year 2100, higher estimates of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are
__________ parts per million.
A) 900
B) 950
C) 1,000
D) 1,050

75. Which is not a factor that contributes to the scientific uncertainty of how much
temperature will warm by 2100?
A) the extent of fossil fuel burning
B) the extent of deforestation
C) the extent of extreme weather events in the coming years
D) the extent of cloud feedbacks

Use the following to answer questions 76-77:

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 76. According to this graph, in 1960 the annual increase in carbon dioxide was about how
many parts per million per year?
A) 0.5
B) 1.5
C) 2.0
D) 2.5

77. According to the graph, in 2013 the annual increase in carbon dioxide was about how
many parts per million per year?
A) 0.5
B) 1.5
C) 2.0
D) 2.5

Use the following to answer questions 78-79:

78. According to these graphs, carbon dioxide concentrations were about how many parts
per million 400,000 years ago?
A) 200
B) 280
C) 320
D) 350

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 79. According to these graphs, temperature and carbon dioxide share what relationship?
A) an inverse relationship
B) a direct relationship
C) no relationship
D) It is not possible to tell using these graphs.

Use the following to answer questions 80-81:

80. According to this figure, which location has seen the greatest decrease in snowpack?
A) Southern California
B) Oregon
C) Utah
D) British Columbia

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81. According to this figure, which location has seen the greatest increase in snowpack?
A) Southern California
B) Oregon
C) Utah
D) British Columbia

82. The last time atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were 400 parts per million was
__________ million years ago.
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4

83. When atmospheric carbon dioxide was last 400 parts per million, atmospheric
temperatures were about __________ degrees Celsius warmer than today.
A) 1 to 2
B) 2 to 3
C) 3 to 4
D) 4 to 5

84. When atmospheric carbon dioxide was last 400 parts per million, global sea level was
about __________ meters higher than today.
A) 10
B) 15
C) 20
D) 25

85. On May 9, 2013, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rose above _________ parts per
million briefly, then dropped back down.
A) 397
B) 398
C) 399
D) 400

86. Scientists have set the goal to not exceed carbon dioxide levels of __________ parts per
million.
A) 400
B) 450
C) 500
D) 550

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87. To stop carbon dioxide concentrations from increasing, human emissions must be
reduced by about __________ percent.
A) 50
B) 60
C) 70
D) 80

88. In order to meet the goals of carbon dioxide emissions cuts, buildings should reduce
energy usage by __________ percent.
A) 25
B) 30
C) 35
D) 40

89. In order to meet the goals of carbon dioxide emissions cuts, coal burning power plants
must improve their efficiency to __________ percent.
A) 50
B) 60
C) 70
D) 80

90. In order to meet the goals of carbon dioxide emissions cuts, solar energy capacity must
increase __________ times.
A) 100
B) 300
C) 500
D) 700

91. In order to meet the goals of carbon dioxide emissions cuts, wind energy capacity must
increase __________ times.
A) 40
B) 50
C) 60
D) 70

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92. Which is not among the ways the climate change problem can be addressed at the
international level?
A) carbon taxes
B) cap and trade
C) carbon credits
D) voluntary reductions by cities

93. Which would not help an individual drive less?

A) choice of living location
B) bicycling
C) using public transportation
D) increasing use of solar energy

94. Which would not help an individual reduce his or her carbon emissions?
A) driving less
B) using renewable energy
C) eating more meat
D) flying less

95. Scandinavian Norse settled southern Greenland during the Little Ice Age.
A) True
B) False

96. The Greenland Norse thrived for nearly five centuries.

A) True
B) False

97. The primary reason the Greenland Norse society failed was due to the formation of
summer sea ice in the North Atlantic Ocean.
A) True
B) False

98. San Diego and Tucson have similar averages of annual temperature and precipitation.
They therefore have the same climate.
A) True
B) False

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 99. Long-distance climate connections among different geographic regions are called
climate teleconnections.
A) True
B) False

100. Scientists can say with certainty that a given extreme meteorological event, like a heat
wave, was caused by global warming.
A) True
B) False

101. The ice-albedo feedback is a positive feedback that can cause both cooling and warming
trends.
A) True
B) False

102. The Quaternary period began 2.6 million years ago.

A) True
B) False

103. Quaternary glacial and interglacial periods together cycle at about 100,000-year
intervals.
A) True
B) False

104. The Holocene epoch began about 5,000 years ago.

A) True
B) False

105. Milankovitch cycles refer to repeated and predictable changes in solar intensity.
A) True
B) False

106. Climate anomalies are caused by both climate forcings and climate feedbacks.
A) True
B) False

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107. Scientists who study Earth's ancient climates are paleoclimatologists.
A) True
B) False

108. The carbon cycle describes the movement of carbon atoms and carbon dioxide
molecules through Earth's physical systems.
A) True
B) False

109. The long-term carbon cycle involves the movement of carbon into and out of the
biosphere.
A) True
B) False

110. The short-term carbon cycle involves the movement of carbon between the biosphere,
hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
A) True
B) False

111. Fossil fuels are the remains of ancient photosynthetic organisms.

A) True
B) False

112. The first reliable and direct measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
occurred in 1958.
A) True
B) False

113. The anthropogenic greenhouse effect is caused by decreased stratospheric ozone.

A) True
B) False

114. The year 1976 was the last year global atmospheric temperatures were below average.
A) True
B) False

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115. The ice-albedo feedback is accelerating atmospheric warming in the tropics.
A) True
B) False

116. The current warming trend can be explained by activity of El Niño, volcanoes, and
sunspots.
A) True
B) False

117. The anthropogenic greenhouse effect is the result of human activity increasing
greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
A) True
B) False

118. Taken as a whole, the negative aspects of climate change far outweigh the positive
aspects.
A) True
B) False

119. Most mountain glaciers are moving downslope in response to a warming atmosphere.
A) True
B) False

120. By 2100, computer models forecast that the Great Plains and Midwest will warm more
than the rest of the United States.
A) True
B) False

121. Earth system models forecast the Southwestern United States will become drier by some
20 percent to 40 percent by 2100.
A) True
B) False

122. By 2100 most of Canada is forecast to become wetter.

A) True
B) False

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123. A green economy is one that focuses on parks and forests as a means to combat climate
change.
A) True
B) False

124. A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases that any activity generates.
A) True
B) False

125. Individuals are powerless to address the problem of climate change.

A) True
B) False

126. How is climate defined?

127. How does eating less meat and organic food help reduce the carbon footprint of an
individual? How does eating food locally produced help?

128. How does using less water allow one to reduce one's carbon footprint?

129. If a severe storm strikes, can scientists definitely say it was caused by climate change?
Explain.

130. What caused the Cenozoic cooling trend?

131. Compare and contrast the long-term carbon cycle to the short-term carbon cycle.
Explain how carbon moves within each.

132. What differences and what similarities can you think of that exist between the
Greenland Norse and modern societies in the context of vulnerability to climate change?

133. The topic of climate change has been politically controversial. Why do you think this is?
What are the sides of the controversy?

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Answer Key
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. D
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. B
11. C
12. C
13. B
14. A
15. D
16. D
17. C
18. D
19. A
20. C
21. D
22. B
23. C
24. C
25. A
26. A
27. B
28. C
29. D
30. A
31. B
32. B
33. A
34. C
35. B
36. A
37. D
38. B
39. A
40. A
41. D
42. C
43. D
44. A

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45. B
46. A
47. B
48. D
49. C
50. B
51. A
52. B
53. A
54. C
55. D
56. A
57. B
58. C
59. B
60. D
61. B
62. C
63. A
64. D
65. C
66. A
67. C
68. D
69. B
70. C
71. B
72. A
73. D
74. A
75. C
76. A
77. D
78. B
79. B
80. B
81. A
82. C
83. B
84. D
85. D
86. C
87. D
88. A
89. B
90. D

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 91. A
92. D
93. D
94. C
95. B
96. A
97. A
98. B
99. A
100. B
101. A
102. A
103. A
104. B
105. B
106. A
107. A
108. A
109. B
110. A
111. A
112. A
113. B
114. A
115. B
116. B
117. A
118. A
119. B
120. A
121. A
122. A
123. B
124. A
125. B
126. Climate is defined as the long-term average of weather, usually a 30-year average and
the average occurrence of extreme events. It also includes the average timing of the first
frost or the last snows and so on.
127. Raising livestock for meat is more carbon-intensive than growing plants for direct
human consumption. Eating organic food eliminates the use of fossil-fuel fertilizers.
Eating locally produced food reduces the need to transport food long distances.
128. Cleaning and distributing water require energy to process the water then pump it to
where it will be used. Using less water consumes less energy.
129. Scientists cannot say whether any given event was caused by climate change. They can
say that a given event would not have been as intense if the atmosphere and oceans were
not warmer from climate change.

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130. The leading theory to explain the Cenozoic cooling trend is that the uplift of the
Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau is responsible. As the Indian plate moves northward
into the Eurasian plate the mountains are being lifted. Through chemical weathering,
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere bonds with other materials and is deposited as
sediments on the seafloor. There it is compressed and turned to sediments and rock. This
process draws down carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As a result, the atmosphere has
gradually cooled. This process is still occurring.
131. In the long-term carbon cycle, carbon moves into and out of the lithosphere through
weathering and erosion of continental rocks and volcanic activity. This takes hundreds
of thousands to millions of years. In the short-term carbon cycle, carbon moves quickly
between the oceans, the biosphere, and the atmosphere. The oceans absorb carbon from
the atmosphere and emit carbon to the atmosphere. Plants absorb carbon from the
atmosphere when they photosynthesize and put carbon in the atmosphere when they
decompose.
132. The Greenland Norse were vulnerable to climate change because they relied on trade
with Europe, and summer sea ice severed that trade. Modern societies might be
comparable in that agricultural output could be greatly reduced if Earth's climate
changes significantly. This could lead to major problems for humanity.
133. The sides often are climate “believers” and climate “deniers.” This is a false dichotomy.
Empirical data are not about belief—they are simply a measured observation. The
question really is how to interpret the available data. An objective scientist will not use
the data to support a predetermined ideology or idea. Instead, the objective scientist will
rationally interpret the data and come to a reasoned conclusion based on rational
thought. There is no “controversy” about climate change within the science community.
Peer-reviewed research climate change papers unequivocally conclude that climate
change is occurring and it is a problem.

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