U3L3 Climate Change Tests

Question 1

What much are the temperature risen since the Industrial Revolution in the late nineteenth century?

Answer 1

0.9°C (1.62°F)

Question 2

What is the definition of global warming?

Answer 2

The gradual increase in the overall temperature of Earth’s atmosphere

Question 3

What measurements do scientists use to study climate change?

Answer 3

• carbon dioxide levels
• air temperature
• the amount of sea ice at the poles
• ocean temperatures sea levels
• glacier size

Question 4

What is the definition of climate change?

Answer 4

The long-term change of temperature and normal weather patterns in a place

Question 5

How do tree rings give information about past climates?

Answer 5

A tree’s rings grow wider in warm, wet weather, and they stay thinner in cold, dry weather. Studying the size of the rings, therefore, gives scientists information about rainfall and temperature at the time each ring was formed.

Question 6

How can scientists use ice to determine the climate thousands of years ago?

Answer 6

Scientists also look at ice formed thousands of years ago to determine the temperature and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the time. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is one of the main causes of global warming.

Question 7

How can scientists use leftover shells of small animals to determine the climate thousands of years ago?

Answer 7

Scientists can even look at the leftover shells of small animals like foraminifera. The percentage of chemical isotopes found in these shells allows scientists to estimate the ocean’s temperature millions of years ago when the animals lived.

Question 8

How can scientists use fossilized pollen grains to determine the climate thousands of years ago?

Answer 8

Fossilized pollen grains can also contribute to the record since knowing what kind of plants grew at a particular time indicates what the climate was like.

Question 9

For what features of the planet are satellites used to study?

Answer 9

Satellites are used to study snow cover, the extent and thickness of sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets on the planet

Question 10

What do scientists use to measure ocean temperate?

Answer 10

An international effort called Argo measures ocean temperatures. About 3,200 floats measure ocean temperature and salinity, which changes based on freshwater input.

Question 11

What is the definition of salinity?

Answer 11

The amount of salt dissolved in a body of water

Question 12

What is the definition of glacial retreat?

Answer 12

The moving up of the end of a glacier so that it does not extend as far down-valley as it once did

Question 13

Which do scientists study to determine air temperature at the time it was formed? Select the two correct answers.

Answer 13

• Tree rings

- Ice formed thousands of years ago

Question 14

What do Argo floats measure in the world’s ocean currents? Select the two correct answers.

Answer 14

• Salinity

- Temperature

Question 15

What can scientists learn from the chemical isotopes in leftover shells of foraminifera about the climate at the time the foraminifera lived?

Answer 15

They can estimate the ocean’s temperature.