. How could extra carbon dioxide be responsible for increasing temperatures on Earth?
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a. extra carbon dioxide is leading to more heat being trapped in Earth’s atmosphere
b. carbon dioxide is flammable
c. extra carbon dioxide leads to extra methane in the atmosphere
d. carbon dioxide produces heat
a. extra carbon dioxide is leading to more heat being trapped in Earth's atmosphere
Examine Graph 1 and then answer Questions 3 through 5. Graph 1 shows the level of carbon dioxide that was in the atmosphere in prehistoric times. Scientists retrieved this data from air bubbles trapped in ancient ice in Vostok, Antarctica. Carbon dioxide levels are provided in parts per million (ppm).
3. What time frame does this graph include?
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a. about 400,000 years ago to the present
b. from the present day to 400,000 years in the future
c. one million years ago to the present day
d. the graph does not provide a timeframe
a. about 400,000 years ago to the present
About what is the highest level of parts per million of carbon dioxide (ppm) in the air in the 400,000 years before modern time? (In other words, what level of carbon dioxide was never exceeded?)
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a. carbon dioxide levels never went over about 250ppm
b. carbon dioxide levels never went over about 275ppm
c. carbon dioxide levels never went over about 300ppm
c. carbon dioxide levels never went over about 300ppm
Examine Graph 2 and then answer Questions 6. Graph 2 shows the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii over several recent decades.
6. What time frame does this graph include?
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a. about 1958 to 2000
b. about 1958 to 2010
c. about 1958 to 2019
d. about 1960 to 2010
c. about 1958 to 2019
Examine Graph 3 and then answer Questions 10 through 11. Graph 3 shows the temperature anomalies of Earth. This data was put together by paleoclimatologists – scientists who study past climates – using observations of ancient ice samples. Temperature anomaly is a measurement of how far off the temperature was from the average. A positive number means Earth was warmer than average that year. A negative number means Earth was cooler than average.
10. What time period does this graph include?
*
a. 800,000 years ago to the present
b. from the present day to 800,000 years in the future
c. one million years ago to the present day
d. the graph does not provide a timeframe
a. 800,000 years ago to the present
Which of the following describe what happened to Earth’s temperatures during this time period.
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a. temperatures only increased
b. temperatures only decreased
c. temperatures increased and decreased several times
c. temperatures increased and decreased several times
Examine Graph 4 and then answer Questions 13 through 15. Graph 4 shows the average yearly surface temperature anomalies of Earth for more recent times. Remember that a positive number means Earth was warmer than average that year. A negative number means Earth was cooler than average.
13. What time period does this graph include?
*
a. one thousand years ago to the present
b. 1880 to 2010
c. how long your teacher has been teaching
d. 1880 to the current day
d. 1880 to the current day
Over the time period that this graph covers, what is the general trend of temperature anomalies?
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a. Overall, the trend is an increase in temperature.
b. Overall, the trend is a decrease in temperature.
c. In general, the temperature remains very steady.
d. In general, the temperature goes up and then down.
a. Overall, the trend is an increase in temperature.
Which general time period shown on this graph shows the highest temperature anomalies?
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a. 1880 to 1910
b. 1910 to 1940
c. 1940 to 1970
d. 1970 to 2010
d. 1970 to 2010
Examine Graph 5 and then answer Questions 17 through 18. Graph 5 shows the amount of ice loss, measured in gross tonnage (Gt), of Greenland’s ice sheets. Scientists obtain this data from NASA’s GRACE satellite program.
17. What is the best representation of the time period shown in this graph?
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a. 1992 to 2012
b. 2000 to 2012
c. 1992 through today
d. 1994 through today
c. 1992 through today
What is the overall trend of the amount of ice in Greenland’s ice sheets?
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a. Overall, the trend is an increase in ice.
b. Overall, the trend is an increase in ice loss.
c. Overall, the trend is that ice levels have been steady.
d. Overall, the trend is that ice levels go up and down frequently.
b. Overall, the trend is an increase in ice loss.
Use the following graphs (Graph 4 and Graph 5) for Question 19.
19. Make a correlation between Graph 4 and Graph 5. Why do they appear to show the same trend since 1992?
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a. The trend shown in Graph 4 is likely unrelated to the trend shown in Graph 5 because they are different types of data.
b. Increasing temperatures are leading to ice melt in Greenland.
c. The trend shown in Graph 4 is likely causing the increase in ice shown in Graph 5.
d. This is a trick question. The graphs do not show the same trend.
b. Increasing temperatures are leading to ice melt in Greenland.
Examine Graph 6 and then answer Questions 20 through 22. Graph 6 displays changes in sea level. On this graph, a measurement of 50 means that the sea has risen 50 millimeters.
20. What is the time period that data is provided in this graph?
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a. 1880 to 2000
b. 1880 to 2012
c. 1880 to 2020
d. 1880 to 2030
c. 1880 to 2020
About how many millimeter did the sea level rise from 1900 to 2000?
About 150 millimeters
About how many millimeter did the sea level rise from 1900 to 2000?
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a. It did not rise.
b. About 200mm
c. About 230mm
d. About 2010mm
Describe the overall trend of the sea level.
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a. Overall, the trend is an increase in sea level.
b. Overall, the trend is a decrease in sea level.
c. In general, the sea level remains very steady.
d. In general, the sea level goes up and then down dramatically.