Sample Final Exam NAME ____________________________________________
There are 68 questions. For the 66 multiple choice questions (including 1 true/false), select the SINGLE BEST answer among the choices and write letter of correct answer in the blank to the left. Questions #67 and #68 are written.
YES Prof. Leavitt, I do understand the basics of the Global Change problems and I do continue to understand the basics of the Earth System, perhaps even better than before, as demonstrated by my mastery of the following questions:
1. Where would you most likely expect acid rain to be dominated by sulfuric acid?
A. Southeastern states C. Northeastern states
B. Southwestern states D. Northwestern states
2. All other things being equal, increases in a population cannot be caused by which of the following?
A. decreased birth rate C. decreased death rate
B. greater number of people in reproductive ages D. increased immigration
3. Which of the following emissions contribute to tropospheric ozone formation?
A. nitrogen & oxygen C. NOx & VOC's E. CO & CO2
B. particulates & SO2 D. SO2 & NOx
4. The current input of anthropogenic carbon (mainly CO2) to the atmosphere is about Gt/year
A. 0.5 C. 275 E. 360
B. 190 D. 6 F. 16
5. Which of the following primary pollutants could cause death by adhering to hemoglobin (poisoning blood)?
A. sulfur dioxide C. carbon monoxide
B. particulates D. nitrogen oxides
6. Ozone is particularly effective at decomposing rubber and .
A. leaching nutrients from the soil C. killing organisms by causing low pH in surface water
B. causing respiratory distress D. causing kidney disease and neurological impairment
7. The seasonal fluctuations in atmospheric CO2 concentration are caused by .
A. oceanic uptake C. photosynthesis and respiration
B. nuclear power plants D. the vegetation in the Amazon rain forest
8. The primary concern about stratospheric ozone is related to its role .
A. as a greenhouse gas C. in acid rain formation
B. as an inert gas D. in absorbing UV radiation
9. Which of the following would not be a direct consequence of global warming?
A. increased sea level C. decrease of global ice cover
B. increased tropospheric temperatures D. increased acidity of surface waters
10. Which pair of pH values below measured in precipitation would not be considered "acid rain"?
A. 1 & 3 C. 3 & 4.7 E. 5.7 and 6
B. 2 & 4 D. 4 & 5 F. none of the above, they all fit definition
11. Which of the following are 2 important carbon-containing species (compounds or ions or gases) that dominate the oceanic carbon reservoir?
A. CO2 and animals C. carbohydrates and bone E. chickens
B. CO2 and methane D. limestone and coal F. CO3= and HCO3-
12. Loss of surface soil by erosion can bring which clay-rich horizon close to the surface?
A. A-horizon C. C-horizon E. unweathered parent material
B. B-horizon D. O- litter
13. Eutrophication would most likely be caused by .
A. low temperatures C. extra oxygen E. high turbulence
B. high nitrates D. depleted oxygen
14. Abandonment of a farm will generally result in .
A. increased soil erosion C. increased chemical degradation of soils
B. decreased soil erosion D. increased soil waterlogging
15. is particularly effective in buffering against acid rain.
A. cold surface waters C. carbonate rocks and dust
B. silicate rocks and dust D. warm surface waters
16. Which of the following is not a mechanism whereby humans input CO2 to the atmosphere?
A. calcining C. land-use changes E. none of above, they are all mechanisms
B. fossil-fuel burning D. nuclear bomb testing
17. is the ultimate (hypothetical) population that our planet could sustain.
A. Atterberg Limit C. carrying capacity E. Suess effect
B. global sustainability D. planetary threshold
18. Which of the following natural resources would not be considered "renewable" in the context of human lifetimes?
A. trees C. cotton E. coal
B. water D. air F. corn-based ethanol
19. Which of the following would not be a flux in the carbon cycle?
A. oceanic bicarbonate C. photosynthesis
B. respiration D. fossil-fuel burning
20. The Great Lakes Forest Fires of 1871 were .
A. the first planned, controlled forest burn C. the first forest fires in N. America
B. the first to be extinguished by blimps D. overshadowed by the Great Chicago Fire
21. The current atmospheric CO2 concentration is approximately ppm.
A. 0.5 C. 275 E. 365
B. 190 D. 6 F. 16
22. Which of these locations would have the greatest amplitude of seasonal fluctuations in atmospheric CO2?
A. Alaska C. the Equator E. everywhere; it is uniform world-wide
B. New Zealand D. Antarctica
23. Which of these continents has the highest population?
A. Australia C. Greenland E. Africa
B. Asia D. N. America F. Europe
24. Sewage outflow from a waste-water treatment plant would constitute .
A. a major input of CO2 to the atmosphere C. a non-point source of pollution
B. a point-source of pollution D. a means to increase the oxygen content of surface water
25. Which of the following would be appropriate units for residence time?
A. % C. per year
B. years D. kilograms per year
26. Which is evidence that the cryosphere (glaciers/ice caps) has not been constant in size over the past 500,000 yrs?
A. acid rain trapped in ice C. the "ice ages"
B. dust trapped in ice D. inconsistencies in lunar albedo
27. Which of the following is not part of the "Green Revolution"?
A. new crop strains C. increased use of irrigation water E. increased pesticide use
B. increased mechanization D. increased reclamation of land from sea F. increased fertilizer use
28. The highest atmospheric CO2 concentrations on Earth .
A. occurred about 500 million years ago C. are occurring now
B. occurred about 20,000 years ago D. are expected to occur in about 50 years
29. Most of the carbon in the atmosphere is as .
A. soot C. CO E. bicarbonate
B. CO2 D. CH4
30. Most carbon in the biosphere is found as .
A. CO2 C. bicarbonate
B. organic matter D. natural gas
31. Climate models predict the increase in global temperature will not be unevenly distributed over the planet. It is expected that the greatest increase in temperatures will be .
A. in refugia C. in the ocean E. in the developed countries
B. in the Amazon rain forest D. at high latitudes F. in the Third World countries
32. Which of the following primary pollutants contribute to acid rain?
A. CO and CO2 C. particulates E. NOx & SO2
B. VOC's D. nitric acid & VOC's F. methane & CFC's
33. The allocation of Colorado River water among states is questionable because .
A. allocation was made based on unusually high flows C. of planned inter-basin transfers
B. there is no technology for delivering water D. greatest population density is along the river
34. Living trees contribute to tropospheric pollution (specifically photochemical smog) by their emission of which of the following?
A. oxygen C. ozone E. CO
B. CO2 D. VOC's
35. There is evidence that global temperatures have over the last 150 years.
A. increased 2-3 °Celsius C. increased 0.6-0.7°C E. been constant
B. decreased 2-3 °Celsius D. decreased 0.6-0.7°C
36. The products of photosynthesis are .
A. CO2 and water C. CO2 and O2 E. water and O2
B. CH2O and O2 D. CH2O and CO2
37. The age of the Earth is .
A. 4.6 billion years C. 10-15 billion years
B. 6000 years D. 10,000 years
38. The least biomass in any given biome would be in .
A. autotrophs C. secondary consumers
B. primary consumers D. primary producers
39. 188O represents .
A. ozone with 18 neutrons & 8 protons C. oxygen with 10 neutrons and 8 protons
B. ozone with 10 electrons & 8 protons D. oxygen with 18 protons and 8 neutrons
40. "An object moving in a straight line or at rest will continue in such a condition unless acted on by a force" is a statement of .
A. 1st Law of Thermodynamics C. Newton's 1st Law E. Newton's 3rd Law
B. 2nd Law of Thermodynamics D. Newton's 2nd Law F. the Law of Universal Gravitation
41. The two most abundant gases in the Earth's atmosphere are .
A. argon and nitrogen C. oxygen and CO2 E. nitrogen and CO2
B. CO2 and argon D. water vapor and CO2 F. oxygen and nitrogen
42. The average temperature at the Earth's surface is .
A. 100oC C. 0oK E. -100oF
B. 300oC D. 288oK F. 212oF
43. The rigid outer layer of the Earth (of which plates are composed) is known as .
A. asthenosphere C. crust
B. lithosphere D. troposphere
44. Evidence for the Big Bang comes from .
A. all the H and He in the universe C. layered structure of the Earth
B. the subatomic structure of atoms D. orbit of planets around sun
45. The sun's energy is derived from .
A. meteorite and comet impacts C. nuclear fission E. coal burning
B. nuclear fusion D. radiocarbon decay
46. El Niño events are characterized by which of the following?
A. warm water along W. coast of S. America D. westerly (west to east) winds in tropical Pacific
B. high rainfall in Peru E. A, B & C
C. higher sea level in eastern Pacific F. all of the above
47. According to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, the force of gravitational attraction will be greatest between two objects .
A. of small mass that are far apart C. of large mass that are close together
B. of large mass that are far apart D. of small mass that are close together
48. Within the troposphere, temperature normally .
A. decreases as you go upward C. remains constant as you go upward
B. increases as you go upward D. responds to the Earth's core temperature on a daily basis
49. As a consequence of the Earth's general circulation, there tend to be deserts at .
A. the poles & 60o latitude C. the equator & 30o E. the equator and the poles
B. the poles & 30o D. the equator & 60o F. 30o & 60o latitude
50. The 2 key ingredients of weather on Earth are .
A. ozone and temperature C. energy and water
B. clouds and aerosols D. El Niño and La Niña
51. TDS would be highest in which of the following?
A. rivers C. cloud droplets
B. rainwater D. ocean water
52. Harmful, ionizing UV radiation from the sun is absorbed by in the stratosphere.
A. nitrogen and oxygen C. ozone and oxygen E. aerosols and oxygen
B. carbon dioxide and water vapor D. argon and nitrogen
53. The layered structure of the inside of the Earth is primarily the result of .
A. gyres C. the Big Bang E. the red shift
B. supernova D. melting and gravity separation
54. A biome is .
A. a self-contained system such as Biosphere II C. a community of plants and animals
B. a group of aquatic mammals D. the Earth's biosphere including soils
55. In the hydrologic cycle, water is most directly transferred from the atmospheric "reservoir" to the oceanic "reservoir" by which of these fluxes?
A. evaporation C. runoff
B. precipitation (rain & snow) D. groundwater flow
56. 45% of incoming solar radiation is continuously absorbed by the Earth's surface, yet the Earth's surface has not become excessively hot. The reason is .
A. heat is reflected C. gyres transport heat to the poles
B. high albedo D. radiation, evaporation and conduction transport of energy to atmosphere
57. Seasons are caused by .
A. distance between Earth and sun D. tilt of the Earth's axis
B. geothermal heating E. small meteorites burning up in atmosphere
C. changes in solar energy output F. absorption of radiation by atmospheric gases
58. The Earth's "heat equator", the ITCZ, is .
A. where water sinks C. where air sinks
B. where solar heating is most intense D. exactly at 0o latitude
59. The layer of the atmosphere in which air motion is dominantly horizontal is .
A. asthenosphere C. hydrosphere E. horizontal air layer
B. troposphere D. stratosphere F. lithosphere
60. The greatest gravitational force exerted on humans is by .
A. the sun C. the Earth E. the stars
B. the moon D. Jupiter
61. Whereas terrestrial systems have high biomass and high productity, oceans have high productivity and ____ biomass.
A. extremely high B. high C. low D. no
62. The boiling temperature of water (212oF, 100oC) would be degrees on the Kelvin scale.
A. 0 C. 373 E. 288
B. 32 D. 273 F. 15 billion
63. Each chemical element in the Periodic Table is characterized (defined) by .
A. the number of electrons C. the number of neutrons
B. the number of protons D. a four-letter secret code
64. It takes a lot of energy to keep the organic molecules in living organisms ordered and functional. Without that energy, the components of those organisms would tend to become more dispersed, disordered, and random. This process is known as .
A. convection C. enthalpy E. entropy
B. the red shift D. potential energy F. kinetic energy
65. The “peak” wavelength of the Earth's emitted electromagetic radiation is in what part of the spectrum?
A. gamma rays C. ultraviolet E. infrared
B. x-rays D. visible F. microwaves
66. The best source of information about our state of knowledge on impending global climate change is _____.
A. the Montreal Protocol C. the Colorado River Compact D. See Hopkins Cafe
B. the Kyoto Protocol D. the IPCC report E. the BIF report
67. Acid Rain(A)--Enhanced "Greenhouse Effect"(G)--Stratospheric Ozone Problem(O)
In what ways are these problems related and in what ways are they unrelated? (Think about these questions first with regard to the 3 pairs of problems [A-G, A-O, and G-O], and then all three together [A-G-O]; be sure to consider cause-and-effect related to these problems as you explore the ways they are related) [sentences and paragraphs- NEATNESS WILL COUNT!]
68. Define photosynthesis. Explain how photosynthesis could be a solution to each of these problems:
a- The “missing (carbon) sink” problem, and b- The enhanced Greenhouse Effect problem.
In your explanation, it should be clear that you understand what Problems a and b are.
NEATNESS COUNTS! [25 pts]
PHOTOSYNTHESIS (USE EQUATION WITH DESCRIPTION IF HELPFUL):
MISSING SINK PROBLEM AND HOW PHOTOSYNTHESIS COULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION:
ENHANCED GH EFFECT AND HOW PHOTOSYNTHESIS COULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION: