Montclair State University, College of Science and Mathematics Department of Earth and Environmental Studies EAES101 Planet Earth Semester: SAMPLE Dr. Mark Chopping Exam II: Water, Winds, Deserts, Oceans Part I Multiple Choice (10) Part II Short Answer (20) Part III A Desert from Landsat (8) Part I. Multiple Choice Questions. Many questions are related to this short movie on Water, Weather, Ice, Ocean, and Climate: https://youtu.be/tikukmpwwbi 1. Scientists have observed in the circulation of air masses called that is owing to planetary heating (global warming): (A) expansion, Hadley cells (B) expansion, Ferrel cells (C) contraction, Hadley cells (D) contraction, Ferrel cells 2. Liquid fresh water accounts for this proportion of the planet's total water (A) 50.0 % (B) 25.0 % (C) 2.5 % (D) 10.0 % 3. Groundwater accounts for this percentage of unfrozen fresh water: (A) 99 % (B) 10 % (C) 25% (D) 50% 4. The major trends in ocean salinity in recent decades are: (A) tropical waters are getting saltier and polar waters fresher (B) tropical waters are getting fresher and polar waters saltier (C) both tropical waters and polar waters are getting saltier (D) both tropical waters and polar waters are getting fresher 5. The heart of the N. Atlantic thermohaline circulation pump is (A) salt water warming and sinking (B) salt water cooling and sinking (C) fresh water warming and sinking (D) fresh water cooling and sinking 6. Clouds are (A) visible aggregations of small water droplets or ice crystals (B) composed mainly of water vapor (C) invisible aggregations of small water droplets or ice crystals (D) located mostly in the stratosphere 7. Which is true? (A) as warm air rises it expands and cools (B) as cool air falls it is compressed and cools (C) as warm air rises it is compressed and warms up (D) as cool air falls it expands and cools EAES101: Planet Earth, SAMPLE Exam 1
8. Fresh water incursion into the North Atlantic became significant in the (A) 1970 s (B) 1990 s (C) 1870 s (D) 1770 s 9. Water resources in the Western US are threatened by: (A) declining snowmelt runoff (B) declining snowmelt runoff and decreased rainfall ( drought ) (C) declining snowmelt runoff, drought, and declining aquifer recharge (D) A-C, plus increasing human demand (population growth, agriculture) 10. Seeding of clouds in attempts to produce rainfall is effected by (A) using silver iodide flares from satellites (B) using silver iodide flares from aircraft (C) using huge water tanks from satellites (D) using huge water tanks from aircraft 11. Of all fresh water (e.g. not saline), frozen water (i.e., snow and ice) accounts for (A) 14% of the planet s fresh water (B) 54% of the planet s fresh water (C) 74% of the planet s fresh water (D) 24% of the planet s fresh water 12. The ocean accounts for (A) 97.5% of all of Earth's water (B) 87.5% of all of Earth's water (C) 77.5% of all of Earth's water (D) 67.5% of all of Earth's water 13. Large parts of the continental United States (A) experienced massive flooding in 2012 (B) experienced massive drought in 2011 but it broke in 2012 (C) experienced massive drought in 2012 (only) (D) experienced massive drought in 2011, that has continued in many places 14. The ocean's thermohaline circulation system is driven by (A) salinity and temperature (B) density and temperature (C) density and salinity (D) rainfall and salinity 15. Fresh water in the world's largest aquifer, the Ogallala, which supports 20% of US agricultural output (A) will likely be reduced by 25% by the year 2020 ç answer! (B) will likely be reduced by 50% by the year 2020 (C) will likely be reduced by 1% by the year 2020 (D) will likely be reduced by 90% by the year 2020 16. Global warming is expected to result in: (A) seasonal patterns of rainfall remaining broadly the same (B) more flooding (C) more drought (D) more flooding and more drought 17. Scientists in Alaska are using this airborne technology to measure the thickness of glaciers: (A) visible to near infra-red remote sensing (B) passive microwave remote sensing (C) laser altimeters (lidar: light detection and ranging) (D) thermal remote sensing EAES101: Planet Earth, SAMPLE Exam 2
18. This number of glaciers is being studied by scientists in Alaska is: (A) 100 (B) 1,000 (C) 10 (E) 2 19. From the 1950's to about 1990, Alaskan glaciers have thinned by about (A) 1.5 meters per year, on average (B) 1.8 meters per year, on average (C) 0.5 meters per year, on average (D) 2.5 meters per year, on average 20. From the early 1990's to about 2000, Alaskan glaciers have thinned by about (A) 1.5 meters per year, on average (B) 1.8 meters per year, on average (C) 0.5 meters per year, on average (D) 2.5 meters per year, on average 21. In the last 50 years, of fresh water has flowed into the ocean from glacier melting (A) 900 thousand gallons (B) 900 million gallons (C) 900 billion gallons (D) 900 trillion gallons 22. The fresh water introduced to the ocean from Alaskan glacier melting over the last 50 years is enough to raise sea level globally by (A) 1/4 inch (B) 1/2 inch (C) 2 feet (D) 1/16 inch 23. Abrupt changes to the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation might be caused by (A) breaking of an ice dam and/or breaking of a massive chunk of ice from Greenland (B) breaking of an ice dam and/or of a massive chunk of ice from the Ross ice shelf (C) a gradual reduction in glacier surface area and/or increase in rainfall runoff (D) a gradual increase in river flow rates and/or melting of permafrost 24. If the N. Atlantic thermohaline circulation is stopped or almost stopped, (A) the climate of the E USA but not N Europe will experience a dramatic warming (B) the climates of N Europe and the E USA will both experience a dramatic warming (C) the climate of N Europe but not the E USA will experience a dramatic cooling (D) the climates of N Europe and the E USA will both experience a dramatic cooling 25. Since the last Ice Age (~12,000 years ago) the North Atlantic has cooled abruptly (A) twice (B) 10-12 times (C) 6-8 times (D) once 26. Globally, "ice is on the move" because (A) of increased rainfall (B) of increasing temperatures ( global warming ) (C) of decreased snowfall (D) of increased snowfall 27. The St. Elias mountains in Alaska are (A) 60 miles long (B) 6000 miles long (C) 600 miles long (D) 900 miles long EAES101: Planet Earth, SAMPLE Exam 3
28. Long-term past climate change in the North Atlantic is examined using (A) ocean sediments and ice cores (B) ocean sediments only (C) ice cores only (D) satellite remote sensing observations 29. The average cooling in the Little Ice Age was (A) around 30 degrees Celsius (B) around 3 degrees Celsius (C) around 0.3 degrees Celsius (D) around 13 degrees Celsius 30. The Greenland ice sheet has more than (A) 700 cubic miles of ice (B) 7,000 cubic miles of ice (C) 68,000 cubic miles of ice (D) 680,000 cubic miles of ice 31. In the last few years, some (A) 13 square miles of Antarctic sea ice has broken off the sheet and drifted away (B) 130 square miles of Antarctic sea ice has broken off the sheet and drifted away (C) 1,300 square miles of Antarctic sea ice has broken off the sheet and drifted away (D) 13,000 square miles of Antarctic sea ice has broken off the sheet and drifted away 32. The Eurasian continent is responsible for (A) two-thirds of fresh water runoff to Arctic seas (B) one half of fresh water runoff to Arctic seas (C) one-third of fresh water runoff to Arctic seas (D) 100% of fresh water runoff to Arctic seas 33. Eurasian rivers carry fresh water from melting of glaciers and rivers to the Northern seas; to track these different sources, scientists are using (A) chemical fingerprints (B) color dyes (C) radioactive dyes (D) pheromones 34. When sediment cores or ice cores are collected (A) the core is split lengthwise and one half is retained for archive (B) the core is cut in the middle and one half is retained for archive (C) the core is analyzed as soon as it is retrieved (D) the core is heated to 1200 degrees F before analysis. 35. The fringes of the Greenland ice sheet are (A) melting, with increasing glacier slippage (B) melting, with decreasing glacier slippage (C) accumulating ice, with increasing glacier slippage (D) accumulating ice, with decreasing glacier slippage 36. Scientists are monitoring the thermohaline circulation in the N, Atlantic using (A) monitors attached to dolphins (B) deep-moored buoys (C) monitors attached to whales (D) yellow plastic bathroom duckies 37. Satellite remote sensing can also be used to monitor ocean currents by measuring (A) sea surface temperature (B) sea surface temperature, topography, salinity, and gravity anomalies (C) ocean liner wash tracks (D) temperature at great depth below the surface EAES101: Planet Earth, SAMPLE Exam 4
38. The proportion of the Sun's energy that falls on the Atlantic brings (A) one tenth of that energy up to the NE USA, Europe and Scandinavia (B) all of that energy up to the NE USA, Europe and Scandinavia (C) one third of that energy up to the NE USA, Europe and Scandinavia (D) one half of that energy up to the NE USA, Europe and Scandinavia 39. If one portion of the atmosphere becomes warmer than surrounding air then (A) the warm air contracts and falls. (B) a high pressure system forms. (C) clouds disappear. (D) the warm air expands and rises. 40. Sinking air exerts a downward force to form a (A) high-pressure region. (B) low-pressure region. (C) orographic region. (D) hurricane. EXTRA QUESTIONS FOR EXTRA CREDIT! 41. If a large air pressure difference occurs over a short horizontal distance (A) there is little wind. (B) there is a lot of wind. (C) it snows. (D) it rains. 42. Antarctica (A) is not a desert (B) is a desert because it gets so much snow (C) is a desert because rainfall is less than 250 mm/year 43. Latitudinal (N-S) convection cells that transport initially warm, moist air away from the equator and cause deserts at 20-30 degrees N and S are called (A) Hadley cells (B) Ferrel cells (C) Polar cells (D) Continental cells 44. Most of the world s deserts are formed (A) 20-30 degrees N and S of the equator by falling warm, dry air that originally rose as warm, moist air near the equator (B) 20-30 degrees N and S of the equator by falling cold, dry air that originally rose as warm, moist air near the equator (C) 20-30 degrees N and S of the equator by rising cold, dry air that ends up as warm, moist air near the equator (D) 40-50 degrees N and S of the equator by falling cold, dry air that originally rose as warm, moist air near the equator 45. NASA scientists saw surface melting over 97% of Greenland for the very first time in: (A) March 2000 (B) December 2000 (C) July 2012 EAES101: Planet Earth, SAMPLE Exam 5
Part II. Short Answers. You must answer question #1 (15 points) and then choose one other question (5 points). Please write neatly and concisely thank you! ANSWER THIS FIRST è 1. In the film Hot Planet, Cold Comfort many of the changes scientists have been seeing over the last few decades are related to rapid climate change. Describe the main themes of the film. Say what the scientists were measuring and how (describe the techniques that they used). Say what changes have been seen in the water cycle (the hydrologic cycle) and how glaciers have been contributing to freshening of northern seas. Discuss the possibility of abrupt climate cooling in the climate of the North Atlantic and Europe in the next 150 years with reference to the ocean thermohaline circulation system. THEN CHOOSE ONE FROM THESE: 2. Winds: (i) Describe what factors determine planetary scale flows of air ( winds ). (ii) Explain how scientists think that the dramatic reduction in the extent of seasonal Arctic sea ice over the last 40 years can affect the weather in New Jersey. 3. Deserts: Describe the locations and characteristics of deserts and explain why they are located where they are. Could human-accelerated planetary warming change the extent of deserts, and if so, how? (n.b., deserts are defined by aridity, not temperature). 4. Water and Agriculture: aquifers, the mountain snow-pack, and glaciers provide essential summer water resources for arable agriculture in parts of the world where rainfall is not sufficient. What is an aquifer and how can NASA measure the amount of water (and changes in water storage) in them? What has been discovered about aquifers in California and northern India in this way? Why are mountain snow-pack and glacier run-off resources so important and what are the likely prospects for maintaining these resources over the next 50 100 years? 5. Water, Climate, and Weather: (i) How is water (in solid, liquid, and gas forms) important for Earth s climate? What is the effect of global warming on the hydrologic cycle and on water resources? What are the implications for drought, flooding, agriculture? (ii) What role does water vapor play in severe weather events such as tropical storms such as hurricanes and typhoons? [ Hint: wet and dry thumbs! ] 6. Oceans 1: Describe the phenomenon known as El Niño. How is it monitored from space and what are the impacts? Explain how El Niño affects both the marine (ocean) and terrestrial (land) biosphere. 7. Oceans 2: Discuss the state of the world s oceans, including the causes and effects of ocean acidification and temperature changes and the implications for coral reefs and fisheries. Are these threats likely to become more or less problematic and why? Part III: Desert Landscapes List features at points A through H in this Landsat TRUE COLOR image over southern New Mexico (noting the scale bar) and say how you are able to identify each one. Image: http://csam.montclair.edu/~chopping/es/av/tmoversnm_small.jpg EAES101: Planet Earth, SAMPLE Exam 6