AP®Environmental ScienceCollege BoardExam QuestionsUnit 9: Global ChangeGlobal Climate Change

Global Climate Change (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Exam Questions

11 mins11 questions
1
1 mark

Which of the following is a direct consequence of global climate change?

  • Ozone layer recovery

  • Rising sea levels

  • Decreased volcanic activity

  • Increased solar radiation reaching Earth

Choose your answer

2
1 mark

How does global warming contribute to more extreme weather events?

  • It decreases evaporation rates

  • It stabilizes atmospheric pressure systems

  • It increases energy in the atmosphere, intensifying storms and droughts

  • It cools ocean currents

Choose your answer

3
1 mark

Which of the following is an ecological impact of climate change?

  • Increased ozone formation

  • Coral bleaching due to warming ocean temperatures

  • More acidic precipitation

  • Lower GWP of methane

Choose your answer

4
1 mark

Which of the following is most likely to occur in terrestrial ecosystems as global temperatures rise?

  • Expansion of species' ranges toward the poles

  • Decreased rates of migration

  • Stabilization of plant phenology

  • Increased genetic diversity in all populations

Choose your answer

5
1 mark

Which human population is most vulnerable to the impacts of global climate change?

  • Industrialized urban areas with high GDP

  • Isolated indigenous communities and low-lying island nations

  • Residents of mountainous regions with little rainfall

  • Populations in temperate coastal cities

Choose your answer

6
1 mark

Which of the following best describes a feedback loop for climate change?

  • Solar radiation entering the atmosphere

  • Volcanic eruptions releasing particulates

  • Acid deposition lowering soil pH

  • Ice melting reduces albedo

Choose your answer

7
1 mark

Which of the following would be considered a climate adaptation strategy?

  • Shifting from fossil fuels to solar power

  • Building seawalls to protect coastal cities

  • Reducing deforestation to store more carbon

  • Replacing gasoline with hydrogen fuel

Choose your answer

8
1 mark

How can climate change affect food security?

  • It promotes better crop yields in all regions

  • It increases biodiversity and pest control

  • It disrupts growing seasons and reduces crop reliability

  • It improves nutrient content of all staple crops

Choose your answer

9
1 mark

Which of the following is the primary cause of diurnal variation in carbon content in the atmosphere?

  • Changes in atmospheric pressure throughout the day

  • The varying rate of photosynthesis and respiration in plants during daylight and nighttime

  • Shifts in the Earth's orbit and axial tilt

  • Fluctuations in volcanic activity during different times of day

Choose your answer

10
1 mark

Which of the following is an example of a positive feedback loop?

  • Increased temperatures cause ice to melt, reducing the Earth's albedo, which leads to further warming and more ice melt.

  • An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide stimulates plant growth, which removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

  • As carbon dioxide concentrations increase in the atmosphere, more carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans, leading to ocean acidification.

  • The increase in temperature increases the amount of cloud cover, which reduces incoming solar radiation and limits warming.

Choose your answer

11
1 mark

Which of the following best describes the role of thermohaline circulation in ocean currents?

  • Thermohaline circulation is driven by the wind and is responsible for the surface ocean currents.

  • Thermohaline circulation is driven by the density differences in seawater, which result from temperature and salinity variations.

  • Thermohaline circulation primarily affects shallow coastal waters, having little impact on deep ocean currents.

  • Thermohaline circulation is the primary driver of oceanic upwelling, which brings nutrients from deep waters to the surface.

Choose your answer