Environmental Science Practice Test

Correct answer: C

The correct answer is Activities such as fossil-fuel use and land-use change can transfer additional carbon to the atmosphere.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: Combustion and land-use changes alter carbon flows and the balance among atmosphere, biosphere, soil, and ocean.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.

Correct answer: D

The correct answer is Reducing the causes of future climate change, such as lowering greenhouse-gas emissions or increasing removals.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: Mitigation addresses drivers, while adaptation reduces harm from impacts that occur or are expected.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is Adjusting systems and practices to reduce harm from current or expected climate impacts.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: Adaptation can include planning, infrastructure, crop choices, water management, and emergency preparation.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is Less reflective ice exposes darker surfaces that absorb more incoming energy.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: An ice-albedo feedback can amplify warming by changing the fraction of reflected sunlight.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.

Correct answer: C

The correct answer is The ocean absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide, which changes seawater chemistry and can lower pH.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: Dissolved carbon dioxide participates in reactions that affect carbonate chemistry and ocean pH.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.

Correct answer: D

The correct answer is Different indicators provide independent evidence about changes in temperature, ice, precipitation, oceans, and ecosystems.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: Converging signals from different systems can strengthen an explanation while revealing regional variation.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is It represents relationships in the climate system to explore mechanisms, scenarios, and possible future conditions.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: Models are tools with assumptions and uncertainties that help examine scenarios and system relationships.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is More greenhouse gases can change how much outgoing infrared energy is absorbed and re-emitted in the atmosphere.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: The atmosphere’s absorption and emission of infrared radiation influence surface and lower-atmosphere temperatures.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.

Correct answer: C

The correct answer is Two variables rise together, but the data do not rule out other explanations or mechanisms.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: Correlation indicates a relationship but requires design, mechanism, and evidence to support a causal claim.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.

Correct answer: D

The correct answer is A threshold after which feedbacks can produce a large or difficult-to-reverse change in a system.

1. Identify the environmental system: Determine whether the prompt concerns ecosystems, resources, pollution, climate, human impacts, policy, or environmental data.
2. Connect the evidence: Some feedbacks can destabilize systems and make change persist or accelerate after a threshold.
3. Check the tradeoff or relationship: Compare the answer with the stated data, system boundary, cause, effect, or solution constraint before choosing.