Atmosphere and climate changeIB Environmental Systems and Societies HL: Topic test

20 questions, 54 marks

IB Environmental Systems and Societies HL

Atmosphere and climate change topic test

Total 54 marks

Name

Class

Date

1
Venus, Earth and Mars show how an atmosphere affects surface temperature. Venus has a very dense atmosphere that is about 96% carbon dioxide, and its surface temperature is about 465 degrees Celsius. Mars has an extremely thin atmosphere and an average surface temperature of about minus 60 degrees Celsius. Earth's atmosphere contains small amounts of greenhouse gases and the average surface temperature is about 15 degrees Celsius.
(a)
Which statement explains why Earth is warmer than it would be without an atmosphere?
[1 mark]
AThe atmosphere reflects all incoming solar radiation back into space
BThe atmosphere produces its own heat
CGreenhouse gases absorb and re-emit some of the infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface
DThe atmosphere stops short-wave radiation from reaching the surface
(b)
What is the main reason why the surface of Mars is so much colder than the surface of Venus?
[1 mark]
AMars has an extremely thin atmosphere with very little greenhouse effect
BMars has more greenhouse gases than Venus
CMars receives more solar radiation than Venus
DMars has a thicker atmosphere than Earth
(c)
Explain how the greenhouse effect keeps Earth warmer than Mars would be at the same distance from the Sun.
[2 marks]
Total for question 1: 4 marks
2
In the Himalayas, many households cook and heat their homes by burning wood, dung and crop waste in simple stoves. The smoke contains black carbon, tiny dark particles that settle on snow and glaciers. Scientists have measured that snow containing black carbon melts earlier in spring than clean snow nearby, and that the dark particles also warm the air around them as they float in the atmosphere.
(a)
Which of the following describes black carbon?
[1 mark]
AA greenhouse gas formed from methane
BA gas produced by the decay of plants in water
CA mineral found in coal seams
DAn aerosol of fine dark particles produced by incomplete combustion
(b)
How does black carbon on snow affect the amount of solar radiation absorbed at the surface?
[1 mark]
AIt lowers the albedo so more radiation is absorbed
BIt raises the albedo so more radiation is reflected
CIt has no effect on reflection of radiation
DIt converts radiation into ozone
(c)
Explain how black carbon in the atmosphere can contribute to warming.
[2 marks]
Total for question 2: 4 marks
3
Measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide give approximate concentrations of 280 parts per million (ppm) in 1750, 315 ppm in 1958, 369 ppm in 2000 and 421 ppm in 2023. Over a similar period, global mean surface temperature has risen by about 1.1 degrees Celsius above its 1850 to 1900 average. Burning of fossil fuels and clearance of forests account for most of the extra carbon dioxide, and the rate of emission has accelerated since 1950.
(a)
Calculate the percentage increase in carbon dioxide concentration between 1750 and 2023.
[3 marks]
(b)
Explain how the data support the view that human activities have caused global warming, and why correlation alone is not proof.
[4 marks]
Total for question 3: 7 marks
4
Bangladesh emits less than 1 tonne of carbon dioxide per person per year, compared with about 15 tonnes per person in the USA. Most of Bangladesh is a low-lying river delta, and global climate models project sea-level rise, stronger tropical cyclones and more frequent river flooding for the region under several emissions scenarios. Many people in the delta depend on farming and fishing for their income.
(a)
(HL) Explain how global climate models are used to predict the effects of climate change on Bangladesh, and how their reliability is tested.
[6 marks]
(b)
(HL) Evaluate the view that countries least responsible for climate change are often the most vulnerable to it, with reference to Bangladesh and the USA.
[6 marks]
Total for question 4: 12 marks
5
Rotterdam is a Dutch port city that lies partly below sea level. To prepare for heavier rainfall and rising seas, the city has built public squares that fill with storm water, planted green roofs and built floating homes. At the same time it has set targets to cut its carbon dioxide emissions sharply, by using waste heat from industry to warm buildings, expanding cycling and investing in renewable energy.
(a)
What is meant by decarbonisation of the economy?
[1 mark]
AReducing or ending the use of energy sources that emit carbon dioxide and replacing them with renewable energy
BRemoving all carbon from living organisms
CIncreasing the use of coal and oil
DCapturing carbon dioxide only from volcanoes
(b)
Which of the Rotterdam measures is an adaptation strategy?
[1 mark]
AUsing waste heat from industry to warm buildings
BExpanding renewable energy
CBuilding public squares that fill with storm water
DExpanding cycling
(c)
Distinguish between mitigation and adaptation in responding to climate change.
[2 marks]
Total for question 5: 4 marks
6
In Iceland, a plant called Orca uses fans and chemical filters to capture carbon dioxide directly from the air, about 4 000 tonnes a year, and injects it into basalt rock where it turns to stone. Separately, some scientists have proposed spraying reflective aerosol particles into the stratosphere to cool the planet. The Paris Agreement, reached under the United Nations in 2015, aims to hold warming well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
(a)
(HL) Which statement about the role of the United Nations in climate change is correct?
[1 mark]
AIt enforces fines on any country that exceeds its carbon budget
BIt has formulated global strategies, such as the Paris Agreement, through which countries set commitments
CIt has no role in climate negotiations
DIt controls the energy markets of member states
(b)
(HL) Why is geoengineering described as treating the symptom and not the cause of climate change?
[1 mark]
AIt reduces the amount of fossil fuel burned
BIt removes the need for international agreement
CIt stops all warming permanently
DIt tries to cool the planet or remove carbon dioxide without removing the underlying cause, the continued emission of greenhouse gases
(c)
(HL) Explain one challenge of using stratospheric aerosols to cool the planet.
[2 marks]
Total for question 6: 4 marks
7
In a laboratory experiment, marine phytoplankton were exposed to different levels of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Their rate of photosynthesis was 100 units with normal UVB, 92 units with UVB raised by 10%, 83 units with UVB raised by 20% and 75 units with UVB raised by 30%. Stratospheric ozone absorbs UVB, and its concentration is normally held steady by the balance between formation and destruction.
(a)
Calculate the percentage decrease in photosynthesis when UVB is raised by 30%, and state what this shows.
[3 marks]
(b)
Explain why depletion of stratospheric ozone is a threat to ecosystems and to human health.
[4 marks]
Total for question 7: 7 marks
8
At the COP28 climate conference in Dubai in 2023, nearly 200 countries agreed a text calling for a transition away from fossil fuels, but several oil-producing states objected to firm targets. Under the Paris Agreement, each country sets its own emission-cutting pledge, and there is no penalty for missing it. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is shared by all countries, so no single country can protect itself by cutting emissions alone. Some governments say that the cost of acting is too high, while island nations say that delay threatens their survival.
(a)
(HL) Explain how the tragedy of the commons applies to the problem of climate change and why unprecedented international cooperation is needed.
[6 marks]
(b)
(HL) Discuss how perspectives on the necessity, practicality and urgency of action on climate change differ between individuals and between societies.
[6 marks]
Total for question 8: 12 marks

End of questions

Written by the Exaim team, led by Shaun Daswani (Head of Upper Secondary, Improve ME Institute; MSc Financial Mathematics, Imperial College London; BSc, UCL) and Jason Daswani (operational lead, Improve ME Institute; LSE).