The graph (1st image) above shows the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxid

Question

The graph (1st image) above shows the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide in parts per million (ppm) for the past 800,000 years.

a. Based on the graph above when was the maximum abundance of CO2 registered?

i. 1750

ii. now (2013 on this chart)

   iii. about 300,000 years ago

iv. about 125,000 years ago

b. Today’s CO2 value is approximately _____ times the average value over the last 800,000 years. Circle correct answer.

i. 1.17

ii. 17

iii. 0.17

iv. 1.7

c. How would you describe the rapid variations in CO2 on the inset graph on the right (1st image)?

i. The variations occur regularly every year

ii. The variations occur randomly every few months

iii. The variations occur regularly every few years

   iv. The variations occur regularly every few months

v. The variations occur randomly every few years

d. Which physical mechanism is consistent with your answer to c?

i. Every few years, another huge coal-powered power plant opens up and produces more CO2.

ii. Major volcanic eruptions every decade or so place additional CO2 in the atmosphere

iii. Seasonal changes in plant growth produce a regular yearly variation in CO2 levels with the Northern hemisphere (with much more land area) causing almost

all the variation

e. The 2nd graph shows average global temperatures from 1860 through 2011 relative to the average temperature from the last century. Compare the graph above with the graph of CO2 levels shown at the top of question 1.

What is the relationship between the graph of global average temperatures and the graph of CO2 levels? Focus on the period since about 1960.

i. The warmest years are not correlated with years of high CO2 abundance, indicating that factors other than CO2 have the most important effect on global temperature changes.

ii. The warmest years correlate roughly with the years of greatest CO2 abundance, indicating that CO2 is important but other factors also contribute to global temperature changes

iii. The warmest years correlate exactly with the years of greatest CO2 abundance, indicating that CO2 is the single most important factor controlling globaltemperature changes

380 today 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1960 1970 1990 2000 2010 thousands of years ago Celsius above or below 06.-20th-century average global temperature 0.4 0.2 0.0 The last decade has been 0.43 the hottest on record. -0.6 1.0 T T T T T 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

Explanation / Answer

a] option ii, now because it is visible in zoomed in chart.

b] option iv, today it is 1.7 times...i.e. 400/230

c] ii, the variation occurs randomly every few month.

d] iii) plant growth behaviour explains the zigzag in the right graph.

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