GEOL 105 EXAM 3 STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
What is the best natural protection against coastal erosion? - Answer- A wide beach
and dune fields that absorb energy from storms.
What are Milankovitch cycles? - Answer- Natural climate cycles caused by changes in
Earth's orbit, tilt, and precession, affecting solar radiation over periods of 20,000 to
100,000 years.
What is the greenhouse effect? - Answer- A natural process where greenhouse gases
trap infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface, keeping the planet warm.
What role do greenhouse gases play in climate change? - Answer- They trap energy in
the atmosphere, contributing to positive climate forcing and influencing global
temperatures.
What is the difference between glacial and interglacial periods? - Answer- Glacial
periods are colder with up to 30% ice cover and lower sea levels, while interglacial
periods are warmer with less ice and higher sea levels.
What is a climate anomaly? - Answer- The difference between measured temperature
and a reference temperature, indicating changes in climate.
What are paleoclimate proxies? - Answer- Measurements that correlate with climate
variables that cannot be directly measured, such as ice cores, tree rings, and sediment
layers.
How do ice cores serve as climate proxies? - Answer- They contain trapped air bubbles
that provide direct measurements of past CO2 concentrations and can infer past
temperatures.
What is dendrochronology? - Answer- The study of tree rings to infer past climate
conditions, where ring size indicates growth rates influenced by climate.
What is the significance of ocean sediment cores? - Answer- They provide geological
proxies for climate change, with isotope signatures that reflect past environmental
conditions.
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
What is the best natural protection against coastal erosion? - Answer- A wide beach
and dune fields that absorb energy from storms.
What are Milankovitch cycles? - Answer- Natural climate cycles caused by changes in
Earth's orbit, tilt, and precession, affecting solar radiation over periods of 20,000 to
100,000 years.
What is the greenhouse effect? - Answer- A natural process where greenhouse gases
trap infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface, keeping the planet warm.
What role do greenhouse gases play in climate change? - Answer- They trap energy in
the atmosphere, contributing to positive climate forcing and influencing global
temperatures.
What is the difference between glacial and interglacial periods? - Answer- Glacial
periods are colder with up to 30% ice cover and lower sea levels, while interglacial
periods are warmer with less ice and higher sea levels.
What is a climate anomaly? - Answer- The difference between measured temperature
and a reference temperature, indicating changes in climate.
What are paleoclimate proxies? - Answer- Measurements that correlate with climate
variables that cannot be directly measured, such as ice cores, tree rings, and sediment
layers.
How do ice cores serve as climate proxies? - Answer- They contain trapped air bubbles
that provide direct measurements of past CO2 concentrations and can infer past
temperatures.
What is dendrochronology? - Answer- The study of tree rings to infer past climate
conditions, where ring size indicates growth rates influenced by climate.
What is the significance of ocean sediment cores? - Answer- They provide geological
proxies for climate change, with isotope signatures that reflect past environmental
conditions.
