Question
At full size, the Aral had acted as a giant climate buffer [shield], and as it shrank, the summers got hotter and the winters colder. Left behind was a salt flat close to 200 mi... infused with [full of] pesticides from decades of agricultural run-off. Every few weeks, violent dust storms kicked hundreds of tons of salt, sand, and chemicals into the air and into people's lungs.
-excerpt from Aral Sea Recovery by Pat Walters
Examine the excerpt above. How did the Aral Sea act as a giant climate buffer?
Responses
It prevented dust storms and hot temperatures.
It prevented dust storms and hot temperatures.
It froze in the winter, trapping methane.
It froze in the winter, trapping methane.
It supplied people with cold drinking water.
It supplied people with cold drinking water.
It blocked the winds from destroying nearby towns.
It blocked the winds from destroying nearby towns.
-excerpt from Aral Sea Recovery by Pat Walters
Examine the excerpt above. How did the Aral Sea act as a giant climate buffer?
Responses
It prevented dust storms and hot temperatures.
It prevented dust storms and hot temperatures.
It froze in the winter, trapping methane.
It froze in the winter, trapping methane.
It supplied people with cold drinking water.
It supplied people with cold drinking water.
It blocked the winds from destroying nearby towns.
It blocked the winds from destroying nearby towns.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The correct response is:
It prevented dust storms and hot temperatures.
The Aral Sea, being a large body of water, helped moderate the local climate by absorbing heat in the summer and releasing it in the winter, which contributed to milder temperatures and reduced the occurrence of dust storms. As it shrank, these moderating effects diminished, leading to hotter summers and colder winters, along with increased dust storms.
It prevented dust storms and hot temperatures.
The Aral Sea, being a large body of water, helped moderate the local climate by absorbing heat in the summer and releasing it in the winter, which contributed to milder temperatures and reduced the occurrence of dust storms. As it shrank, these moderating effects diminished, leading to hotter summers and colder winters, along with increased dust storms.