Question

Drag each item to indicate what scientists can learn about by studying it. Each term may be used more than once.(2 points)
Put responses in the correct input to answer the question. Select a response, navigate to the desired input and insert the response. Responses can be selected and inserted using the space bar, enter key, left mouse button or touchpad. Responses can also be moved by dragging with a mouse.
Ocean temperature Carbon dioxide levels Kinds of plants Rainfall

Answer 1

Here’s what scientists can learn by studying each item:

- Ocean temperature — changes in climate (global warming), ocean circulation and currents, marine ecosystem health and species distributions (e.g., shifts in fisheries), and events like El Niño/La Niña.
- Carbon dioxide levels — past and present greenhouse gas concentrations, the strength of the greenhouse effect and human-caused climate change, and links to global temperature change.
- Kinds of plants — local and past climate/vegetation types (paleoclimate from pollen/fossils), ecosystem health, biodiversity, and how habitats respond to environmental change.
- Rainfall — weather and climate patterns (wet/dry trends), frequency of droughts and floods, water resource availability, and how climate change is altering precipitation.