Question at position 35 Which phrase best describes the current state of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere?The amount of carbon dioxide and the rate of increase are greater than the past, natural trends.It is unclear how the amount of CO2 and rate of change compares to past, natural trends.The amount of carbon dioxide and the rate of increase are consistent with past, natural trends.The amount of carbon dioxide and the rate of increase are less than the past, natural trends.

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Reframe the question in your own words: it asks which description best matches the present condition of atmospheric CO2, focusing on both the amount and the rate of increase relative to historical, natural trends.
Option 1: 'The amount of carbon dioxide and the rate of increase are greater than the past, natural trends.' This aligns with the well-established scientific consensus: atmospheric CO2 concentrations are higher than any comparable period in the last several hundred thousand years, and the current growth rate is also faster than typical natural background changes due to human activities such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation. This option captures both dimensions—level and rate—and is consistent with ice core data and modern measurements showing a pronounced upward trajectory.
Option 2: 'It is unclear how the amount of CO2 and rate of change compares to past, natural trends.' While scientific understanding has uncertainties in many domains, the core pattern of CO2 being elevated and rising rapidly is well established and supported by extensive measurements. This statement underplays the strength of the evidence and is not the best description of the current state.
Option 3: 'The amount of carbon dioxide and the rate of increase are consistent with past, natural trends.' This is not accurate because the present values exceed natural fluctuations observed in the last geological timescale, and the rate of increase is unusually rapid compared to most past natural variations. It ignores the human-driven acceleration that characterizes recent decades.
Option 4: 'The amount of carbon dioxide and the rate of increase are less than the past, natural trends.' This directly contradicts empirical data, which show both higher CO2 concentrations and a faster upward trend than typical natural historical patterns rather than being lower than them.
In summary, option 1 best matches the current scientific understanding by describing both a higher-than-natural baseline level of CO2 and an accelerated rate of growth, while the other options either downplay, misstate, or oppose the known trajectory of atmospheric CO2.

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