Conflicting Climatic Phenomena Co-Existing on the Mars Reading Answers

Jan 12, 2023

Conflicting Climatic Phenomena Co-Existing on the Mars Reading Answers is an academic reading topic which portrays about different climatic conditions on the planet of Mars. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “101 Ielts Reading Past Papers with Answers”. The topic named Conflicting Climatic Phenomena Co-Existing on the Mars Reading Answers comes with 14 wide range of questions in total. The topic involves mainly three types of questions, which are, choose the correct paragraph, True/False/Not Given, and complete the following sentences. The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers can be taken into consideration by the candidates in order to score a good score in the reading section in which similar topics like Conflicting Climatic Phenomena Co-Existing on the Mars Reading Answers has been included.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

Conflicting Climatic Phenomena Co-Existing on the Mars Reading Answers

On Mars, signs of wetness keep pouring in: deeply carved river valleys, vast deltas and widespread remnants of evaporating seas have convinced many experts that liquid water may have covered large parts of the Red Planet for a billion years or more. But most efforts to explain how Martian climate ever permitted such clement conditions come up dry. Bitterly cold and parched today, Mars needed a potent greenhouse atmosphere to sustain its watery past. A thick layer of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from volcanoes probably shrouded the young planet, but climate models indicate time and again that C02 alone could not have kept the surface above freezing.

Now, inspired by the surprising discovery that sulfur minerals are pervasive in the Martian soil, scientists are beginning to suspect that C02 had a warm-up partner: sulfur dioxide (S02). Like C02, S02 is a common gas emitted when volcanoes erupt, a frequent occurrence on Mars when it was still young. A hundredth or even a thousandth of a percent S02 in Mars's early atmosphere could have provided the extra boost of greenhouse warming that the Red Planet needed to stay wet, explains geochemist Daniel P. Schrag of Harvard University.

That may not sound like much, but for many gases, even minuscule concentrations are hard to maintain. On our home planet, S02 provides no significant long-term warmth because it combines almost instantly with oxygen in the atmosphere to form sulfate, a type of salt. Early Mars would have been virtually free of atmospheric oxygen, though, so S02 would have stuck around much longer.

"When you take away oxygen, it's a profound change, and the atmosphere works really differently," Schrag remarks. According to Schrag and his colleagues, that difference also implies that S02 would have played a starring role in the Martian water cycle—thus resolving another climate conundrum, namely, a lack of certain rocks.

Schrag's team contends that on early Mars, much of the S02 would have combined with airborne water droplets and fallen as sulfurous acid rain, rather than transforming into a salt as on Earth. The resulting acidity would have inhibited the formation of thick layers of limestone and other carbonate rocks. Researchers assumed Mars would be chock-full of carbonate rocks because their formation is such a fundamental consequence of the humid, C02-rich atmosphere. Over millions of years, this rock-forming process has sequestered enough of the carbon dioxide spewed from earthly volcanoes to limit the buildup of the gas in the atmosphere. stifling this C02-sequestration step on early Mars would have forced more of the gas to accumulate in the atmosphere—another way S02 could have boosted greenhouse warming, Schrag suggests.

Some scientists doubt that S02 was really up to these climatic tasks . Even in an oxygen-free atmosphere, S02 is still extremely fragile; the sun's ultraviolet radiation splits apart S02 molecules quite readily, points out James F. Kasting, an atmospheric chemist at Pennsylvania state University. In Easting's computer models of Earth's early climate, which is often compared with that of early Mars, this photochemical destruction capped S02 concentrations at one thousandth as much as Schrag and his colleagues describe. "There may be ways to make this idea work," Kasting says. "But it would take some detailed modeling to convince skeptics, including me, that it is actually feasible."

Schrag admits that the details are uncertain, but he cites estimates by other researchers who suggest that early Martian volcanoes could have spewed enough S02 to keep pace with the S02 destroyed photochemically. Previous findings also indicate that a thick C02 atmosphere would have effectively scattered the most destructive wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation—yet another example of an apparently mutually beneficial partnership between C02 and S02 on early Mars.

Kasting maintains that an S02 climate feedback could not have made early Mars as warm as Earth, but he does allow for the possibility that S02 concentrations may have remained high enough to keep the planet partly defrosted, with perhaps enough rainfall to form river valleys. Over that point, Schrag does not quibble. "Our hypothesis doesn't depend at all on whether there was a big ocean, a few lakes or just a few little puddles," he says. " Warm doesn't mean warm like the Amazon. It could mean warm like Iceland— just warm enough to create those river valleys. " with S02, it only takes a little. If sulfur dioxide warmed early Mars, as a new hypothesis suggests, minerals called sulfites would have formed in standing water at the surface. No sulfites have yet turned up, possibly because no one was looking for them. The next-generation rover, the Mars Science Laboratory, is well equipped for the search. Scheduled to launch in 2009, the rover (shown here in an artist's conception) will be the first to carry an x-ray diffractometer, which can scan and identify the crystal structure of any mineral it encounters.

Section 2

Questions 1-6

The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-H.

Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter A-H, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

Question 1: A problem indirectly solved by SO2

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: Schrag remarks. According to Schrag and his colleagues, that difference also implies that S02 would have played a starring role in the Martian water cycle—thus resolving another climate conundrum, namely, a lack of certain rocks.
Keyword : Schrag, S02, resolving another climate conundrum
Keyword location: paragraph D, line 2
Explanation: Line 2 of paragraph D suggests a discrepancy. In the opinion of Schrag and his colleagues, S02 would have been a major player in the Martian water cycle. Thus, resolving a different issue with the climate, namely the absence of certain rocks.

Question 2: A device with an astounding ability for detection

Answer: H
Supporting sentence: Scheduled to launch in 2009, the rover (shown here in an artist's conception) will be the first to carry an x-ray diffractometer, which can scan and identify the crystal structure of any mineral it encounters.
Keyword : 2009 x-ray diffractometer, crystal structure of any mineral
Keyword location: paragraph H, last line
Explanation: Last line of paragraph H states that the rover, which is slated to take off in 2009, will be the first to be equipped with an x-ray diffractometer. It can scan and determine the crystal structure of any mineral it comes across. It is depicted here in an artist's conception.

Question 3: A potential contributor to the warmth of the Mars interacting with CO2

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: A hundredth or even a thousandth of a percent S02 in Mars's early atmosphere could have provided the extra boost of greenhouse warming that the Red Planet needed to stay wet, explains geochemist Daniel p. Schrag of Harvard University.
Keyword : 2009 x-ray diffractometer, crystal structure of any mineral
Keyword location: paragraph B, last line
Explanation: The concluding line of paragraph B says about a saying of Daniel P. Schrag. Geochemist Daniel P. Schrag of Harvard University made a hypothesis. According to this, a hundredth or perhaps a thousandth of a percent S02 in Mars' early atmosphere may have given the extra boost of greenhouse warming. S02 in Mars’ early atmosphere may have given the extra boost of greenhouse warminhg, that the Red Planet required to remain wet.

Question 4: The destructive effect brought by the sunlight proposed by the opponents

Answer: F
Supporting sentence: Even in an oxygen-free atmosphere, S02 is still extremely fragile; the sun's ultraviolet radiation splits apart S02 molecules quite readily, points out James F. Kasting, an atmospheric chemist at Pennsylvania state University.
Keyword : oxygen-free atmosphere, sun's ultraviolet radiation, atmospheric chemist
Keyword location: paragraph F, line 2-3
Explanation: Lines 2-3 of paragraph F suggests that the Sun’s UV energy rips apart S02 molecules. It rips apart S02 molecules even in an atmosphere devoid of oxygen. It is a hypotheses as per James F. Kasting, an atmospheric chemist at Pennsylvania State University. This photochemical destruction limited photoconstruction at one thousandth. It is as much as Schrag and his coworkers depict in Easting's computer simulations of Earth's early climate. The climate, which is frequently likened to that of early Mars.

Question 5: A specific condition on early Mars to guarantee the SO2 to maintain in the atmosphere for a long time

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: On our home planet, S02 provides no significant long-term warmth because it combines almost instantly with oxygen in the atmosphere to form sulfate, a type of salt.
Keyword : S02, significant long-term warmth, oxygen in the atmosphere, a type of salt.
Keyword location: paragraph C, line 2
Explanation: Even little quantities of many gases are challenging to maintain, despite the fact that this might not seem like much. On Earth, S02 does not significantly contribute to long-term warming because it virtually rapidly forms sulphate. It is a type of salt, when it reacts with oxygen in the atmosphere. However, as early Mars would have had very no atmospheric oxygen, S02 would have persisted for a significantly longer period of time.

Question 6: Conflicting climatic phenomena co-existing on the Mars

Answer: A
Supporting sentence: But most efforts to explain how Martian climate ever permitted such clement conditions come up dry.
Keyword : Martian climate, clement conditions, come up dry
Keyword location: paragraph A, line 2
Explanation: The evidence for wetness on Mars is piling up. Deeply carved river valleys, enormous deltas, and broad evidence of evaporating oceans have persuaded many scientists. They claimed that the liquid water may
have covered most of the Red Planet for at least a billion years. But most attempts to explain how the Martian environment could have ever allowed for such pleasant conditions fall short. Mars needed a strong greenhouse environment to survive its aqueous past because it is currently bitterly cold and arid.

Questions 7-9

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage? In boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement is True
FALSE if the statement is False
NOT GIVEN if the information is not available in the passage

Question 7: Schrag has provided concrete proofs to fight against the skeptics for his view.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting sentence: A hundredth or even a thousandth of a percent S02 in Mars's early atmosphere could have provided the extra boost of greenhouse warming that the Red Planet needed to stay wet, explains geochemist Daniel P. Schrag of Harvard University.
Keyword : S02, Mars's early atmosphere, geochemist Daniel p. Schrag
Keyword location: paragraph B, last line
Explanation: Geochemist Daniel P. Schrag of Harvard University argues about a fact. A hundredth or perhaps a thousandth of a percent S02 in Mars' early atmosphere may have given the Red Planet the extra boost of greenhouse warming. The boost it required to remain wet. When oxygen is removed, there is a significant difference, and the atmosphere behaves very differently, says Schrag. This disparity, in the opinion of Schrag and his coworkers, also suggests that S02 would have been a major player in the Martian water cycle. This answers another climate puzzle involving the absence of certain rocks. Therefore, the above statement is considered to be a FALSE one.

Question 8: More and more evidences show up to be in favor of the leading role SO2 has for the warming up the Mars.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: No necessary information in order to prove the validation of this statement has been given in the passage. Henceforth, we can point out the above statement to be an invalid one.

Question 9: The sulfites have not been detected probably because of no concern for them.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting sentence: No sulfites have yet turned up, possibly because no one was looking for them.
Keyword : paragraph H, lines 7-9
Keyword location: sulfites, possibly, looking for them
Explanation: Lines 7-9 of paragraph H says that it could be interpreted as warm like Iceland, just enough enough to form those river valleys. According to a recent theory, if sulphur dioxide warmed early Mars, sulfites would have developed in surface water that was still. It's possible that no sulfites have yet been found because no one has been looking for them. The Mars Science Laboratory, the next-generation rover, is well-suited for the hunt. Therefore, the given statement is regarded as a TRUE one.

Questions 10-13

Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using No More than Three words from the Reading Passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.

An opinion held by Schrag’s team indicates that 10________ formed from the integration of SO2 with 11_______would have stopped the built up of thick layers of limestone as well as certain carbonate rocks. Wetness and abundance in CO2 could directly result in the good production rocky layer of 12________As time went by, sufficient CO2 was emitted from the volcanoes and restricted the formation of the gas in the afr. To stop this process made SO2 possible to accelerate 13___________.

Question 10:

Answer: sulfurous acid rain
Supporting sentence: much of the S02 would have combined with airborne water droplets and fallen as sulfurous acid rain
Keyword : S02, airborne water droplets, sulfurous acid rain
Keyword location: Paragraph E
Explanation: According to Schrag's team, much of the S02 on early Mars would have mixed with flying water droplets and dropped as sulphurous acid rain stated in paragraph H. Thick layers of limestone and other carbonate rocks would not have been able to develop because of the ensuing acidity.

Question 11:

Answer: airbome water droplets
Supporting sentence: much of the S02 would have combined with airborne water droplets and fallen as sulfurous acid rain
Keyword : S02, airborne water droplets, sulfurous acid rain
Keyword location: Paragraph E
Explanation: According to Schrag's team, much of the S02 on early Mars would have mixed with flying water droplets and dropped as sulphurous acid rain rather than changing into a salt as it does on Earth. This is stated in paragraph H. Thick layers of limestone and other carbonate rocks would not have been able to develop because of the ensuing acidity.

Question 12:

Answer: limestone and carbonate
Supporting sentence: The resulting acidity would have inhibited the formation of thick layers of limestone and other carbonate rocks.
Keyword : thick layer of limestone, carbonate rocks.
Keyword location: Paragraph E
Explanation: According to Schrag's team, much of the S02 on early Mars would have mixed with flying water droplets and dropped as sulphurous acid rain rather than changing into a salt as it does on Earth. This is stated in paragraph H. Thick layers of limestone and other carbonate rocks would not have been able to develop because of the ensuing acidity.

Question 13:

Answer: greenhouse warming
Supporting sentence: It could mean warm like Iceland— just warm enough to create those river valleys. " with S02, it only takes a little.
Keyword : warm, Iceland, river valleys
Keyword location: Paragraph H
Explanation: According to paragraph H, it makes no difference if there was a sizable ocean, a few lakes, or just a few little puddles. Warm may not always indicate tropical. With S02, it just takes a little warmth to form those
river valleys, therefore it might also imply warm like Iceland.