Quiz: Mars - Ice Age
In the following text, identify whether the elements in bold are Noun Phrases, Verb Phrases, Adjective Phrases, Adverb Phrases and Prepositional Phrases or not a constituent.
Like Earth, Mars has experienced warming and cooling cycles. And a new study of ice at the Martian poles indicates the Red Planet is in an interglacial period dating back almost 400,000 Earth years. Confusingly, however, that means its poles are cooler, not warmer than when the ice was most extensive.
Before humans upset the planetary thermostat, the primary driver of climate change on Earth was orbital changes known as Milankovitch cycles. Although the average distance between the Sun and Earth barely changes, the polar axial tilt alters and the orbit shifts between a more rounded and an elongated shape.
On Earth, this is further complicated by the fact that one hemisphere is almost entirely water, while the other has plenty of land. Changes that affect how much sunlight falls on each at different times of the year can affect how much heat the planet retains. This isn't a factor on Mars, but the orbital variation is larger, greatly affecting the planet's climate.
alters average upset the planetary thermostat further interglacial between a more rounded and an elongated shape Changes that affect how much sunlight falls on each at different times of the year warming and cooling cycles Confusingly on Earth No more elements to match | Noun Phrases Drop here Verb Phrases Drop here Adjective Phrases Drop here Adverb Phrases Drop here Prepositional Phrases Drop here |