Question 90-80-
Urbanization, industrialization, and the warming climate create thermal pollution (excess heat) in the shallow subsurface soil. Susanne A. Benz and colleagues analyzed thousands of sites on three continents under one scenario in which surface temperature remains at the current level and under another in which the surface reaches the maximum plausible temperature. They then egorized each site according to the percentage of local home heating needs that could be met using this excess subsurface heat. The team concluded that if surface temperature approaches the maximum plausible level, the percentage of sites where thermal pollution could feasibly contribute to meeting home heating needs will increase.
Which choice best describes data in the graph that support Benz and colleagues’ conclusion?
Under both temperature conditions, less than 10% of sites were in the up-to-25% group, but at the maximum plausible surface temperature, almost 80% of sites could have all their local heating needs met by thermal pollution.
At current surface temperatures, more than 80% of the sites have no need for supplemental local home heating from subsurface thermal pollution, but at the maximum plausible surface temperature, more than 70% of sites exhibit significantly greater home heating needs.
At current surface temperatures, more than 80% of sites can meet, at most, 25% of local home heating needs with subsurface thermal pollution, but at the maximum plausible surface temperature, more than 80% of sites can meet greater than 25% of local home heating needs.
At current surface temperatures, more than 80% of the sites cannot use subsurface thermal pollution to meet any portion of local home heating needs, but at the maximum plausible surface temperature, that percentage drops below 20%.
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Percentage of all sites analyzed 0%
Hard-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Command of Evidence — Quantitative evidence: reading tables and graphs. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice D is the best answer. The researchers concluded that as we approach maximum plausible surface temperatures, there will be a larger percentage of sites where thermal pollution could contribute to meeting home heating needs. By showing that only a small percentage of homes can currently use thermal pollution for home heating, and that this percentage would grow much larger at maximum plausible surface temperatures, this choice supports the researchers’ conclusion.
Choice A is incorrect. We do not know how many sites could have all (i.e., 100%) of their local heating needs met by thermal pollution, as the graph only classifies sites by whether "0%," "Up to 25%," and "More than 25%" of heating needs could be met. Choice B is incorrect. The graph is not depicting need for supplemental heating from thermal pollution, but rather potential to use thermal pollution for supplemental heating. Choice C is incorrect. The graph indies that, at current surface temperatures, less than 10% of sites can meet 25% of local home heating needs and that more than 80% of sites cannot meet any local home heating needs.
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