LSAT 154 – Section 2 – Question 23

LSAT 154 - Section 2 - Question 23

September 2017

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT154 S2 Q23
+LR
Resolve reconcile or explain +RRE
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
79%
163
B
6%
154
C
3%
149
D
11%
159
E
1%
154
140
149
158
 +Medium 144.659 +SubsectionEasier

The effects of global warming on the polar ice caps have been studied with computer models. According to some models, if the global temperature increases by as little as two degrees Celsius, the seawater will rise to a temperature that could melt the ice caps considerably. However, those models also show that under such a scenario, the volume of the ice caps would increase, not shrink.

"Surprising" Phenomenon
A rise in seawater temperature would melt the ice caps considerably, yet the ice caps would increase in total volume.

Objective
The correct answer will be a hypothesis that explains how something that considerably melts the polar ice caps can also increase their volume. This explanation must result in the ice caps growth outweighing their shrinkage from melting, and provide some mechanism for how this growth occurs.

A
As global temperatures increase, more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere, thereby leading to increased snowfall at the polar caps, which then melts and refreezes as ice.
While a temperature increase would melt the ice caps, it would also cause increased snowfall at the polar caps. In turn, the ice caps would grow in total volume once the snow refreezes into ice. This accounts for both melting and volume growth.
B
As global temperatures increase, more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere, thereby lowering the ocean level, which then results in less contact between the ice caps and the warmer water, thereby stabilizing the size of the ice caps.
According to the stimulus, the ice caps would grow. This says they remain stable.
C
As sea temperatures increase, the difference in temperature between the polar ice caps and the adjacent water becomes greater, which in turn causes the water to melt the ice it contacts at a faster rate.
This intensifies ice cap melt, but it doesn’t explain why the ice caps would grow in volume.
D
As sea temperatures increase, evaporation of seawater causes the concentration of salt in the water to increase, which thereby lowers the temperature needed to freeze the seawater.
If the temperature needed to freeze seawater falls even further, then it seems even less likely the ice caps would grow in volume.
E
As global temperatures increase, more seawater evaporates into the atmosphere, thereby leading to increased cloud formation, which causes smaller variations between the average temperatures of the earth’s hottest climates and those of its coldest climates.
Unless those variations explain how ice cap volume would grow, we don’t care about them. This doesn’t tell us those variations explain anything.

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LSAT PrepTest 154 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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