The Spheres and Climate Change Flashcards
What is the biosphere?
The biosphere includes all living things and their ecosystems.
Which sphere contains all living things and their ecosystems?
The biosphere
What is the lithosphere?
The outermost layer of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
Which sphere is the outermost layer of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle?
The lithosphere
What is the hydrosphere?
The hydrosphere contains all water on earth.
Which sphere contains all water on earth?
The hydrosphere
What is the atmosphere?
The layer of gases surrounding the earth.
What are the layers of the atmosphere?
- Troposphere
- Stratosphere (20km above the surface of the earth)
- Mesosphere (50km)
- Thermosphere (80km)
- Exosphere (500km)
What is the layer of gases surrounding the earth called?
The atmosphere
Describe the carbon cycle.
Photosynthesis: Plants absorb CO2 from the air.
Respiration: Animals and Plants release CO2 into the air.
Decomposition: Decomposers break down dead organisms, releasing CO2 into the soil and atmosphere.
Fossilization: Dead organisms become fossil fuels and store carbon.
Combustion: Burning fossil fuels release CO2 into the atmosphere.
Describe the nitrogen cycle.
Fixation: Nitrogen from the atmosphere is converted into ammonia by bacteria.
Nitrification: Ammonia is converted into nitrates by bacteria.
Denitrification: Nitrates are converted back into atmospheric nitrogen.
Assimilation: Plants absorb ammonia and nitrates.
Consumption: Animals eat plants with nitrogen.
Ammonification: Organic nitrogen in waste an dead organisms is converted into ammonia by decomposers.
Describe the phosphorus cycle.
Weathering: Phosphate is released from rocks through weathering and erosion, and enters the soil and water.
Absorption: Plants absorb phosphate from the soil.
Consumtion: Animals eat plants with phosphorus.
Decomposition: Waste and dead organisms release phosphorus into the soil and water.
Runoff: Excess phosphate can enter water bodies through agricultural runoff or erosion.
Sedimentation: Phosphate in water form sedimentary rocks.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is when greenhouses gases trap heat in earth’s atmosphere, warming the earth.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
The enhanced greenhouse effect is the effect of extra greenhouse gases because of human activities such as burning fossil fuels.
How does the enhanced greenhouse effect contribute to global warming?
Because of the excess amounts of greenhouse gases from human activities, more heat is trapped in earth’s atmosphere which increases earth’s temperature.
