Carbon Cycle Activity & snowpack Study

Carbon Cycle Activity Questions

By Mrs. Barnes

​Carbon Cycle

​CO₂ & carbonates

​Die w/o decomposing

​Respiration provides living organisms energy & releases CO₂

Combustion is the burning of carbon-containing matter which releases CO₂

​Decomposition is where carbon in dead & decaying organisms get completely broken down by bacteria & release CO₂

​Processes that release carbon into the atmosphere:

​Fossil Fuels - formed from dead organisms that did not decay but intead deposited their matter into the ground. This process requires millions of years.

Processes That Remove Carbon From The Atmosphere are rare & include Photosynthesis

​And Deposition
(partial decomposition
of dead plants/animals)
And Diffusion into Oceans

Multiple Choice

All of the carbon in existence is continually recycled in the carbon cycle

• True
• False

Multiple Choice

Which of the following processes releases Carbon into the atmosphere?

• Combustion (burning fossil fuels)

• Photosynthesis

• Diffusion into ocean

• Deposition

Multiple Choice

Why does decomposition also release carbon dioxide into the atmopshere?

• Living things die and break down returning their carbon to the atmosphere

• Living things break down while still living

• Living things that die turn into fossil fuels which cannot be burned

• This process takes food (sugar) and converts it into usable energy and releases carbon dioxide

Multiple Choice

Which of the following removes carbon from the atmosphere?

• Combustion
• Cellular Respiration

• Photosynthesis
• Decomposition

Multiple Choice

What is bacteria's role in the carbon cycle?

• decompose organic matter and release carbon back into the soil/rocks

• decompose organic matter and release carbon back into the atmosphere

• photosynthesize organic matter and release it into the atmosphere

• photosynthesize organic matter and release it into the the soil

Multiple Choice

Where is carbon most likely to go after becoming fossil fuel?

• into plants by photosynthesis

• into the air as CO₂ from being burned (combusted)

• into animals by consumption

• into the oceans from diffusion

Multiple Choice

Which of these processes transfer carbon from living things to the atmosphere?

• Cellular Respiration

• Deposition

• Photosynthesis

• Combustion

• Consumption

Multiple Choice

Which stage takes the longest by millions of years?

• Decomposition by bacteria

• Formation of Fossil Fuels

• Cellular respiration by animals

• Photosynthesis by plants

• Cellular respiration by plants

Multiple Select

Which of these are required to naturally create fossil fuels? (mark all 4 that apply)

• fossils

• dead organisms

• buried under ground for millsions of years

• heat

• pressure

Multiple Choice

If the plant population decreased, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere would _________.

• Stay the same

• Increase

• Decrease

Multiple Choice

Why does carbon generally spend the most of its time in rock?

• the ocean always delivers carbon rock

• carbon gets trapped as minerals or fossil fuels

• combustion puts carbon into the rocks

• carbon is more likely to get released as CO₂ from the ground

Multiple Choice

What is the least likely form of carbon in the ground?

• mineral/limestone

• carbon dioxide

• fossil fuels like coal, gas, oil

• dead, organic matter

Multiple Choice

Why is carbon more likely to move to the atmosphere after fossil fuels?

• Because Carbon is difficult to release from fossil fuels

• Because Carbon is used for photosynthesis

• Because carbon is released as CO₂ after it is combusted

• Because carbon is stored as fossil fuels in the atmosphere

Multiple Choice

Which of these contribute the most carbon into the atmosphere in the shortest period of time?

• cellular respiration

• diffusion

• combustion

• decomposition

Multiple Choice

How does the process of diffusion take-in 30% of the CO₂ from the atmosphere into the oceans?

• Secaying organic materials turns into fossil fuels.

• Plants take in carbon dioxide and sunlight to make their own food.

• Bodies of water take in carbon dioxide from outer space.

• Bodies of water dissolve carbon dioxide from the air.

Multiple Choice

The amount of carbon on Earth today is the same amount that has ever been. However, the oceans and atmosphere contain higher concentrations than ever recorded in history. What is one probable cause of higher than normal concentrations of carbon in our atmosphere and oceans?  

• Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
• Increased plant growth absorbing more carbon.
• Ocean currents redistributing carbon from deep waters.
• Natural volcanic eruptions releasing carbon dioxide.

Labelling

Drag the labels for each process or form of carbon in the carbon cycle.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Carbon Dioxide

Respiration (plants)

Combustion

Respiration (animals)

Fossil Fuels

Deposition (plants)

Photosynthesis

Deposition (Animals)

​Ocean Acidification Kills Shellfish and other Sea Life:
Carbon Dioxide makes Carbonic Acid when it diffuses (dissolves in water).

​Keystone species like Shellfish and Coral lose their Exoskeleton
(shell) and die

​While volcanos do release 0.28-0.36 gigatons per year of CO2, their overall effect is to cool the earth:

​Burning fossil fuels and clearing forests generate as much as 100 times the carbon emissions of volcanic eruptions every year.

​Rain/Snow feed the freshwater we need for drinking and farming as a part of the water cycle

​Snowpack is melting faster due to high temps creating spring flood conditions, then drought in late summer as river
farming/drinking water decreases.

Multiple Choice

What is arguably the worst impact of rising CO₂ levels?

• Acid Rain

• Ocean Acidification

• Forest Fires

• Melting Ice

Multiple Choice

Which of these is true about the cause of ocean acidification?

• It is from underground volcanic activity

• It is from an increased amount of CO2 reacting to form acid

• It is from acid being directly dumped into the ocean

• It is caused by accidental oil spills

Multiple Choice

Why would potentially more rain not prevent drought with global warming?

• the snowpack melts too quickly so there will be less water in the summer

• the snowpack will increase and slowly melt over the summer

• vegetation will overgrow upstream and block rivers

• underground sources of water will collect underground