Unit 2 - Cycles Influencing Weather and Climate

A continuous chain of cause and effect is present everywhere in nature. One such string is the formation of ice. As ice covers a region of land, it reflects sunlight back out through the atmosphere instead of absorbing it as heat. The surrounding air cools, causing more ice to form. What is this particular string an example of?

• positive feedback
• global cooling
• Earth system
• water cycle

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NGSS.HS-ESS2-2

Kordell and his grandmother love to look for shapes in the clouds. Which sphere interaction results in the formation of clouds?

• The atmosphere absorbs water from the biosphere.
• The cryosphere melts and becomes part of the atmosphere.
• The hydrosphere evaporates and becomes part of the atmosphere.
• The geosphere releases water from the aquifer into the atmosphere.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Mount Etna erupted in March 2017. Researchers are studying the effects of the eruption in the vicinity. Which statement best explains what will happen in the area surrounding the volcano?

• The atmosphere will absorb the smoke from the eruption, leaving all the other spheres relatively unaffected.
• Because all spheres are interconnected, all will experience both positive and negative effects from the eruption.
• Even though all spheres are interconnected, the eruption occurred in the geosphere and will only harm the biosphere.
• The atmosphere and biosphere will only be affected by the smoke in the atmosphere and the displacing of living creatures in the biosphere.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Lana lives on the coast in Florida and sees a storm warning announcement on the local TV news. The weather map shows that a hurricane is coming toward her city. Which of these is the best way to stay safe during the storm?

• Stay indoors.
• Evacuate the area.
• Stay in a car.
• Find lower ground.

In 2016, Hurricane Matthew traveled over the Atlantic Ocean and reached the state of Florida. What happens to hurricanes soon after they reach land away from the ocean?

• Hurricanes stop.
• Hurricanes speed up.
• Hurricanes lose energy.
• Hurricanes gain energy.

Energy and matter move throughout Earth’s spheres as interactions occur. Which part of the water cycle would be affected by a change in the biosphere, such as a forest fire?

• condensation
• evaporation
• precipitation
• transpiration

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

When air masses collide in the atmosphere, different types of fronts can form. Which type of front forms when a warm air mass gets caught between two cold air masses?

• warm front
• cold front
• stationary front
• occluded front

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

Darci is hiking on a summer day. As the day heats up, many clouds begin to form in the sky that were not there before. Which explains why the amount of clouds increased?

• Precipitation increased.
• Condensation increased.
• Evaporation increased.
• Transpiration increased.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

Trace gasses in the atmosphere are not as abundant as nitrogen or oxygen are. However, they play a part in making Earth’s atmosphere one in which life can live. What do trace gasses do in Earth’s atmosphere?

• create the greenhouse effect by adding additional carbon dioxide
• allow water vapor to remain in the atmosphere
• trap solar energy before it escapes to help insulate Earth
• suspend smoke and small particles in the atmosphere

A meteorologist forecasts the weather for the next two days for the city of Middletown. Which of these might explain the change in the weather overnight?

• a warm front
• a cold front
• continental tropical air mass
• continental polar air mass

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

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