Peat, Permafrost, Carbon

Match the following stages of peat formation with their descriptions:

• Dense layers of organic matter become peat.

• Year 1

• Dead vegetation falls into an open body of water.

• Year 50

• More layers of dead vegetation bury the first, forming a wetland.

• Year 1000

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Peat forms over hundreds and thousands of years as plants grow, die, and pile up underwater in wet ecosystems like (a)   .

• Deserts

• Mountains

• Bogs

• Forests

The sugar molecules in peat are made up of hydrogen, oxygen, and ​ (a)   .

• nitrogen
• helium
• sulfur
• carbon
• phosphorus

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

True or False: The sugar molecules in peat decompose completely over time.

• True

• False

Match the following terms with their definitions: 1) Peat 2) Permafrost 3) Carbon.

• Peat

• Accumulated plant material

• Permafrost

• Frozen ground

• Carbon

• A chemical element

Peatlands account for about (a)   % of the 29% of Earth's surface covered by land masses.

• 1%

• 3%

• 5%

• 10%

Fill in the blank: Over time, plants pile up, get packed together, and form (a)   .

• Soil

• Peat
• Sand

• Clay

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is the primary component of peat?

• Dead plants

• Sand

• Rocks

• Water

Fill in the blank: Peat is found in swamps, bogs, and (a)   .

• Deserts

• Wet tropical forests

• Mountains

• Plains

Which of the following statements is true about peatlands?

• They cover 50% of Earth's land

• They are only found in cold regions

• They account for 3% of land surface

• They are man-made.