WorksheetsUnit 2 Biogeochemical Cycles & Climate Change Review
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 38mins
What is the largest carbon sink on Earth?
Atmosphere
Oceans
Forests
Soil
What is the role of CO₂ in regulating climate?
Acts as a greenhouse gas
Forms the backbone of carbohydrates
Breaks down dead organisms
Absorbs sunlight
Which process in the water cycle involves water moving downward through soil layers into aquifers?
Precipitation
Percolation
Transpiration
Condensation
What is the importance of the water cycle in sustaining life?
Regulates temperature and shapes climate patterns
Converts CO₂ into sugars
Releases CO₂ into the atmosphere
Forms fossil fuels
Which process in the water cycle involves water vapor being released through tiny pores on plant leaves?
Evaporation
Transpiration
Condensation
Precipitation
What is the continuous movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration called?
Carbon cycle
Water cycle
Fossilization process
Combustion cycle
What is the backbone of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids?
Nitrogen
Carbon
Phosphorus
Water
Which process in the water cycle involves water falling as rain, snow, sleet, or hail?
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Transpiration
What is the primary source of energy for the water cycle?
Wind
Sun
Fossil fuels
Ocean currents
What is nitrogen fixation?
The process of converting ammonium into nitrites and nitrates
Soil bacteria and lightning converting inert N₂ gas into ammonium
The absorption of nitrates by plant roots
The decomposition of dead organisms into ammonium
Which process releases phosphate from rocks?
Sedimentation
Weathering
Assimilation
Decomposition
What happens during a normal year in terms of trade winds?
Weakened Pacific trade winds
Strong E→W trade winds
Intensified upwelling of cold water
Warmer eastern Pacific sea surface temperatures
What is the effect of El Niño on global precipitation patterns?
Causes flooding in Australia
Causes drought in the Americas
Causes flooding in the Americas and drought in Australia/Asia
Strengthens hurricanes in the Atlantic
How often does Earth's orbit shift between circular and elliptical according to Milankovitch Cycles?
Every 41,000 years
Every 26,000 years
Every 100,000 years
Every 10,000 years
What is the effect of Earth's axis wobble in Milankovitch Cycles?
Changes timing of seasons relative to the orbit
Causes more extreme seasons
Intensifies upwelling of cold water
Strengthens hurricanes in the Atlantic
What is the main process described in the Greenhouse Effect?
Solar radiation enters the atmosphere
Earth absorbs sunlight and re-emits infrared radiation
Greenhouse gases trap some infrared heat
All of the above
What is the main effect of Earth's axis wobble on seasons?
Causes more extreme seasons
Changes timing of seasons
Intensifies upwelling
Strengthens hurricanes
What is the main effect of greenhouse gases re-emitting infrared radiation?
Causes flooding
Warms the Earth
Intensifies upwelling
Changes timing of seasons
What is the main effect of Earth's axis wobble on climate?
Causes flooding
Changes timing of seasons
Causes drought
Causes intensified upwelling
Which of the following is a human source of greenhouse gases?
Wetlands
Volcanoes
Burning fossil fuels
Oceans
What is one impact of increasing CO₂ and CH₄ levels?
Decreased global temperatures
Increased global temperatures
Reduced ocean acidification
Decreased sea levels
Which event is associated with increased extreme weather due to higher greenhouse gas levels?
Heat waves
Reduced rainfall
Decreased storms
Lower sea levels
Which natural source contributes to greenhouse gas emissions?
Landfills
Respiration
Burning fossil fuels
Industry
Which greenhouse gas is primarily emitted by landfills?
Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
Methane (CH₄)
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
HFCS
What is one effect of increased water vapor due to higher greenhouse gas levels?
Reduced global warming
Amplified greenhouse effect
Decreased evaporation
Lower sea levels
What is one consequence of increased global temperatures?
Decreased sea levels
Increased sea levels
Reduced heat waves
Lower greenhouse gas emissions
Which greenhouse gas is emitted during respiration?
Methane (CH₄)
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
HFCS
Which greenhouse gas is primarily emitted by agriculture?
Methane (CH₄)
Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
HFCS
Water vapor
What is one effect of melting ice caps?
Decreased sea levels
Increased sea levels
Reduced global warming
Lower greenhouse gas emissions
Which statement best explains how the animals in the diagram contribute to the carbon cycle?
They eat plants and other organisms that contain carbon which prevents it from ever being stored.
They eat plants and other organisms which contain carbon and deposit carbon into the soil when they die.
They remove carbon from the atmosphere during respiration and replace it with oxygen that is used in photosynthesis.
They remove carbon from the soil during respiration and exchange it with oxygen that evaporates into the atmosphere.
Why do carbon levels fluctuate seasonally?
People drive more in the summer
There are more heaters uses in the winter
Coal is only burned seasonally
Photosynthesis from plants is lessened in the winter months
Describe a scenario that would cause a decrease in the carbon in the atmosphere.
Plants and animals cannot use nitrogen directly from the air.
True
False
After plants and animals contain nitrogen, what puts it back into atmosphere and soil?
decomposition
precipitation
condensation
bacteria
_____ is the conversion of organic nitrogen into ammonia
Nitrogen Fixation
Ammonification
Denitrification
Assimilation
What is denitrification?
Conversation of nitrite back to nitrogen gas
Conversation of ammonia back to nitrogen gas
_____ brings phosphorous into our waterways. .
Precipitation
Runoff
Transpiration
Condensation
This is released by the weathering of rocks.
Carbonate
Phosphate
Phosphorus
Nitrogen
This is NOT a part of the phosphorus cycle.
Phosphate is incorporated into sedimentary rocks
Phosphate bound to soil
Atmospheric phosphate
Phosphate is absorbed from the soil by plants
Which causes the subtropical jet stream to bring warm, wet weather to the southeastern United States?
El Niño
La Nina
Coriolis effect
Santa Anna Winds
What happens during El Niño?
Trade winds strengthen and warm surface water moves eastward
Trade winds weaken and warm surface water moves westward
Trade winds strengthen and warm surface water moves westward
Trade winds weaken and warm surface water moves eastward
What are the climate impacts of El Niño?
Flooding in the Southern United States and warmer, drier conditions in the Pacific Northwest
Drought in the Southern United States and cooler temperatures, heavy rains, and flooding in the Pacific Northwest
Drought in the Southern United States and warmer, drier conditions in the Pacific Northwest
Flooding in the Southern United States and cooler temperatures, heavy rains, and flooding in the Pacific Northwest
What happens during La Niña?
Trade winds weaken and warm surface water moves eastward
Trade winds strengthen and warm surface water moves westward
Trade winds strengthen and warm surface water moves eastward
Trade winds weaken and warm surface water moves westward
What are the climate impacts of La Niña?
Flooding in the Southern United States and cooler temperatures, heavy rains, and flooding in the Pacific Northwest
Flooding in the Southern United States and warmer, drier conditions in the Pacific Northwest
Drought in the Southern United States and cooler temperatures, heavy rains, and flooding in the Pacific Northwest
Drought in the Southern United States and warmer, drier conditions in the Pacific Northwest
Which Milankovitch cycle is related to the shape of Earth’s orbit around the Sun?
Eccentricity
Obliquity
Precession
Nutation
Milankovitch cycles are linked to:
Ocean currents
Volcanic activity
Climate variations
Earth's Magnetic field
Which Milankovitch cycle describes the Earth’s wobble on its axis?
Obliquity
Eccentricity
Precession
Nutation
Which of the following Milankovitch cycles deals with changes in the Earth’s axial tilt?
Axial rotation
Obliquity
Eccentricity
Precession
