Water Cycle
What is the water cycle?
a) The process of water evaporating from oceans and lakes and falling back as rain
b) The process of water freezing in the winter and melting in the summer
c) The process of water disappearing from the Earth
A) The process of water evaporating from oceans and lakes and falling back as rain
What is the primary source of carbon for living organisms?
a) Air b) Soil c) Water d) Sunlight
a) Air
Which of the following is NOT a component of the nitrogen cycle?
a) Nitrogen fixation b) Denitrification c) Photosynthesis d) Nitrification
c) Photosynthesis
What is the primary source of phosphorus for most organisms?
a) Air b) Water c) Soil d) Sunlight
c) Soil
What is the main source of sulfur in the sulfur cycle?
A) Soil Bacteria B) Fossil Fuels C) Volcanic Eruptions D) Rainwater
A) Soil Bacteria
What is the primary source of energy that drives the water cycle?
a) Wind b) Sun c) Earth's rotation
b) Sun
What is the process by which plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen?
a) Respiration b) Photosynthesis c) Decomposition d) Combustion
b) Photosynthesis
What is the primary source of nitrogen for living organisms?
a) Atmosphere b) Soil c) Water d) Rocks
a) Atmosphere
Which of the following processes does not contribute to the release of phosphorus from rocks?
a) Weathering b) Erosion c) Dissolution d) Combustion
d) Combustion
What is the process by which sulfur is converted into sulfate?
A) Sulfur Reduction B) Sulfur Oxidation C) Sulfur Fixation D) Sulfur Deposition
B) Sulfur Oxidation
What is the process called when water vapor turns into liquid water?
a) Evaporation b) Condensation c) Precipitation
b) Condensation
What is the main way in which carbon is returned to the atmosphere from living organisms?
a) Respiration b) Photosynthesis c) Decomposition d) Combustion
a) Respiration
What is the process by which ammonium (NH4+) is converted into nitrate (NO3-) in the nitrogen cycle?
a) Nitrification b) Denitrification c) Assimilation d) Mineralization
a) Nitrification
In the phosphorus cycle, what is the term for the process by which phosphorus moves from soil into waterways?
a) Leaching b) Transpiration c) Nitrogen fixation d) Denitrification
a) Leaching
What is the term for the process by which sulfur is incorporated into organic matter?
A) Sulfur Reduction B) Sulfur Oxidation C) Sulfur Fixation D) Sulfur Mineralization
C) Sulfur Fixation
What is the name of the process by which plants release water vapor into the atmosphere?
a) Transpiration b) Respiration c) Precolation
a) Transpiration
Which of the following is not a way in which carbon can be sequestered from the atmosphere?
a) Planting trees b) Carbon capture and storage c) Ocean acidification d) Soil carbon sequestration
c) Ocean acidification
Which of the following is a consequence of excess nitrogen in aquatic ecosystems?
a) Eutrophication b) Acidification c) Desertification d) Salinization
a) Eutrophication
What is the ultimate fate of phosphorus that enters the ocean through runoff and other pathways?
a) It is absorbed by phytoplankton and incorporated into their biomass
b) It is converted into a gas and released into the atmosphere
c) It becomes trapped in sediment and eventually forms new rocks
d) It reacts with dissolved oxygen to form phosphates that sink to the ocean floor
d) It reacts with dissolved oxygen to form phosphates that sink to the ocean floor
Which of the following is not a way in which sulfur can be released back into the atmosphere?
A) Volcanic Eruptions B) Forest Fires C) Fossil Fuel Combustion D) Photosynthesis
D) Photosynthesis
What is the term for the process by which water infiltrates and moves through soil and rock layers?
a) Percolation b) Seepage c) Infiltration
a) Precolation
Which of the following is not a feedback mechanism that can affect the amount of carbon in the atmosphere?
a) Increased plant growth due to higher carbon dioxide levels
b) Increased ocean absorption of carbon dioxide
c) Melting permafrost releasing stored carbon
d) Increased cloud cover reflecting more sunlight
d) Increased cloud cover reflecting more sunlight
What type of bacteria convert nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonium (NH4+) through nitrogen fixation?
a) Nitrosomonas b) Nitrobacter c) Rhizobium d) Azotobacteria
d) Azotobacteria
In which form is phosphorus typically taken up by plants?
a) H3PO4 b) H2PO4- c) HPO42- d) PO43-
b) H2PO4-
What is the role of Thiobacillus bacteria in the sulfur cycle?
A) They fix sulfur in the soil
B) They reduce sulfur to hydrogen sulfide
C) They oxidize sulfur compounds in the atmosphere
D) They oxidize sulfur compounds in soil and water
D) They oxidize sulfur compounds in soil and water