Climate Change
What is the primary greenhouse gas responsible for most of the warming of Earth's atmosphere?
What is carbon dioxide (CO₂)?
What scale is used to measure the strength and intensity of earthquakes?
What is the Richter scale?
Name the process by which plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
What is photosynthesis?
What is magma called once it erupts from a volcano and flows onto Earth's surface?
What is lava?
Define the term "atmosphere."
What is the layer of gases surrounding Earth?
Name the phenomenon where gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun, causing Earth's temperature to rise.
What is the greenhouse effect?
A violent, rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground is called a __________.
What is a tornado?
hen organisms break down food for energy, they release carbon dioxide through this process. What is it called?
What is respiration (or cellular respiration)?
Name the two types of volcanic eruptions.
What is Explosive and Non-Explosive?
What is the difference between "weather" and "climate"?
What is weather is short-term atmospheric conditions (days/weeks), while climate is long-term weather patterns over many years?
Which human activity is the largest contributor to increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution?
What is the burning of fossil fuels (or coal, oil, and natural gas)?
Hurricanes form over warm ocean water. What is the minimum ocean temperature needed for hurricane formation?
What is 80°F (or approximately 27°C)?
Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are formed from organisms that died millions of years ago. What is this process called?
What is fossilization (or decomposition over time)?
What is the ring of volcanoes surrounding the Pacific Ocean called?
What is the Ring of Fire?
Define "biodiversity" and explain why it is important.
What is the variety of different species living in an area, and it is important because diverse ecosystems are more stable and resilient?
If global temperatures continue to rise, what will happen to sea levels and why?
What is sea levels will rise due to thermal expansion of water and melting of ice sheets/glaciers?
Explain why tsunamis are often more destructive than the earthquakes that cause them.
What is tsunamis travel across oceans at high speeds and create massive waves that flood coastal areas, or because the waves can travel thousands of miles and still cause damage?
Describe the complete carbon cycle, including at least four major steps or processes.
What is carbon dioxide in atmosphere → plants absorb CO₂ through photosynthesis → animals eat plants → organisms respire and release CO₂ → decomposition returns carbon to soil → fossilization creates fossil fuels → burning releases CO₂ back to atmosphere?
Explain how volcanic eruptions can affect global climate and weather patterns.
What is volcanic ash and gases (especially sulfur dioxide) block sunlight and reflect heat back into space, causing temporary cooling of Earth's atmosphere?
What type of volcano ha smooth sides with steep-ish slopes?
What is a cinder cone volcanoe?
Name two consequences of climate change that affect ecosystems and human societies.
What is any two of the following: rising sea levels, more frequent extreme weather, droughts, flooding, species extinction, food shortages, etc.?
ame three types of natural disasters and explain what causes at least one of them.
What is any three of: earthquakes (caused by tectonic plate movement), tornadoes (caused by severe thunderstorms), hurricanes (caused by warm ocean water), floods (caused by heavy rain or storm surge), wildfires (caused by heat and dry conditions), landslides (caused by gravity and unstable slopes), etc.?
How do human activities like deforestation and burning fossil fuels disrupt the natural carbon cycle?
What is deforestation removes trees that absorb CO₂, and burning fossil fuels releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere faster than natural processes can remove it, causing carbon dioxide levels to increase?
Name two ways that volcanic activity can be beneficial to the environment or human societies.
What is any two of: creates new land, provides fertile soil for farming, generates geothermal energy, creates beautiful landscapes for tourism, etc.?
Define "anthropogenic" and give an example of an anthropogenic effect on Earth's systems.
What is caused by human activity, with examples including climate change, pollution, deforestation, or habitat destruction?