Sphere Interactions
How would deforestation affect the geosphere and atmosphere?
Geo-increased erosion
Atmosphere-decreased oxygen/increased CO2
Excess CO2 emissions affects which cycle?
The Carbon Cycle
A country invests heavily in public transit, reducing the number of cars on the road. What is the most direct sustainability effect?
Decreased CO2 emissions
Phosphorus enters ecosystems mainly through which process?
Weathering of phosphate-containing rock
In the carbon cycle, which process REMOVES carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
Photosynthesis
Warming ocean temperatures cause coral to expel the algae living in their tissues (coral bleaching). This is an example of a change in which sphere causing an effect in which other sphere?
Hydrosphere --> Biosphere
Which cycle never enters the atmosphere?
The Phosphorus Cycle (Phosphorus cannot turn into a gas at normal Earth temperatures)
A construction crew clears a hillside of vegetation to build houses. During the next heavy rainstorm, what is the most likely direct effect?
Increased runoff and erosion, carrying sediment into nearby streams
If denitrifying bacteria in soil become more active, what direct effect does this have on the nitrogen cycle?
Increased nitrogen in atmosphere
Which part of the water cycle describes when water vapor is released into the air through plant leaves?
Transpiration
A landslide sends large amounts of soil and rock into a nearby river. Which spheres are directly interacting in this event?
Geosphere, hydrosphere
Which two cycles can be attributed to eutrophication?
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles
A company switches from single-use plastic packaging to reusable containers. This supports sustainability mainly by addressing which principle?
Reducing use of raw materials and conserving them for future use
A wetland area near farmland is destroyed and paved over. Wetlands normally filter excess nitrogen and phosphorus out of water before it reaches larger rivers. What is the likely downstream effect on the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles?
More nutrients reach rivers and lakes unfiltered, increasing the risk of eutrophication
Which of these is a "reservoir" (storage location) for carbon?
Fossil fuels
Wildfires release smoke and ash into the air, which then settles onto nearby soil and plants. This event shows an interaction between which spheres?
atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere
Deforestation would immediately and most directly affect which cycle?
Carbon Cycle
What are the three pillars of sustainability?
Environmental, economic, social
About what percentage of the gas in Earth's atmosphere is nitrogen?
About 78%
What is it called when water soaks into the ground?
Infiltration
A heavy rainstorm causes a riverbank to erode, washing large amounts of soil into the water. Which two spheres are directly interacting in this event?
hydrosphere, geosphere
Which step of the nitrogen cycle transforms nitrites/nitrates in the soil into atmospheric nitrogen gas?
Denitrification
What is an example of a renewable energy source?
Wind, solar
What is it called when bacteria convert nitrogen gas into a form plants can use?
Nitrogen fixation
What is the process called when water vapor cools and turns into clouds?
Condensation