Biogeochemical Cycles
What do you call the constant movement of water throughout the environment?
The water cycle.
According to the second law of thermodynamics, heat is always transferred from a ______ object to a ______ object.
warmer, cooler
What type of succession begins with bare rock, no soil?
Primary succession.
What is another name for the lithosphere?
The geosphere.
What do you call the gradual shift in long-term average temperatures and weather patterns?
Climate change
Which cycle is driven mainly by various species of bacteria?
The nitrogen cycle.
How many laws of thermodynamics are there?
Four (4).
What kind of feedback loop helps to regulate a systems and maintain homeostasis?
A negative feedback loop.
What domain of the Earth contains all living organisms?
The biosphere.
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit California on Thursday, December 5, 2024. This natural disaster was most likely a result of plates moving against each other in a _________ boundary.
transform
The phosphorus cycle takes place in every domain of the Earth EXCEPT the __________.
atmosphere
What do you call heat transfer through electromagnetic waves?
radiation
Global warming is an example of what type of feedback loop?
positive feedback
Which domain of the Earth is entirely made up of solid water?
The cryosphere.
Polar ice caps melting can cause flooding and loss of land area. This melting is a result of _______ ______.
climate change (or global warming)
What are the 6 main elements in the biogeochemical cycles? (Full names, not just the first letters!)
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur
An wind currents and ocean currents are a result of what kind of heat transfer?
convection
Name the pioneer species of primary succession.
Lichens (and some mosses).
In which domain of the Earth is the stratosphere?
The atmosphere.
Convection currents within the molten portion of the Earth's geosphere causes the Earth's crust to move gradually. This movement of the Earth's crust is called _____ _________.
plate tectonics
Which cycle contributes the most to climate change?
The carbon cycle.
What does the first law of thermodynamics state?
Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, only converted.
Predator-prey relationships are an example of what kind of feedback loop?
negative feedback
In which domain of the Earth is the asthenosphere?
The geosphere/lithosphere.
Define the greenhouse effect.
Heat is trapped near the Earth by the greenhouse gases (methane, carbon dioxide, etc.) in the atmosphere.