Earth Systems & Atmosphere - Test Prep

The interaction between the cryosphere and hydrosphere can have an impact on Earth's oceans. Which of the following is an example of an interaction between the cryosphere and hydrosphere?

• evaporation of water from oceans at the equator

• release of fresh water into the ocean as icebergs melt

• decomposition of organic matter at the bottom of oceans

• release of large amounts of salt from icebergs into a ocean

In the morning, over the cold mountain lake, a light fog will form. What two spheres are interacting to allow the fog to form?

• hydrosphere and atmosphere

• cryosphere and atmosphere

• atmosphere and biosphere

• geosphere and biosphere

Plants use essential elements such as water, carbon, and nitrogen from the soil. Which two spheres are interacting?

• biosphere and atmosphere

• biosphere and geosphere

• hydrosphere and atmosphere

• geosphere and atmosphere

Our weather in the United States can range from sunny and warm in the summer to snowy and cold in the winter. In which layer of the atmosphere does weather occur?

• troposphere

• stratosphere

• mesosphere

• thermosphere

Carbon dioxide is a trace gas in Earth's atmosphere. Although present in only small amounts, carbon dioxide has an influence on Earth's atmosphere. Which of the following describes the influence of carbon dioxide?

• Carbon dioxide influences the mass of the atmosphere.

• Carbon dioxide influences the height of the atmosphere.

• Carbon dioxide influences the heating of the atmosphere.

• Carbon dioxide influences the density of the atmosphere.

In what way do the geosphere and the hydrosphere interact?

• The atmosphere provides the geosphere with heat and energy needed for rock breakdown and erosion.

• Evaporation from the hydrosphere provides the medium for cloud and rain formation in the atmosphere.

• Warm ocean currents cause major weather events, impacting animals and their surroundings.

• Water provides the moisture and medium for weathering and erosion of rocks.

Florida's unique sandy soil and subtropical rains are ideal for growing orange trees. Which of these parts of the Earth system are interacting when Florida’s orange trees grow?

• biosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and atmosphere

• geosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and atmosphere

• biosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and cryosphere

• geosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere and hydrosphere

Which method of heat energy transfer is primarily responsible for energy being lost into space as a result of the sun warming the Earth?

• radiation

• conduction

• convection

Heat can be transferred from one place to another by three methods: conduction, convection, and radiation. Looking at the letters which action is evidence of conduction?

• radiation from the sun heats the surface of the Earth

• the surface of the Earth heats the air that contacts it

• cold, dense air sinks downward while warm air rises upward creating a current

The picture below illustrates upward movement of warm air and the downward movement of cool air as it occurs in the troposphere. What kind of heat transfer does this process describe?

• radiation

• conduction

• convection