Earth's Spheres

Water evaporates from a lake into the air, forming clouds. The clouds eventually form rain and it falls to the ground. In which spheres does this cycle happen?

• geosphere and cryosphere

• cryosphere and hydrosphere

• hydrosphere and atmosphere

• thermosphere and atmosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

The layers of Earth's atmosphere perform specific functions. Study the illustration below, which shows the layers of the atmosphere.

Which layer of the atmosphere absorbs solar radiation that would be harmful to certain elements of the biosphere?

• troposphere

• mesosphere

• stratosphere

• thermosphere

When animals breathe, they take in oxygen from the air. The oxygen is used to obtain energy from food. This example demonstrates interaction between which two spheres?

• atmosphere and biosphere

• cryosphere and atmosphere

• biosphere and hydrosphere

• hydrosphere and geosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Earth’s spheres interact in many ways. Which describes how the hydrosphere and atmosphere interact?

• A heavy snowfall adds mass to a glacier.

• Polluted air kills several animal species.

• Magma erupts and releases trapped gases.

• Ocean currents influence weather patterns.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Earth’s spheres interact in many ways. What is one way that the cryosphere and biosphere interact?

• A glacier picks up rock and sediment as it moves down a valley.

• Heavy rains bring an end to a dry period on the African savannah.

• A volcanic eruption destroys the plants on an island.

• A melting glacier provides fresh water for plants and animals in the valley below the glacier.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

The atmosphere insulates Earth, keeping the temperature warmer and more stable than it would otherwise be. This insulating effect has an impact on other Earth spheres. What might happen to the cryosphere if the insulating effect of the atmosphere increased?

• Less of the cryosphere would enter the hydrosphere.

• More of the cryosphere would enter the hydrosphere.

• The cryosphere would become bigger.

• The cryosphere would not change.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Look at the illustration. The volcanic eruption is sending out clouds of dust and ash. An interaction between which two spheres is being demonstrated?

• biosphere and geosphere

• cryosphere and biosphere

• geosphere and atmosphere

• atmosphere and hydrosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which set of the spheres on Earth would BEST represent animal species in a forest?

• atmosphere, geosphere, cryosphere

• geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere

• biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere

• cryosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Albert wanted to create a model to show that water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere helps insulate the planet. He filled 4 jars halfway with water at room temperature (25 °C). He put a lid on two jars and left two jars open. He placed the jars on windowsills in his classroom. He left the blinds up in windows I and II and closed the blinds in windows III and IV. Study the lab picture setup.

Which setup best models Albert’s hypothesis that water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere helps insulate the planet?

• I

• II

• III

• IV

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Samal read a story about transforming a planet so that it resembles Earth and can sustain life. The characters in the story wanted to create an artificial atmosphere on Mars that closely resembled Earth’s atmosphere. Most of the story was fiction, but there was one detail about Earth’s atmosphere that Samal recognized as true.

Which detail about Earth’s atmosphere is true?

• It has no effect on surface temperatures.

• It shields life forms on the surface from radiation.

• It allows meteors to strike the surface.

• It is thicker over places where there are high elevations.