Earth's Atmospheric Changes and Life

Early photosynthetic life created what change in our atmosphere?

• increased level of oxygen

• increased level of carbon dioxide

• decreased ability to transmit light

• decreased ability to support life

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

What is the oldest evidence for oxygen accumulation in Earth’s atmosphere?

• the earliest fossils of animals

• the earliest sediments of oxidized rock

• extensive volcanic calderas of similar

  age

• impact craters of oxidized-iron asteroids

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-6

When there Earth formed, it was not differentiated into layers that we see today. The magnetosphere had not formed yet. How did the

lack of differentiation in Earth’s core most likely affect the change in Earth’s atmospheric

composition?

• by releasing water vapor from the core into the atmosphere

• by having the solar winds blow away the lighter elements in the atmosphere.

• by providing heat energy to fuel chemical reactions in the atmosphere

• by magnetically attracting freed metallic

  elements on the earth's surface

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-6

NGSS.HS-ESS2-1

If there had been no cyanobacteria living on earth, how would the Earth's atmospheres been affected?

• The earth's atmosphere would still be primarily hydrogen and helium

• The Earth’s atmosphere would consist of

  a lot of oxygen and very little carbon dioxide

• The Earth’s atmosphere would consist of

  volcanic gases and water vapor

• The Earth’s atmosphere would not be any different

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

Compared to current conditions on Venus, what

can be inferred about what Earth was like before the formation of the redbeds of iron oxide?

• Earth was more dense

• Earth was less dense

• Earth was hotter

• Earth was colder

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

2 billion years ago we see that iron-rich deposits have red layers but those before this time were not red in color. The red layers formed when oxygen made during photosynthesis

reacted with iron molecules in the ocean. The oxidized iron formed layers of sedimentary

rock. What BEST explains this phenomenon?

• The atmosphere changed the biosphere

• The hydrosphere changed the atmosphere

• The lithosphere changed the

  atmosphere.

• The biosphere changed the lithosphere.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

For a fossil to form, what condition most likely existed?

• Organism remains were covered by

  lava flow.

• Organism remains were buried in an place where there was a lot of erosion

• Organism remains were buried with

  little oxygen.

• Organism remains were deposited in an area of open space.

2 fish die. One washes ashore and one stays on the bottom of the lake. Why would the fish in the lake be more likely to become a fossil than the one on the shore?

• Sediments in the water will quickly cover the fish up in the lake

• Scavengers in the water will eat the remains of the fish in the lake faster

• Soft parts of the fish will decay more

  quickly in the water.

• Currents in the water will move the fish

Radiocarbon dating is used to determine the age of many artifacts. Which objects

listed could be dated by radiocarbon dating techniques?

• bronze spear point from Early Greece

• ancient human bone found at a cemetary

• piece of cloth that wrapped an Egyptian mummy

• stone from an ancient monument

When an organism dies, Carbon-14 decays into Nitrogen-14 at a constant rate. What percentage of Carbon-14 would be left after 4 half-lives?

• 50%

• 25%

• 12.5%

• 6.25%

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8