Water And Carbon Flashcards
(31 cards)
What is the water cycle?
The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.
Name the processes involved in the water cycle.
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and transpiration.
True or False: The water cycle is a closed system.
True
What is evaporation?
The process by which water changes from liquid to vapor.
Fill in the blank: Water vapor cools and _______ to form clouds.
condenses
What is precipitation?
Any form of water that falls from clouds to the Earth’s surface, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
Define infiltration.
The process by which water soaks into the soil from the ground surface.
What is the carbon cycle?
The process by which carbon is exchanged between the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms.
Name one human activity that increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Burning fossil fuels.
True or False: Photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
True
What role do plants play in the carbon cycle?
Plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and release oxygen.
Fill in the blank: The process of _______ returns carbon to the atmosphere from living organisms.
respiration
Describe carbon sequestration.
The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The warming of the Earth’s surface due to the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases.
How do oceans contribute to the carbon cycle?
Oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in water and marine organisms.
What is the significance of the carbon sink?
It refers to natural systems that absorb more carbon than they release, helping to mitigate climate change.
True or False: Deforestation decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
False
What process releases carbon stored in fossil fuels?
Combustion.
Fill in the blank: The _______ cycle is essential for regulating the Earth’s climate.
carbon
What are the four main reservoirs in the carbon cycle?
The atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Name a natural process that releases carbon dioxide.
Volcanic eruptions.
What is transpiration?
The process by which water is absorbed by plants and released as vapor through their leaves.
True or False: The water cycle has no impact on weather patterns.
False
What is condensation?
The process by which water vapor cools and changes back into liquid water.