Earth's Systems: Water and Weather — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. When a volcano erupts, lava from the geosphere releases gases into the atmosphere.
Volcanic gases like water vapor and carbon dioxide can affect weather and climate for years.
2. Plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis links the biosphere and atmosphere by exchanging carbon dioxide and oxygen.
3. Rivers carry sediment from the geosphere into the hydrosphere.
Sediment transport connects rocks and soil to oceans, building deltas and shaping coastlines.
4. Animals drinking from a stream connect the biosphere with the hydrosphere.
Living things rely on water from the hydrosphere to support cells and body functions.
5. Most of Earth's water, about 97 percent, is salty ocean water.
Only a small fraction of Earth's water is fresh, making it a precious resource for people.
6. Most of Earth's freshwater is locked up in glaciers and polar ice.
Roughly two-thirds of freshwater is frozen, leaving little easily available for human use.
7. Wind blowing dust from a desert into the ocean links the geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
Multi-sphere interactions show that Earth's systems rarely act in isolation.
8. A short-term atmospheric event like a thunderstorm is called weather.
Storms are quick changes in atmospheric conditions, defining weather rather than climate.
9. When snow melts and trickles into soil, the hydrosphere connects with the geosphere.
Meltwater seeping into soil shows how the water cycle reaches the rock and soil sphere.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Hurricane forming
→ Atmosphere and hydrosphere
Atmosphere and hydrosphere
Tree roots cracking rock
→ Biosphere and geosphere
Biosphere and geosphere
Fish swimming in a lake
→ Biosphere and hydrosphere
Biosphere and hydrosphere
Wildfire smoke rising
→ Biosphere and atmosphere
Biosphere and atmosphere
Real-world events almost always involve more than one sphere working together.