Name:
Objective: Explain the role of volcanoes in maintaining Earth’s atmosphere, climate, and life
Focus: We have discussed how Earth is a system of interacting spheres: Geosphere, hydrosphere,
atmosphere, and biosphere. The video you are going to watch will investigate how volcanoes provide
Earth with more than just displays of lava. Volcanic activity on Earth is an expression of the heat
trapped in the geosphere. Volcanism is an important to keeping Earth’s atmosphere, climate, and living
organisms in balance.
BBC’s Earth: The Biography
Episode: Volcanoes (Disc 2)
You Tube: Volcanoes Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk1bVY4HLNM (Minutes 8 – 13)
Directions: Watch minutes 8 – 13 of the BBC video. Use information from the video , your class notes,
and your prior knowledge to help you with the following tasks.
Volcanoes and Climate
1. What is the main climate regulating gas released by volcanoes?
a. Hydrogen
b. Carbon dioxide
c. Water Vapor
d. Methane
2. What effect does this gas have on atmospheric temperatures?
a. It causes warming.
b. It causes cooling.
c. It has no effect.
3. How does this gas regulate temperatures in the atmosphere?
a. It absorbs ultraviolet rays from the sun.
b. It prevents solar radiation from reaching Earth’s surface.
c. It prevents heat from Earth’s surface from escaping to outer space.
d. It magnifies solar radiation making it stronger.
4. Which type of volcanoes influence temperatures on the planet the most?
a. Volcanoes with liquid lava eruptions like the Hawaaian volcanoes.
b. Volcanoes of the Mid-oceanic ridge because they are underwater.
c. Volcanoes at subduction zones along the edge of continents because they have
gaseous eruptions.
5. During prolonged periods of volcanic activity (like when supercontinents break up),
Earth’s temperatures …
a. Cool down and there is an ice age.
b. Warm up and there is a warming period.
c. There is no change to temperature.
6. Which period of Earth’s history is famous for hot-steamy temperatures due to
prolonged volcanic activity?
a. Precambrian
b. Paleozoic
c. Mesozoic
d. Cenozoic
7. Use your answers to # 1-6 to construct a WRITTEN EXPLANATION of HOW VOLCANOES
INFLUENCE TEMPERATURES on planet Earth.
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Volcanoes and Life
8. What gas does photosynthetic plankton take in for photosynthesis and to make shells?
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9. How does this affect the temperature on the planet?
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10. How does this carbon (that was once in the atmosphere and is now in a living organism)
become part of the geosphere (rock) of Earth?
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11. How does this carbon in rock form eventually rejoin the atmosphere?
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12. What will happen to temperatures on the planet when Earth’s core cools and volcanic
activity stops? Explain why this will happen?
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13. Complete the diagram below with words to explain how carbon is cycled from the
atmosphere to the biosphere to the geosphere by volcanoes.
Atmosphere
Volcanoes release …
Biosphere:
Plankton …
Geosphere:
Eventually
rock
containing
carbon is …
Geosphere:
Plankton die and …
14. Give one example of how a change in volcanic activity helped life forms on the planet?
15. Give an example of how a change in volcanic activity harmed life on the planet?