Assignment: Identifying Exchanges of Matter and Energy in Science News
Use proper, well-structured sentences when necessary.
In the first few chapters we learnthat interactions between different earth systems are facilitated by exchanges of matter and energy. In this exercise we learn to recognize these interactions in recently published case studiesin EOS, a top-tierscience news source. Pick and readone of the following articles.
1. Scientists Discover a New Source of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide By JoAnna Wendel
2. How Irrigation in Asia Affects Rainfall in Africa By Sarah Stanley
3. How Bat Breath and Guano Can Change the Shapes of Caves By JoAnna Wendel
Read the article thoroughly. There will be words and ideas you have not heard before. Look up these terms in your textbook and using the internet. Become familiar with the concepts to the point that you understand the article and can explain it. Answer the following.
1. Name the two components of the earth system (which of the four ‘-spheres') that are interacting. For each ‘-sphere,' specifically name the particular phenomenon that the article focuses on.
a. Component 1: ___________________ Phenomenon: ___________________________
b. Component 2: ___________________ Phenomenon: ___________________________
2. The two components named above interact through the exchange or matter or energy. Answer the following questions regarding this exchange.
a. Does the exchange involve energy, matter or both?
b. Name specifically what is being exchanged. ___________________________________
c. Name the component that is the source of matter or energy. ______________________
d. Name the component that is the sink for the matter or energy. _____________________
e. Is this exchange of matter or energy a significant part of the whole earth system or just a small detail? Answer this by considering what would happen if this exchange ceased to occur...would it have just local or global ramifications? Significant or Detail (circle one)?
f. (1) Justify your answer to the above question (2e). How do you know?
3. Consider what you read in regards to what we have learned about the scientific method.
a. (1) What information or initial observations inspired the study? What was the question?
b. (1) What hypothesis might the workers have developed? It might read, "based on initial observations, we suggest that (some phenomenon) behaves in the following way (some kind of behavior)."
c. (1) Describe themethods (field observations, experiments, models, etc.)that the workers employ to test their hypothesis.
d. (1) What observations do these methods yield? This is the basic, objective measurements made or results created.
e. (1) How do the workersinterpret their observations? This is the more subjective part of the work where they take their results and extend them to describe something that they have not yet fully measured or observed.
4. Cite the EOS article (see bottom of the article) and any other sources you used to accomplish insight into your chosen article. These could include the textbook, lecture notes, websites or other books. Use a consistent and appropriate citation format (MLA, APA, or Chicago, etc.).