Question

read the passage and answer the following question(s).
volcanoes and fossil fuels
global temperatures have increased over the past 100 years.
scientists believe that this increase is due to an increased amount of
greenhouse gases in earths atmosphere. heres how it happens:

• earth receives energy from the sun every day.
• to keep the temperature of earth constant, the same amount of

energy must be transferred back into space every day.

• greenhouse gases trap heat energy near earths surface, causing

an increase in global temperatures.
carbon dioxide (co₂) is a greenhouse gas that is created by both
natural and human sources. just like other greenhouse gases, co₂
absorbs infrared energy given off by earths surface. it later emits
infrared energy in all directions, including back towards earth. one
main way in which carbon dioxide is naturally released into the
atmosphere is through volcanic eruptions. carbon dioxide is also
added to the atmosphere during other natural processes, such as
wildfires and the decomposition of dead plants and animals. the
main way in which humans are responsible for adding carbon dioxide
to the atmosphere is through the burning of fossil fuels. the graph
shows the amount of carbon dioxide emissions released into the
atmosphere by volcanoes compared to fossil fuels.
large volcanic eruptions could affect global temperatures. choose two
questions whose answers would help support this claim.
□ a. how does increased carbon dioxide affect atmospheric temperature?
□ b. what causes some volcanic eruptions to be larger than others?
□ c. does a large volcanic eruption release a large amount of carbon
dioxide?
□ d. where on the earth do large volcanic eruptions usually occur?
□ e. what is the height of the largest volcano in the world?

Explanation:

• Option A asks about how increased carbon dioxide (from volcanoes) affects atmospheric temperature. The passage discusses greenhouse gases (like CO₂) trapping heat and increasing global temperatures, so answering this would support the claim that volcanic eruptions affect global temperatures.
• Option C asks if a large volcanic eruption releases a large amount of carbon dioxide. The passage mentions that carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere by volcanic eruptions. Answering this (e.g., if yes, it shows volcanic eruptions contribute to CO₂ levels which relate to temperature as per greenhouse gas effect) would support the claim.

Answer:

A. How does increased carbon dioxide affect atmospheric temperature?
C. Does a large volcanic eruption release a large amount of carbon dioxide?