SAT question e1546fd6 (Command Of Evidence)

Question

After a volcanic eruption spilled lava into North Pacific Ocean waters, a dramatic increase of diatoms (a kind of phytoplankton) near the surface occurred. Scientists assumed the diatoms were thriving on nutrients such as phosphate from the lava, but analysis showed these nutrients weren’t present near the surface in forms diatoms can consume. However, there was an abundance of usable nitrate, a nutrient usually found in much deeper water and almost never found in lava. Microbial oceanographer Sonya Dyhrman and colleagues believe that as the lava plunged nearly 300 meters below the surface it dislodged pockets of this nutrient, releasing it to float upward, given that Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?

College Board · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B. Choice B is the best answer. The claim is that the lava freed the deep nitrate, allowing it to float upward. The table supports this by showing that there was more nitrate in the lava-affected seawater at various depths above 300 meters (the depth to which the lava plunged) than in unaffected seawater.

Average Nitrate and Phosphate Concentrations in Seawater after Volcanic Eruption
Nutrient	Seawater in lava-affected area, 5–45 meters below surface	Seawater in lava-affected area, 75–125 meters below surface	Seawater outside of lava-affected area, 5–45 meters below surface	Seawater outside of lava-affected area, 75–125 meters below surface
Nitrate (micromoles per liter)	$3.1$	$0.4$	≤0.03less than or equal to 0.03	≤0.01less than or equal to 0.01
Phosphate (micromoles per liter)	$0.17$	$0.09$	$0.14$	$0.06$

Explanation

Why the other choices are wrong

SAT Question e1546fd6: Command Of Evidence answer and explanation

Explanation

Why the other choices are wrong