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Environmental Science > Chapter 15 > Flashcards

Chapter 15 Flashcards

1
Q

insolation

A

incoming solar radiation and energy input which varies by latitude and where the subsolar point is located

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2
Q

subsolar point

A

the point at which the sun is directly overhead

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3
Q

How much of the sun’s energy is absorbed by earth’s surface?

A

70%. It reflects the rest into space.

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4
Q

What kind of energy bounces off earth’s surface?

A

Infrared radiation.

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5
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

greenhouse gases absorb a portion of radiation emitted from earth’s surface and trap it in the atmosphere.

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6
Q

Low pressure air

A

warm air rises, leading to low pressure at the surface, resulting in rainy, cloudy, or snowy weather.

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7
Q

High pressure air

A

When air cools, it descends, leading to high pressure at the surface, resulting in clear weather.

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8
Q

Equatorial low-pressure trough

A

warming near the equator creates warm (less dense) rising air which creates low pressure at the surface and it creates the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where trade winds converge.

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9
Q

Subtropical high-pressure cells

A

dry air near the equator is heated as it compresses towards the surface of the atmosphere, it creates high pressure when it cools and sinks in the subtropics

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10
Q

Subpolar low-pressure cells

A

confrontation between the warm westerlies and colder dry air from the poles. This pushes up the bulk of air towards the equator, creating a low pressure belt.

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11
Q

Polar high pressure cells

A

relatively weak

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12
Q

What is albedo?

A

A measurement of the reflective properties of surfaces

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13
Q

5 greenhouse gases

A

co2, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and chloroflourocarbons.

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14
Q

Temperature

A

controlled by latitude, altitude, land-water heating differences, and cloud cover.

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15
Q

how does the thermohaline circulation moderate climate? Scientists are concerned about it slowing - why?

A

It warms Europe, rapid melting of Greenland’s ice sheet could interrupt the flow of heat and cause Europe to cool dramatically.

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16
Q

What is the concept of sea level rise?

A

sea levels rise because water expands as it warms, glaciers and ice sheets and melting, and groundwater we extract eventually reaches the ocean

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17
Q

Proxies

A

records that give us data about temperature, ice cover, or rain, like tree rings, ice cores, and sediments.

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18
Q

1st phase of the Milankovich cycles

A

an axial wobble that occurs every 19-23,000 years.

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19
Q

2nd phase of the Milankovich cycles

A

a 3 degree shift in the tilt of earth’s axis that occurs every 41,000 years.

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20
Q

3rd phase of the Milankovich cycles

A

A variation in earth’s orbit from almost circular to more elliptical which happens every 100,000 years.

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21
Q

Radiative forcing

A

a measure of the influence that a climatic factor has in altering the balance of incoming and outgoing energy like ice albedo or tropospheric aerosols.

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22
Q

Cooling agents

A

negative forcing factors like low lying clouds, snow and ice, volcanoes, sulfate aerosols.

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23
Q

warming agents - positive forcing factors

A

1 kg of fossil fuel burned produces 3 kg of co2, other greenhouse gases.

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24
Q

Climate forcing strength

A

the cfs of different greenhouse gases is described relative to that of carbon dioxide (global warming potential = gwp)
co2 has a gwp of 1. Lifetime in atmosphere is 100 years.

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25
Q

What happens when the jet stream goes into a blocking pattern?

A

It gets slowed by arctic warming, departs from its normal configuration and stalls weather systems in place.

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26
Q

What is the difference between climate change and global warming?

A

A change in climate is defined by changes in the average or variability of its temp, or rain, and lasts for a decade or longer. Global warming is the rise in global temps due to the increase in greenhouse gases

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27
Q

What is the primary anthropogenic source of greenhouse gases?

A

Fossil fuels

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28
Q

What is the leading cause of methane?

A

Livestock and rice cultivation

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29
Q

How many emissions do we produce annually?

A

7.2 billion metric tons

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30
Q

What negative effects do scientists expect from human-induced climate change?

A

average temps will rise by 3-7 degrees, rain becoming less frequent but more intense, droughts, flooding, water shortages.

31
Q

Are there solutions to human induced climate change?

A

Invest in clean energy, create green jobs, tax global warming pollution.

32
Q

How much of US co2 emissions are associated with electricity generation?

A

31%

33
Q

Shale gas

A

natural gas trapped deep underground in tiny bubbles throughout shale, which is a type of sedimentary rock

34
Q

Net energy

A

the difference between energy returned and energy invested. Net energy = energy returned - energy invested

35
Q

EROI (energy returned on investment)

A

energy returned divided by energy invested

36
Q

What does a high EROI rating mean?

A

It means that we get more energy out of a material than we spend harvesting it

37
Q

What is the world’s most abundant fossil fuel?

A

Coal

38
Q

Coal

A

is generally formed from woody plant material.

39
Q

Subsurface mining

A

digging vertical shafts and blasting out networks of horizontal tunnels

40
Q

True or false: nuclear fission in a nuclear reactor is the splitting of a uranium 235 atom under very controlled conditions

A

True

41
Q

One of the most important drawbacks of nuclear power is:

A

What to do with radioactive waste that is produced from the process

42
Q

True or false: a radioactive isotope is an unstable isotope of elements resulting from the fission process

A

True

43
Q

true or false: a nuclear reactor has a radioactive fuel in fuel rods, control rods that absorb neutrons, and a moderator fluid that acts as a coolant

A

True

44
Q

Natural gas

A

consists primarily of methane and lesser hydrocarbons.

45
Q

Shale oil

A

a petroleum liquid produced from specially processed shale rock

46
Q

3 types of unconventional fossil fuels

A

oil sands (tar sands), oil shale, and methane hydrate.

47
Q

Methane hydrate

A

an ice-like solid consisting of methane molecules embedded in a crystal lattice of water molecules.

48
Q

What determines how much fuel will be extracted and why?

A

Economics, because extraction becomes more expensive as resources are removed.

49
Q

Refining

A

hydrocarbon molecules are boiled and separated by size to create different fuels for heating, cooking, and transportation.

50
Q

Reserves-to-production ratio

A

reserves divided by the annual rate of production.. At current levels of production (33.6 billion barrels globally per year), 1.7 trillion barrels would last about 51 more years.

51
Q

Peak oil

A

The point of maximum production of petroleum in the world or a nation, after which oil production declines

52
Q

Secondary extraction

A

it used to get as much as the remaining two thirds of an oil or gas deposit

53
Q

Directional drilling

A

a drilling technique in which a drill bores down vertically and then bends horizontally.

54
Q

BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill

A

spilled 4.9 million barrels of oil over the course 3 months. This is still the world’s largest oil spill.

55
Q

The Dakota Access Pipeline

A

Brings oil from ND to Illinois. The Standing Rock Sious objected to this pipeline because it would cross their land and the Missouri River, and harm burial grounds.

56
Q

Lac-Megantic

A

An explosive derailment of an oil train in Canada which killed 47 people and destroyed the town’s center.

57
Q

How do we alter Earth’s carbon cycle?

A

during combustion, carbon from the molecules of fossil fuels unites with oxygen, producing carbon co2

58
Q

Strategic Petroleum Reserve

A

An emergency stockpile in the US, which stores one month’s supply of oil, deep underground in the salt caverns of Louisiana.

59
Q

Energy efficiency

A

The ability to obtain a given amount of output while using less energy input.

60
Q

What is the difference between energy efficiency and energy conservation?

A

Efficiency results from technological improvements, where as conservation stems from behavioral choices.

61
Q

Energy intensity

A

a measure of energy use per dollar of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Lower energy intensity indicates greater efficiency.

62
Q

Cogeneration

A

excess heat produced during electricity generation is captured and used to heat homes or workplaces.

63
Q

Rebound effect

A

when gains from energy efficient products are offset by people engaging in more energy-consuming behavior.

64
Q

Nuclear energy

A

the energy that holds together protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

65
Q

Nuclear power

A

the use of nuclear energy to generate electricity

66
Q

nuclear fission

A

the nuclei of large, heavy atoms such as uranium and plutonium are bombarded with neutrons. When the nuclei is split, it emits heat, light, and radiation energy. It also releases neutrons. These neutrons bombard other uranium 235 atoms, resulting in a continuous reaction.

67
Q

True or false: nuclear power is a nonrenewable resource

A

True

68
Q

Three Mile Island

A

a cooling malfunction caused part of the reactor core to melt. Most radiation remained inside the containment building.

69
Q

Meltdown

A

the accidental melting of uranium fuel rods inside the reactor, causing the release of radiation

70
Q

Chernobyl

A

A nuclear power plant in Ukraine, where in 1986 an explosion caused the most severe nuclear accident the world has yet seen.

71
Q

Fukushima Daiichi

A

A Japanese nuclear power plant damaged by a tsunami that was a result of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake. Most of the radiation drifted over the ocean away from the population.

72
Q

Megatons to Megawatts

A

A program where the US purchased uranium and plutonium from Russia which is used to generate 10% of America’s electricity.

73
Q

Why has nuclear power’s growth slowed?

A

Because building, maintaining, operating and ensuring safety is expensive. Plants also age quickly due to corrosion.

Environmental Science (11 decks)

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