Chapter 16 Vocab

Question 1

ozone layer

Answer 1

stratospheric layer containing much of the atmospherics ozone. It makes life on land possible by filtering out 95% of the harmful ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun.

Question 2

air pollution

Answer 2

any gaseous or solid material in the atmosphere that occurs in concentrations high enough to alter climate or harm organisms, ecosystems, or human-made materials

Question 3

temperature inversion

Answer 3

atmospheric condition in which a layer of warm air temporarily lies atop a layer of cooler air nearer the ground

Question 4

smog

Answer 4

unhealthy combination of air pollutants

Question 5

carbon footprint

Answer 5

amount of carbon dioxide generated by an individual, organization, country or any other entity over a given period of time

Question 6

drought

Answer 6

prolonged dry period in a given region

Question 7

climate change tipping point

Answer 7

point at which an environmental problem reaches a threshold level where scientists fear it could cause irreversible climate disruption

Question 8

carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Answer 8

process of removing carbon dioxide gas from coal-burning power and industrial plants and storing it somewhere.

Question 9

mitigation

Answer 9

action taken to reduce the severity of a problem

Question 10

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)

Answer 10

compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine; they’re harmful to ozone in the stratosphere

Question 11

climate change

Answer 11

change in the global average atmospheric conditions over a period of at least three decades

Question 12

geoengineering

Answer 12

manipulation of natural conditions to counteract the greenhouse effect

Question 13

acid deposition

Answer 13

the falling of acids and acid-forming compounds from the atmosphere to Earth’s surface