Chapters 5-8 (Exam 2) Flashcards
(163 cards)
1
Q
What planet is Earth in the solar system
A
3rd planet from the sun
2
Q
how is Earth different from other planets
A
Earth has aspects like CO2 in the atmosphere
3
Q
What is Earth’s interior like
A
hot and constantly seething and churning
4
Q
What do the heated activities within Earth’s interior cause
A
the heat causes plate tectonics and constant rejuvenation of surface rocks
5
Q
what brings molten rocks to the surface
A
thermal convection cells
6
Q
describe the Earth’s interior
A
- Earth has many distinct layers: it has the atmosphere, the oceanic and continental curst, the lithosphere, the mantle (upper and lower mantle), then the core which also has 2 parts - the inner and outer core. The outer core mainly consists of nickel and iron in liquid form, and the inner core is made of the same, but in solid form
7
Q
what is the plate tectonics
A
the unifying theory that explain most of the geological structures found on the surface of the Earth
8
Q
what are some things plate tectonics explains
A
- continental movement
- sea floor creation & destruction
- mountain building
- volcanic eruptions
- earthquakes
9
Q
how many major plates do we currently have in Earth’s lithosphere
A
8
10
Q
T/F: major disasters like major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen in random places and have no correlation to plate tectonics
A
false, there is a direct correlation between the location of the plate boundaries and major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
11
Q
what do most scientists believe cause plate tectonics
A
convention currents in Earth’s molten mantle
12
Q
what are the 3 types of plate boundaries
A
- convergent
- divergent
- transform (strike-slip)
13
Q
what is the lithosphere composed of
A
rocks or materials once composed of rocks
14
Q
what are the 3 types of rocks
A
- igneous
- sedimentary
- metamorphic
15
Q
igneous rocks are
A
crystals from hot molten lava/ magma
16
Q
sedimentary rocks are
A
rocks that form from sedimentation and weathering (sandstones and shales)
17
Q
metamorphic rocks
A
rocks that are subjected to extreme heat and pressure
18
Q
what are minerals composed of
A
atoms of elements
19
Q
what is the smallest unit of an element
A
atom
20
Q
what are atoms composed of
A
protons, neutrons, and electrons
21
Q
what is an atom’s nucleus composed of
A
protons and neutrons
22
Q
what is it called when an atom’s neutrons != # of protons
A
isotope
23
Q
what determines an atom’s atomic number
A
of protons in the nucleus
24
Q
what region of earth is typically warmer than the others
A
the equator areas as the sun’s rays fall more directly on that region
25
T/F: warm air holds more moisture than cold air
true
26
how do Earth's atmospheric convention cells work
the warm air rises pushing the air already up there down, then that air heats up and rises and repeats
27
what kind of cells does the sun create a belt of
convective circulation cells
28
what are the 3 types of convective circulation cells
1. Hadley cells
2. Ferrell Cells
3. Polar front and flows
29
which convective circulation cell is responsible for our seasons
the Ferrell Cells
30
what are the 2 factors that affect Earth's atmospheric cycles
1. The Coriolis Effect
2. Earth's topography
31
what is the Coriolis Effect
it is produced by Earth's rotation on its axis and since spins on a tilt, its convection cells cycle in an angle rather than N&S even though it appears that way (throwing a ball off a spinning merry-go-round)
32
what creates ocean's currents
moving air masses, which is why directional shifts in wind cause disruptions in circulation patterns
33
T/F: Oceans are sinks for nitrogen
False, they are sinks for CO2
34
which part of the oceans usually interact with the atmosphere
the upper part
35
What is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)
a cycle of fluctuation surface temperature patterns that occur over a 20-30 year period
36
What is El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
a periodic weather phenomenon that occurs approximately every 3-7 years. Decrease or reversal of pressure difference occurs
37
When does the sun shine directly on the equator
at its equinoxes (March and September)
38
when does the sun shine more on the northern hemisphere
at its solstice (June) - our summer solstice; Australia's winter solstice
39
when does the sun shine more on the southern hemisphere
at its solstice (December) - our winter solstice; Australia's summer solstice
40
what are earthquakes
massive shock waves that occur when large rock masses in Earth's crust move relative to one another
41
What are the 2 ways to measure earthquakes
1. Richter scale
2. Mercalli scale
42
Describe the Richter Scale
1. a logarithmic scale
2. is based on the amplitude of the seismic waves
3. is quantitative
43
Describe the Mercalli Scale
1. is more qualitative
2. is based on the observations made close to the origin of the quake
44
where can volcanoes be found
at convergent or divergent plate boundaries
45
4 types of land instabilities
1. landslide
2. avalanche
3. rockfalls
4. mechanical soil failures
46
what are 2 types of tropical cyclones
1. hurricanes
2. typhoons
47
what are tropical cyclone
intense storms that form over warm tropical seas
48
what are tornadoes
when rapidly rotating vortices of air that form funnels
49
what do dust storm stem from
exacerbated by desertification
50
do droughts cause a positive feedback loop?
yes, as they reduce evapotranspiration
51
T/F: fires are a natural disaster but they are not always caused through natural causes
TRUE! #pplSuckSometimes
52
what often causes tsunamis
underwater earthquakes
53
why has resource management not led to sustainable use
because of social, economic, and political pressures emphasize rapid exploitation
54
what is a resource
a source of raw material used by society
55
what also has caused increase in consumption of resources
overpopulation
56
what are reserves
a subset of of resources that have been located and can be profitably extracted at today's market prices
57
renewable resources
resources that be replenished within a few human generations
58
nonrenewable resources
resources that cannot be replenished within a few human generations
59
what are some examples of nonrenewable resources
coal, oil, natural gases, ore deposits, soil
60
what are environmental externalities
costs/ benefits of economic activities (like production/ consumption) that are not reflected in market prices & are imposed on 3rd parties who aren't directly involved in the transaction.
61
what does a benefit-cost analysis (BCA) do
analyzes the short and long term benefits and cost of resource exploitation
62
3 ways to manage resources
(PCR)
Preservation
Conservation
Restoration
63
what does preservation usually refer to
usually refers to non-use (such as National Parks)
64
what does conservation refer to
input reduction; use resources sustainably so you need to use less of it
65
what does restoration refer to
restoring a degraded resource to its original state
66
what are the 5 main values of resources
1. Ethical
2. Emotional
3. Aesthetic
4. Economic
5. Environmental Services
67
what are the 2 basic inputs from the environment
1. matter
2. energy
68
what does unsustainable use of resources lead to
a bubble pattern of depletion
69
what are the 2 main causes of bubble pattern of depletion
1. Exponential exploitation
2. Exponential depletion
70
when does exponential exploitation occur
as long as the supply of resources exceeds the demand
71
when does exponential depletion occur
when the demand exceeds the supply of resources
72
what are the 2 ways society can react to the decline of a resource
1. Intensify efforts to extract more of said resource
2. Reduce the need for that resource
73
What are the 2 concepts used to justify extracting more of the diminishing resource
1. Net Yield of Nonrenewable Resources
2. Maximum Sustainable Yield of Renewable Resources
74
Net yield of nonrenewable resources
the idea that as long as the resources used to extract the resources does not exceed the resources gained, then it is fine to extract
75
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)
harvest until the harvest rate = the renewable rate
76
What is Optimum Sustainable Yield (OSY)
Is the same as MSY but takes more costs into consideration (such as its effect on other species/ecosystems)
77
T/F: OSY is typically larger than MSY
false, since it takes more costs into consideration, it will tell people to harvest less than the MSY would
78
what are the 3 ways to conserve a resource
- Reduce the need for that resource by finding a substitution
- Efficiency -> improvements occur when same task is completed with less use of resources
- Recycle -> when a resource is reused in the same form
79
T/F: sustainable jobs produce more jobs than unsustainable ones
true
80
what are the 3 types of energy
magnetic, radiant, and mechanical
81
what are the 2 types of mechanical energy
kinetic and potential
82
what is radiant energy
light from the sun and the electromagnetic spectrum
83
what is magnetic energy
energy within magnetic fields
84
what does most of the industrial world now rely on
fossil fuels
85
what are some other kinds of fuels people rely on for energy
biomass (animals and plant waste) and traditional fuels (charcoal, fuelwood) for things like cooking.
86
what is a large portion of the electricity sector devoted to
supplying energy to consumer to run their electrical appliances, lighting, heating, etc.
87
peak load
the amount of energy needed at the time of its highest demand
88
what can happen if the supply of energy exceeds the demand
brownouts or blackouts
89
what are the 2 types of technologies
1. hard tech.
2. soft tech.
90
what are hard technologies
large-scale plants, which are complex, expensive, and centralized
91
what are soft technologies
smaller-scale plants and applications, which are local and more environmentally-friendly
92
what are the 3 fossil fuels
1. oil
2. coal
3. natural gas
93
how much of the world's total energy does oil produce
38% of the world's total energy is produced by oil
94
how much of that 38% is used for transportation
96% of the use of oil is for transportation purposes
95
what is the relationship between gas prices and how much gas a country uses
the lower the gas price, the more gas the country uses
96
what is the most widely used form of commercial energy
oil
97
T/F: Middle East reserves are estimated to be 2/3
true!
98
T/F: burning oil releases lots of Co2 into the atmosphere
true, obviously (burning)
99
T/F: raw materials are often dumped into the environment
true and it happens both naturally and accidentally
100
what are some sources to oil spills
- oil tankers
- drilling accidents
- careless disposal of used oils
- intentional destruction of pipelines
- a few natural seeps do occurs
101
compare coal to oil
coal in more abundant than coal and more evenly distributed worldwide
102
T/F: out of the fossil fuels, coal emits the most into the atmosphere
true, it emits 25% more than oil, and 80% more than natural gas
103
T/F: coal is produced in a usable form for transportation
false, coal is solid so it cannot be transported unless it is converted to liquid (liquefaction) or to a gas (gasification)
104
what is natural gas
a gaseous form of fuel that is abundantly available
105
how do some people use natural gas
fracking
106
what is a major source for air pollution, acid rain, and greenhouse gases
use of fossil fuels
107
principals of nuclear power
fission and fusion
108
fission
the splitting of radioactive isotopes of a heavy element into smaller atoms with the release of energy
109
fusion
the joining of the isotopes of light elements into a heavier element with the generation of energy
110
how does fission work
a neutron splits the nucleus of a heavy atom. when the nucleus splits, it releases free neutrons, radioactive smaller atoms, and large amounts of energy.
111
Can fission cause a chain reaction
yes, it can cause nearby fissionable atoms to split
112
What kind of thing can slow the speed of neutrons without absorbing them
moderators like beryllium and graphite
113
what is needed for fusion
extremely high temperatures (magnetic confinement and high-energy laser and particle beams)
114
T/F: fusion is ready for commercial energy use
false, it is still in the developmental stage
115
what are some reason why some people want to use fusion as an energy souce
- we are less likely to run out of fuel
- fusion does not produce fissionable materials that could be used in bombs
- the high temperatures needed for fusion can be used to vaporize any waste materials into their component atoms
116
what type of rocks is most prominent on earth
sedimentary
117
what is the oldest rock type
metamorphic
118
5 facts about earth
1. Earth has 3 different rocks types: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
2. Ferrell Cells are responsible of the seasonal changes on Earth
3. Earth is 97% saltwater and 3% freshwater
4. Earth is around 4.5 billion years old
5. Earth's lithosphere consists of 8 major plates
119
what is the safest form of large-scale power generation as of now
nuclear power generation
120
what are radioisotopes or radionuclides
unstable atoms that give off radiation while undergoing spontaneous disintegration
121
large nuclear reactors have a risk of large-scale catastrophes, so what are some way to minimize these concerns
- smaller scale
- passive safety systems
- modular design
122
what are the requirements for safe permanent disposal
- perfect containment with no leakage
- guarding to prevent political or terrorist diversion for potential weapon use
- secure transport to a permanent repository
123
what are the current proposals to dispose of waste
- rocket loads of waste into the sun
- deep sea burial
- burial in antarctic glaciers
- burial in stable geologic zones
124
which region is best suited for geothermal power
the pacific rim countries (rim of fire)
125
what are the ring of fire countries
US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, Australia
126
what are alternative energy sources to fossil fuels
- hydroelectric
- biomass
- solar
- wind
- geothermal
- tidal
127
advantages of nuclear power
- safest for of large-scale power generation
- economic and health impacts of nuclear power are lower than the impacts from coal-fired power plants
128
disadvantages of nuclear power
- lots of resourced needed: resources needed to extract uranium, build plants, and keep current plans up to code
- disposing radioactive waste is challenging
- plants are only good for 30-40 years and must be decommissioned after which is another energy and resource-intense operation
129
what is the 4th largest global source of commercial energy production and consumption
hydroelectricity
130
what are the big 5 energy sources
1. oil
2. natural gas
3. hydropower
4. coal
5. nuclear power
131
what was the 1st major hydroelectric power plant in the world
Niagara Falls, NY
132
adv. to hydropower
- cleaner than fossil fuels
- after construction, it is relatively cheap to operate
- renewable
133
disadv. to hydropower
- construction is costly
- flooding large tracts of land destroys natural habitats
- displaces people
- erosion rate increases
- evaporation rate increases
- extinction of species (dolphins in China)
- reservoirs often have short life spans due to sedimentation
- reservoirs modify water quality and reduce nutrient cycling (diseases)
- encourage earthquakes
134
name 7 natural disasters
1. floods
2. hurricanes
3. tsunami
4. tornadoes
5. earthquakes
6. droughts
7. dust storms
135
when can MSY be best achieved
when population is at 1/2 its carrying capacity
136
biomass energy
uses discarded waste material that is burned as a fuel to produce energy
136
Major sources of biomass energy are...
- Wastes (wood scraps/paper waste from industry)
– Standing forests (may compete with forest sustainability & building industry needs)
– Energy crops (fast growing/“coppicing” trees or grasses)
137
what are some different ways biomass fuel can be used
- direct combustion
- thermochemical conversion to methanol or syngas
- biochemical conversion to ethanol or biogas
138
biomass contributes to how much of the total energy consumed worldwide
15%
139
what is the most common uses for biomass energy
direct combustion of wood or other organic wastes
140
T/F: most of the energy we use today is direct solar energy
false, most of it is actually indirect solar energy
141
what are the 2 types of solar heating
passive solar heating and active solar heating
142
Photovoltaics
use semiconductor technology to
generate electricity for direct use or to charge hydrogen fuel cells
143
how is the ocean being used to produce energy
Both wave action and tidal flows have been used to generate electricity.
144
what are the 4 types of geothermal deposits
1. Hydrothermal fluid reservoirs
2. Geopressured brines
3. Magma
4. Hot, dry rock
145
What is Geothermal energy and how is it being used to produce electricity
The energy from Earth’s hot interior can be used to heat buildings directly or to generate electricity
146
which of the 4 types of geothermal deposits is used commercially
hydrothermal fluid revivors
147
Of the “Big 5”, which one(s) can store electricity
hydropower is the only one that stores
energy
148
The simplest &cheapest way of stretching our energy resources & mitigating energy-related problems is through...
energy conservation and energy efficiency
149
what is a big component of energy conservation
reducing the use of fossil fuels
150
Energy intensity
the ratio of energy consumption to
economic output—can be lowered while maintaining
strong economic growth and high standards of living
151
Energy can be saved by...
- Increasing the efficiency of energy conversions
– Not converting it from one form to another unnecessarily
– Not transporting energy unnecessarily
– Increasing the efficiency with which energy is transported
– Encouraging conservation
152
minerals
naturally occurring inorganic solids that have a regular crystalline structure
153
how are matter resources are depleted
by being dispersed
154
how are energy resources depleted
depleted when they are used as they get transformed into "waste heat"
155
what do modern nuclear plants use
a nuclear reactor with a controlled fission chain reaction (this generates lots of heat)
156
what are moderators used for
to slow neutrons and control the fission process
157
what do control rods do
they absorb enough neutrons to halt the nuclear chain reaction
158
what are reactor vessels usually made of
think steel-reinforced concrete
159
what is the principal type of reacted used in the US
light-water reactor (LWR)
160
what are LWR named after
the moderator (light-water = the moderator)
161
what can an uncontrolled chain reaction of fissionable material lead to
a meltdown
162
how are scientists working to make fusion a commercial energy source
1. magnetic confinement
2. high-energy lasers and particle beams
