EnviSci Midterm Reviewer Flashcards
(291 cards)
A mixture of different gases in the atmosphere.
Air
Earth’s air is composed of about how many percent?
78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, and 0.1 percent other gases
The origin of air begins with the Oxygen Catastrophe, also known as the __________, which occurred about 2.7 billion years ago.
Great Oxidation
Microorganisms that perform ___________ lessen the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Oxyphotosynthesis
It is the horizontal motion of air due to the pressure difference between two places.
Wind
It is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas.
Aerosol
Aerosols such as fog, dust, and mist.
Natural Aerosols
Aerosols such as Particulate air pollutants, Smoke, Sprayed Pesticides
Anthropogenic Aerosols
These tiny microbial organisms found in the air that can travel long distances through the air—via wind, rain, or even a sneeze!
Bioaerosols
During _________, a living thing takes in oxygen from the air and gives out carbon dioxide.
Respiration
Introduction of harmful materials into the environment
Pollution
The contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical, or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is the ____ largest threat to human health.
4th
Breathing polluted air can reduce life expectancy by up to how many years?
2 years
Sources of Air Pollution including dust from places without vegetation, animals, vegetation, wildfires, and volcanic activity.
Natural Sources
In large areas of open land that have little to no vegetation and are particularly dry due to a lack of precipitation, wind can naturally create dust storms.
Dust from places without vegetation
Their digestion is another cause of natural air pollution, leading to the release of methane, another greenhouse gas.
Animals (particularly by cattle)
Vegetation – such as black gum, poplar, oak, and willow trees – emits significant amounts _______ of on warmer days.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
These react with primary anthropogenic pollutants – specifically nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and carbon compounds – to produce low-lying seasonal hazes that are rich in ozone.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
This particulate matter, when added to the air, can have a natural warming effect and can also be a health hazard for living creatures.
Dust from places without vegetation
Are a natural occurrence in wooded areas when prolonged dry periods occur, generally as a result of season changes and a lack of precipitation.
Wildfires
The ________ caused by these fires contribute to carbon levels in the atmosphere, which allows for greater warming by causing a Greenhouse Effect.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide
Are a major source of natural air pollution that produces tremendous amounts of sulfuric, chlorine, and ash products, which are released into the atmosphere and can be picked up by winds to be dispersed over large areas.
Volcanic eruptions
Sources of Air Pollution including environmental tobacco smoke, wood stoves and gas ranges, building materials, asbestos, radon, and biological agents.
Domestic Sources