envs3120 quiz 1

Question 1

how many deaths in the London 1952 event

Answer 1

4000 people

Question 2

Describe the troposphere

Answer 2

holds 80% mass
10-15km depending on latitude and time of year
pressure and temp decreases with height

Question 3

what is the tropopause

Answer 3

the exchange between layers

Question 4

how many estimated people die every year by air pollution

Answer 4

7 million people

Question 5

what is the spectral distribution of short wave radiation

Answer 5

0.15 - 3 um

Question 6

what is the spectral distribution of long wave radiation

Answer 6

3 - 100 um

Question 7

energy exists in what 4 forms

Answer 7

radiant, thermal, kinetic and potential

Question 8

how is energy exchanegd

Answer 8

conduction, convection and radiation

Question 9

what are air pollutants

Answer 9

substances in atmosphere with sufficient concentration that can harm health

Question 10

what are the priority pollutants

Answer 10

S02 (Sulphur dioxide), NOx (Nitrous oxide), CO (carbon monoxide), Pb (lead) , smog, PM10 and PM2.5 (particulate matter)

Question 11

what are the air toxics

Answer 11

metals, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), asbestos

Question 12

what are emissions

Answer 12

chemical processes that release during fuel combustion, or release of leakage.w

Question 13

what is combustion

Answer 13

chemical reactions between hydrocarbon and atmospheric oxygen which produces heat and light.
inadequate supply of oxygen = monoxide
high temps in combustion = nitrous oxide

Question 14

what is carbon monoxide (CO)

Answer 14

produced by bushfires and oxidation in the oceans and air of methane. cars produce the most and remains in atmosphere for 1-2 months

Question 15

what is sulphur dioxide (S02)

Answer 15

emitted from sulphur producing fuels such as diesel, coal and fuel oil. contributes to the PM and hangs around for a long time

Question 16

what are the oxides of nitrogen

Answer 16

nitric oxide (NO)
nitrous oxide (N2O)
nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

Question 17

what does nitrogen oxide contribute to

Answer 17

photochemical smog

Question 18

what is photochemical smog

Answer 18

nitrogen oxides and VOCs combine with sunlight to make hazardous pollution

Question 19

what are biogenic emissions

Answer 19

vege emits VOCs such as isoprenes and monoterprenes and contributes to ozone formation

Question 20

what are fugitive and evaporative emissions

Answer 20

unintended escape of gases from pressurised containers

Question 21

what is ozone

Answer 21

a gas secondary pollutant (made in the atmosphere - specifically stratosphere) formed by chemical reactions

Question 22

what is dry adiabatic lapse rate

Answer 22

when unsaturated air cools at 9.8˚C/km as it rises. It will rise and then form clouds

Question 23

what is wet adiabatic lapse rate

Answer 23

cools at a slower rate of 5˚C/km

Question 24

what is a neutral lapse rate

Answer 24

air cooling at -9.8˚C/km

Question 25

what is a stable lapse rate

Answer 25

air cooling at a slower rate than -9.8˚C/km (like 2˚C or -9.2˚C)

Question 26

what is an unstable lapse rate

Answer 26

air cooling at faster rate than -9.8˚C

Question 27

what is temperature inversion

Answer 27

air temperature increases with height causing trapped cool air (subsidence inversion)

Question 28

when the lapse rate unstable

Answer 28

during the day with heat gain at the ground from incoming SWR

Question 29

when is the lapse rate stable

Answer 29

at night when heat is loss through LWR

Question 30

what is subsidence inversion

Answer 30

cool air compresses and dries out and warms up and traps cool air over night. can happen when a large area with high pressure (anticyclones)

Question 31

what is frontal inversion

Answer 31

when a cold front comes through and undercuts warm air creating clouds

Question 32

what is advection inversion

Answer 32

where warm air travels from inland across the mountain range leaving cool air in the valleys

Question 33

what is anabatic flow

Answer 33

warm air in a valley travels upslope from pressure differences causing upwind

Question 34

what is katabatic flow

Answer 34

cool air sinks down the hillslope into the valley caused by a high pressure over the mountains.

Question 35

what is the formation of nitric oxide

Answer 35

N2 + O2 = 2NO nitrogen + oxygen = nitric oxide

Question 36

what is the oxidation of NO to NO2 nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide

Answer 36

2NO + O2 = 2NO2 2 Nitric oxide + oxygen = 2 nitrogen dioxide

Question 37

what is the formation of free oxygen radical

Answer 37

NO2 + Hv = NO + O Nitrogen dioxide + constant = nitric oxide and radical oxygen

Question 38

what is the formation of ozone

Answer 38

free radical oxygen + oxygen = ozone

Question 39

what is the process of tropospheric ozone formation

Answer 39

Nitric oxide formation mixes with oxygen to make nitrogen dioxide. nitrogen dioxide mixes with Hv (energy of photon) to make nitric oxide and free radical oxygen. free radical oxygen mixes with oxygen to create ozone.