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Environmental Science > Exam 3 > Flashcards

Exam 3 Flashcards

1
Q

continental shelves

A

sit beneath the shallow waters bordering the continents

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2
Q

shelf-slope break

A

where the continental slope angles more steeply downward to the deep ocean basin below

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3
Q

currents

A

flow horizontally within the upper 400m of water for great distances and in long lasting patterns

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4
Q

upwelling

A

where horizontal surface currents diverge from one another, cold, deep waters are pulled to the surface

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5
Q

El nino-southern oscillation

A

a shift in the atmospheric pressure, sea surface temperature, and ocean circulation in the tropical pacific ocean

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6
Q

el nino

A

suppresses upwelling along the pacific coast of the americas which prevents the nutrients that support marine life and fisheries. changes weather patterns around the world. conditions triggered when air pressure decreases in the eastern pacific and increases in the western pacific, weakening the equatorial winds and allowing the warm water to flow eastward toward south America

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7
Q

la nina

A

opposite of el nino; usually cold waters rise to the surface and extend westward in the equatorial pacific when winds blowing to the west strengthen and weather patterns are affected in the opposite ways. periodic and irregular occurring every 2-8 years

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8
Q

intertidal

A

“littoral” where the ocean meets the land

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9
Q

tides

A

periodic rising and falling of the ocean’s height at a given location, caused by gravitational pull of the moon and sun

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10
Q

salt marshes

A

occur where the tides wash over gently sloping sandy or silty substrates. “tidal creeks” are channels tides flow through. high primary productivity

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11
Q

mangroves

A

type of tree that is salt tolerant and have unique roots

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12
Q

estuaries

A

water bodies where rivers flow into the ocean mixing

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13
Q

kelp

A

large brown algae along temperate coasts that grows form the floor of the continental shelves and grow toward the sun

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14
Q

coral reef

A

mass of calcium carbonate composed of the shells of tiny marine animals known as corals

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15
Q

exxon valdez

A

1989 oil tanker spill in Prince William Sound. Hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil spilt and caused ecological disaster along the Alaskan coast

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16
Q

deep water horizon

A

2010 British Petroleum’s drilling platform exploded and sank into the gulf of Mexico

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17
Q

harmful algal blooms

A

excessive nutrient concentrations gives rise to dinoflagellate algae

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18
Q

red tides

A

harmful reddish pigments produced by dinoflagellates and discolors surface water

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19
Q

purse seining

A

vessels deploy large nets around schools of fish near the surface. Some use driftnets which usually target species that traverse open water in schools

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20
Q

longline fishing

A

setting out extremely long lines with up to several thousand baited hooks spaced

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21
Q

trawling

A

entails dragging immense cone-shaped nets through the water with weights at the bottom and floats at the top can destroy entire ecosystems *reefs

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22
Q

bycatch

A

accidental capture of animals *dolphins

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23
Q

marine protected areas (MPA)

A

area of ocean set aside to protect marine life from fishing pressures. Along developed countries coasts about 3% of world’s oceans are some sort of protected. Kind of like national parks but allow fishing and other damaging activities

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24
Q

marine reserves

A

no-take areas

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25
Q

atmosphere

A

layer of gases that envelops earth.

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26
Q

atmosphere is mostly this gas

A

nitrogen

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27
Q

services provided by atmosphere

A

moderates our climate, provides oxygen, helps to shield us from meteors and hazardous radiation, and transports and recycles water and nutrients.

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28
Q

4 layers that make up the atmosphere

A

thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, and troposphere

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29
Q

downwelling

A

surface water sinking (opposite of upwelling)

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30
Q

why do ocean contain mo such salt?

A

oceans collect salt from runoff from rocks and winds blow salt from land

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31
Q

how does CO2 affect sea life?

A

CO2 diffuses into water making it more acidic

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32
Q

natural underwater physicals structures is a sign of…

A

thriving life

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33
Q

Where is the continental shelf located?

A

Along the continent

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34
Q

What is between the continental shelf and continental ridge?

A

The continental slope

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35
Q

Where does seafloor spreading occur?

A

Oceanic ridge

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36
Q

Some islands are formed from:

A

volcanic activity along trenches

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37
Q

Where the oceanic crust is subducted:

A

trenches

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38
Q

Coriolis effect

A

causes surface water to move away from coast

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39
Q

Benefits of salt marshes

A

habitat for many important birds, fish, and shellfish.
Filter pollution.
Stabilize shorelines against storm surges

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40
Q

What contributed to hurricane Katrina flooding?

A

lack of salt marshes

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41
Q

Mangrove benefits

A

slow runoff, filter pollutants, retain soil. Help maintain coral reefs and eelgrass beds. Protect against storm surges and tsunamis

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42
Q

kelp benefits

A

absorb wave energy and protect shorelines from erosion. Eaten by people and (alginates) are used in consumer products (cosmetics, ice cream, paint)

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43
Q

How can we reduce harmful algal/ red tide blooms?

A

Reducing nutrient runoff into coastal waters

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44
Q

Atmosphere

A

layer of gases that envelops out planet

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45
Q

services provided by the atmosphere

A

Moderates our climate, provides oxygen, helps to shield us from meteors and hazardous radiation, and transports and recycles water and nutrients

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46
Q

the atmosphere is made up of mostly this gas

A

nitrogen (78%)

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47
Q

the 4 atmospheric layers

A

thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere

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48
Q

which atmosphere layers are the densest?

A

bottom

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49
Q

troposphere

A

bottommost/thinnest/densest layer, provides us air to breathe, movement within the sphere drives weather. Tropopause: boundary that limits the troposphere from mixing with other layers. Temperature drops

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50
Q

stratosphere

A

second layer, absorbs UV rays, pollution stays here for a long time due to minimal vertical mixing. Contains the most ozone. Temperature rises

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51
Q

Ozone layer/concentration

A

absorbs UV radiation

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52
Q

mesosphere

A

burns up meteors

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53
Q

thermosphere

A

extends into the exosphere where the atmosphere merges with space

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54
Q

relative humidity

A

ratio of water vapor contained in air at a given temperature to the maximum amount it ~could~ contain at that temperature

55
Q

weather

A

specifies atmospheric conditions in a location over short time periods

56
Q

climate

A

describes typical patterns of atmospheric conditions in a location over long periods of time

57
Q

warm front

A

boundary along which a mass of warm, moist air replaces a mass of cool, dry air. Light precipitation occurs when moisture condenses with cooler air

58
Q

cold front

A

boundary where a cold, dry air mass displaces a warm, moist air mass. Wedges under the less dense warm air causing the warm air to rise and create clouds and storms as the moist warm air mixes with the dense cold air. Heavy precipitation. Usually will clear the sky once it passes through as well as drop the temperature and humidity

59
Q

high pressure system

A

contains air that descends because it is cool and then spreads outward as it nears the ground. Bring fair weather

60
Q

low pressure system

A

warmer air rises, drawing air inward toward the center of low atmospheric pressure. The rising air expands and cools and clouds/precipitation often form

61
Q

Coriolis effect

A

As the Earth rotates on its axis, regions near the equator move faster then regions near the poles. As a result, air currents of the convective cells that flow north to south appear to be deflected from a straight path. This deflection results in the curving global wind patterns.

62
Q

air pollutants

A

gases and particulate material added to the atmosphere that can affect climate or harm people or other forms of life

63
Q

“ambient air pollution”

A

outdoor air pollution

64
Q

3 natural forms of air pollution

A

wildfire, volcanoes, and dust storms

65
Q

residence time

A

amount of time a pollutant spends in the atmosphere. Car pollution is short lived. Climate change and ozone pollutants are long-lasting.

66
Q

Clean Air Act

A

1963, 1970, 1990. Funds research into pollution control, sets standards for air quality, and encourages emissions standards for automobiles and for stationary point sources.

67
Q

carbon monoxide (CO)

A

(CO) colorless and odorless gas produced primarily by the incomplete combustion of fuel. Hazardous because it binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells which prevents the hemoglobin from binding with oxygen. vehicles/engines

68
Q

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

A

carbon-containing chemicals emitted by vehicle engines and a wide variety of solvents, industrial processes, and household chemicals.

69
Q

Lead (Pb)

A

metal mainly from industrial metal smelting. Phased out of gas in 80s

70
Q

ozone depleting substances

A

airborne and human-made chemicals

71
Q

halocarbons

A

human-made compounds derived from simple hydrocarbons in which hydrogen atoms are replaced by halogen atoms like chlorine, bromine, or fluorine.

72
Q

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

A

type of halocarbon used in refrigerants, fire extinguishers, as propellants in aerosols, and cleaners. Can linger in stratosphere for over a century.

73
Q

how do CFCs deplete the ozone?

A

UV radiation separates CFCs into chlorine and carbon atoms. Each chlorine atom can destroy thousands of ozone molecules.

74
Q

ozone hole

A

1985 ozone area over antacrtica that thinned in half

75
Q

montreal protocol 1987

A

worlds nations agreed to cut CFCs emissions in half by 1998. Halted the advance of ozone depletion!

76
Q

indoor air pollution

A

pollution within workplaces, schools, and homes

77
Q

is indoor or outdoor pollution more damaging to our health?

A

indoor

78
Q

Which gov group monitors pollutant emissions?

A

EPA

79
Q

what is the #1 major pollutant emitted by the US?

A

carbon monoxide

80
Q

primary indoor pollutants

A

tobacco smoke and radon (lung cancer, etc.)

81
Q

radon

A

naturally occurring radioactive gas. results from the decay of uranium in soil and rock. colorless, odorless and risk depends on underground geology

82
Q

what factors contributed to LA and Mexico City’s pollution problem?

A

surrounded by mountains and receive a lot of sunlight/UV

83
Q

climate

A

an area’s long term atmospheric conditions (includes temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, barometric pressure, solar radiation, and other characteristics.)

84
Q

three of earth’s factors that influence climate change

A

the sun, atmosphere, and oceans

85
Q

greenhouse gas

A

H2O, O3, CO2, N2O, CH4, and halocarbons. Absorb infrared radiation. Differ in their ability to warm the troposphere and surface

86
Q

Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)

A

has taken up the task of periodically reviewing summarizing all available data

87
Q

cap-and-trade

A

system where industries and utilities would compete to reduce emissions for financial gain. Gov sets a cap on the amount of pollution it will allow

88
Q

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

A

treaty in 1992 that outlined a plan for voluntarily reducing greenhouse gas emissions in 1990 by the year 2000. Emissions kept rising so the kyoto protocol was formed

89
Q

kyoto protocol

A

1997 bound participating (127) countries to reduce emissions from 2008-2012 to that of below 1990 levels. US was the only developed nation not to ratify. Produced mixed results

90
Q

carbon trading

A

permits fluctuates freely in the market according to supply and demand, creating the same kinds of financial incentives as any other commodity that is bought and sold

91
Q

carbon offset

A

voluntary payments intended to enable another entity to help reduce the emissions that one is unable to reduce

92
Q

Oil sands/tar sands

A

layers of sand/clay saturated with a viscous tarry type of petroleum called bitumen

93
Q

fossil fuels

A

highly combustible substance formed from the remains of organisms from past geologic ages

94
Q

EROI (energy returned on investment)

A

EROI = Energy returned/Energy invested

95
Q

Higher EROI ratios means

A

we receive more energy from each unit of energy that we invest

96
Q

coal

A

compressed organic matter

97
Q

oil

A

mix of hydrocarbon molecules

98
Q

natural gas

A

is a gas consisting primarily of methane and lesser variable amounts of other volatile hydrocarbon

99
Q

hydraulic fracturing “fracking”

A

pumping chemically treated water under high pressure into deep layers of rock to crack them

100
Q

carbon capture and storage

A

capturing carbon dioxide emissions and coveting gas to liquid form and then sequestering it in the ocean or underground in a geologically stable rock formation

101
Q

rebound effect

A

efficiency gains from better tech are partly offset when people engage in more energy-consuming behavior as a result

102
Q

US has a lot of this fossil fuel

A

coal

103
Q 
In the US
most oil goes to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_
and
most resources going towards \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
are lost
A

transportation

104
Q

what country produces and consumes the most coal

A

china

105
Q

what country produces and consumes the most oil and natural gas?

A

US

106
Q

how do carbon emissions drive climate change?

A

by disrupting the carbon cycle

107
Q

passive solar energy

A

simplest way to harness solar. Buildings are designed to maximize absorption of sunlight in winter yet keep the interior cool in the heat of summer

108
Q

Photovoltaic cells (PV)

A

convert sunlight to electrical energy when light strikes one of a pair of plates made primarily of silicon

109
Q

wind turbines produce energy by

A

converting wind’s kinetic energy into electrical

110
Q

not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY)

A

people who oppose wind farms being near them

111
Q

geothemal energy

A

thermal energy that arises from beneath earth surface

112
Q

why is wave energy not more used?

A

not thoroughly tested for commercial use

113
Q

tidal energy is accomplished by

A

erecting dams across the outlets of tidal basin

114
Q

what percent of energy consumed in the US is from renewable energy?

A

10%

115
Q

what percent of electricity consumed in the US is from renewable energy?

A

13%

116
Q

are renewable or conventional methods growing faster now?

A

renewable

117
Q

what 3 countries lead the world in wind power?

A

china, us, and germany

118
Q

which country obtains the highest percent of its needs from wind power?

A

denmark

119
Q

why offshore wind farms are appealing

A

higher wind speeds

120
Q

geothermal uses

A

direct water heating and electricity

121
Q

rock

A

solid aggregation of minerals

122
Q

mineral

A

naturally occurring chemical or inorganic compound with crystal structure, a specific chemical composition, and distinct physical properties

123
Q

mining minerals

A

systematic removal of rock, soil, or other material for the purpose of extracting minerals of economic interest

124
Q

metal

A

chemical element/mass of an element that typically is lustrous, opaque, and malleable and can conduct heat and electricity

125
Q

downside of processing metals

A

can be water and energy intensive and can generate greenhouse gas

126
Q

alloy

A

the product of mixing, melting, and fusing a metal with another metal or nonmetal. (steel is an alloy made from fusing iron with carbon)

127
Q

acid mine drainage

A

process by which strip mining pollute waterways when sulfide minerals in newly exposed rock surfaces react with oxygen and rainwater to produce sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid runoff leeches toxic metals from rocks, can pollute groundwater supplies, and can affect aquatic organisms. Natural but accelerated by mining. May mitigate effects of hydraulic fracturing

128
Q

subsurface mining

A

shafts are excavated deep into the ground and networks of tunnels are dug or blasted out to follow deposits of the mineral deep underground. Generates acid drainage. Most dangerous form of mining

129
Q

pacer mining

A

using running water to separate lightweight mud/gravel from heavier minerals that accumulate in riverbed deposits. Wash large amounts of debris into streams.

130
Q

mine reclamation

A

restoring mine sites. Removing all structures, replacing overburden, filling in shafts, and replanting vegetation.

131
Q

General Mining Act of 1872

A

still guides mining policy in US. encourages people and companies to prospect of minerals on federally owned land by allowing any US citizen/company with permission to do business in the US to stake claims on any plot of of public land open to mining.

132
Q

general mining act was established for

A

the gold rush / mining rushes

133
Q

salt marshes occur along what kind of latitudes?

A

temperate latitudes along the coast.

Environmental Science (3 decks)

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