Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Environmental Science 100 > GE 100 Exam Three (Chapters 20-22) > Flashcards

GE 100 Exam Three (Chapters 20-22) Flashcards

(93 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

coal benefaction

A

a process in which coal is cleaned by being crushed, screened, and suspended in a liquid, where the solid impurities settle out

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

continuous mining techniques

A

recovery in which mining machines allow the roof to cave in after the machine has removed all of the coal and “backs away” from the seam

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

conventional fossil fuels

A

coal, oil, and natural gas that supply nearly all of the energy provided by fossil fuels due to their low cost

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

crude oil

A

a mixture of hydrocarbons that exists in the liquid phase in natural underground reservoirs and remains liquid at atmospheric pressure after passing through surface separating facilities; occurs in many varieties, distinguished by specific gravity, density concentrations of other hydrocarbons, volatility, heating value, and sulfur content. May contain significant amounts of natural gas; motor gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and petrochemicals derived from this

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

discoveries

A

a broad term that includes locations of new finds of resources

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

extraction efficiency

A

the fraction of the resource removed from its location in the environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

kerogen

A

an insoluble organic material that is the main precursor of crude oil and natural gas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

mountaintop removal

A

a coal recovery practice in which vegetation and soil are removed from a mountaintop, explosives are used to separate coal from the rocks, and the rocks are subsequently dumped into a nearby valley

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

oil refinery

A

an industrial installation that breaks and separates the long-chain carbon molecules of crude oil into groups of shorter-chain molecules known as refined petroleum products

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

oil shale

A

an unconventional fossil fuel in which kerogen is trapped in sedimentary rock

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

operable capacity

A

the maximum rate of oil production that can be sustained during the following six months

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

overburden

A

soil and rock above a coal seam or other mineral source

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

porosity

A

a measurement of space between soil particles that can hold water or oil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

primary recovery

A

oil that is pushed to the surface by the pressure gradient in the field

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

proved reserves

A

volumes of crude oil that geological and engineering information shows, beyond reasonable doubt, to be recoverable in the future from a reservoir under existing economic and operating conditions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Q infinity

A

the total quantity of oil that will be discovered and produced

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

refined petroleum products

A

carbon molecules derived from crude oil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

reserves to production (R:P)

A

the quantity of oil in proved reserves relative to the current rate of oil production

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

revisions

A

changes (either positive or negative) to proved reserves that are generated by new information other than an increase in acreage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

room and pillar

A

a coal extraction technique that leaves pillars of coal to prevent the ceiling from collapsing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

seam

A

a naturally occurring layer of coal usually thick enough to be mined for profit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

secondary recovery

A

the injection of water into an oil field to push additional quantities of oil toward the producing well and up to the surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

sedimentation

A

the burial of organic material by particles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

surface mining techniques

A

coal recovery techniques that remove the soil and rock above coal seams, thereby exposing the seams

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
tertiary methods
injection of heat or materials that reduce the viscosity or surface tension of crude oil, which makes it flow more easily toward the surface
26
unconventional fossil fuels
fossil fuels, such as oil shales and tar sands, that may eventually replace conventional fossil fuels
27
underground mining techniques
coal recovery techniques in which shafts are drilled to the seam to give miners access
28
wildcatting
drilling wells into formations not previously known to contain oil or natural gas
29
yield per effort
the ratio of resource obtained relative to the effort used to obtain it
30
breeder reactor
a nuclear reactor that manufactures more fissionable isotopes than it consumes
31
containment
the control of a nuclear fission reaction so that harmful radiation is not released to the environment
32
control rods
devices in the core of a reactor that absorb neutrons and are used to control the rate of fission and to stop the chain reaction
33
conversion
the step in the nuclear fuel cycle in which solid uranium oxide (U3O8) is converted into the gas uranium hexafluoride (UF6)
34
decommissioning
the process of closing down and removing a nuclear reactor after its useful life has come to an end
35
enrichment
the physical process of increasing the concentration of the uranium-235 isotope relative to the predominant uranium-238 isotope in natural uranium
36
exploration
the search for and identification of new deposits of a natural resource
37
fabrication
the process through which fissionable material is configured into precisely shaped fuel or target elements and made ready for use in a nuclear reactor
38
fertile
an atom or a collection of atoms that can produce fissile atoms under neutron irradiation. Fertile atoms or collections of atoms generally themselves do not undergo induced fission
39
fissile
any nucleus capable of undergoing fission by neutrons
40
fission
the splitting of a nucleus into at least two other nuclei and the release of a relatively large amount of energy
41
fuel assemblies
bundles of hollow metal rods containing uranium oxide pellets; used to fuel a nuclear reactor
42
fuel rods
a long, slender tube that holds fuel (fissionable material) for nuclear reactor use
43
fusion
the nuclear reaction whereby the nuclei of light isotopes, like hydrogen, are joined (fused) to form heavier elements, releasing large amounts of energy
44
geologic disposal
the long-term storage of nuclear waste in geologic formations in Earth's crust
45
interim storage
providing safe and secure storage in the near term to support continuing operations in the interim period until long-term storage or disposition actions are implemented
46
levelized cost
an estimate of total electricity cost including payback of initial investment and operating costs; also the price a plant must sell electricity at in order to break even
47
milling
taking uranium ore extracted from Earth's crust and chemically processing it to prepare uranium concentrate (U3O8) sometimes called uranium octaoxide or "yellowcake"
48
mining
the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from Earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam
49
moderators
components of nuclear reactors that slow neutrons, thereby increasing their chances of being absorbed by fissile material; natural water, heavy water, and nuclear-grade graphite are the most common
50
nuclear proliferation and diversion
the spread from nation to nation of nuclear technology, including nuclear power plants but especially nuclear weapons
51
permanent waste disposal
the storage of nuclear waste in a form and location for a very long time
52
pressurizer
a high-strength tank containing steam and water used to control the pressure of the reactor coolant in the primary loop in a nuclear power plant
53
Price Anderson Act
a US law that indemnifies all nonmilitary nuclear facilities constructed in the US against liability claims arising from nuclear incidents while still ensuring compensation for the general public
54
primary coolant
coolant in a nuclear power plant that first comes in contact with the core
55
reactor core
the core of a nuclear reactor, consisting of the fuel, moderator (in the case of thermal reactors), and coolant
56
reactor vessel
a cylindrical steel vessel in a nuclear power plant that contains the core, control rods, coolant, and structures that support the core
57
reprocessing
the treatment of spent (irradiated) reactor fuel to separate plutonium from uranium and other fission products
58
secondary coolant
the part of the cooling system that absorbs heat from the primary coolant
59
spent nuclear fuel
fuel rods that no longer contain enough fissionable uranium to be efficiently used to produce power
60
turbine generator
a rotary engine driven by the pressure of water, air, or steam against the curved vanes of a wheel to transform heat, chemical energy, or water pressure into mechanical energy
61
vitrification
a method of immobilizing nuclear waste that produces a glasslike solid that permanently captures the radioactive materials
62
agricultural residues
a potential source of biomass energy consisting of plant parts remaining in a field after the harvest of a crop, including stalks, stems, leaves, roots, and weeds
63
biochemicals
chemicals produced by, or derived from, living organisms
64
biodiesel
a less polluting fuel for most diesel internal combustion and turbine engines produced from a range of biomass-derived feed-stocks including oilseeds, waste vegetable oils, cooking oil, animal fats, and trap grease
65
bioenergy
energy derived from biological sources
66
biofuels
fuels made from cellulosic biomass resources, such as ethanol, biodiesel, and methanol
67
biomass
the mass of a species or group of species
68
biomass feedstocks
the sources for bioengergy and biofuels, including forest and agricultural biomass, as well as the organic portions of municipal solid wastes
69
biopower
electricity generated from the combustion of biological sources
70
end use efficiency
the efficiency with which energy is converted to useful work or heat at the point of end use
71
energy crops
a plant grown to make biofuels, such as bioethanol, or combusted for its energy content to generate electricity or heat
72
energy density
the amount of energy stored per unit weight, volume, or space
73
energy end use
a set of devices, products, and systems that use energy for the same or similar purposes; examples include transportation, cooking, lighting, heating, and refrigeration
74
ethanol
a chemical formed by fermentation or synthesis used as a raw material in a wide range of industrial and chemical processes; an alternative automotive fuel that is usually blended with gasoline to form gasohol
75
flash steam power plants
the most common type of geothermal power plant in which steam, once it has been separated from the water, is piped to a powerhouse where it is used to drive a steam turbine, which in turn generates electricity
76
forestry residues
forms of biomass (bark, branches) left over from the harvesting of timber that are potential sources of energy
77
fuel cell
an electrochemical engine (no moving parts) that converts the chemical energy of a fuel, such as hydrogen and an oxidant, such as oxygen, directly to electricity
78
geothermal direct use
the use of geothermal energy for a variety of applications including space heating, agriculture, aquaculture, recreation, medical (balneology), and industrial use (process heating)
79
geothermal fields
an accumulation of geothermal energy that can be developed for human use
80
geothermal heat pump
a heat pump that uses Earth as a heat source and heat sink
81
hydropower
the production of electricity by the action of moving water falling on a turbine generator
82
ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
electricity genration by making use of the temperature difference (as much as 20*C or 68*F, in the tropics) between the top and bottom layers of the ocean to convert a fluid vapor, which in turn powers a turbine generator
83
photovoltaic effect
the generation of an electrical current in a circuit containing a photosensitive device when the device is illuminated by visible or nonvisible light
84
power density
the rate of doing work per unit area or volume
85
primary mill residues
biomass produced from the processing of timber (such as at sawmills) that is a potential source of energy
86
pumped storage plant
a plant that usually generates electric energy during peak load periods by using water previously pumped into an elevated storage reservoir during off-peak periods when excess generating capacity is available to do so. When additional generating capacity is needed, the water can be released from the reservoir through a conduit to turbine generators located in a power plant at a lower level
87
pyrolysis
decomposition of a chemical by extreme heat
88
solar constant
the amount of solar radiation that reaches the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere: 1.97 calories per square cm per minute
89
solar insolation
a measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time; commonly expressed as average irradiance in watts per square meter or kilowatt-hours per square meter per day
90
solar thermal system
a system that uses radiation from the sun to produce heat energy
91
tidal energy
electricity generated by capture of the energy contained in moving water masses due to tides
92
wind energy
energy derived from the kinetic energy of the wind
93
wind farm
a collection of wind turbines all in the same location, used for the generation of electricity

Environmental Science 100 (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions