Quiz 1

Question 1

How is incoming solar radiation absorbed and reflected?

Answer 1

reflected and absorbed by clouds, atmosphere, and surface. Some reflected infrared from the surface gets reflected again by greenhouse gases in atmosphere

Question 2

What is a system?

Answer 2

the subject of study

Question 3

What are the surroundings?

Answer 3

everything outside of a system.

Question 4

what is a boundary?

Answer 4

something that divides the system with its surroundings. Can be invisible, chemical, physical, etc.

Question 5

What is an open vs. closed system?

Answer 5

Open: exchanges matter and energy across system

closed: does not

Question 6

With respect to matter and respect to energy, what type of systems does earth have?

Answer 6

matter: closed system

energy: open system

Question 7

1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics

Answer 7

1: energy cannot be created nor destroyed

2: when energy is transformed, its ability to do work diminishes (lost as heat)

Question 8

What is a steady state?

Answer 8

input = output

Question 9

Positive and negative feedback loops

Answer 9

Negative: dampen rate of change. This is usually good.

Positive: amplify rate of change. Takes away from equilibrium usually.

Question 10

What is Global Change? Global Climate Change? Global Warming? How are they related?

Answer 10

Global Change: all anthropogenic impacts to the planet

Climate change: all global change involving temp, precipitation, and winds
(ex: precipitation changes)

Global warming: global change specific to temperature

These are all subcategories of one another!

Question 11

What is the greenhouse effect? Greenhouse gases? Examples?

Answer 11

GH effect: trapping of heat near Earth’s surface due to absorption and reradiation of infrared, done by GHGs

GHGs: gases in atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation.

Examples:
Water vapor (barely does anything tho)
CO2
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Chloro and Hydrofluorocarbons (these are strictly anthropogenic)

Question 12

how is the global warming potential of a gas measured?

Answer 12

CO2e, meaning CO2 equivalents.
1 = potential to absorb as much infrared as 1 CO2 molecule.

Question 13

Give a few examples of natural sources of GHGs

Answer 13

Volcanic activity & fires

decomposition & digestion
(CO2 aerobic and CH4 anaerobic)

Denitrification (in anaerobic environments)

Question 14

anthropogenic sources of GHGs?

Answer 14

fossil fuels, agriculture, deforestation, landfills, etc.

Question 15

What is the keeling curve?

Answer 15

represents CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere since 1958.

Question 16

Methods of examining CO2 trends and temperature trends over longer periods?

Answer 16

-Changes in composition of foraminifera in fossil records (they prefer specific temps)

-Ice cores have air bubbles that can be analyzed

-one must combine data from a wide variety of biological, chemical, and physical measurements to allow for confidence in these estimates, just know the previously mentioned methods tho

Question 17

What is the conclusion of historical climate change evidence?

Answer 17

Earth has undergone climate change throughout its history, however now it is rapidly changing (too fast for species to adapt)

Question 18

2 examples of how positive feedback loops amplify climate change

Answer 18

Decomposition: decomposers produce CO2 and then increase temp, and this increase causes more decomposition

Permafrost melt:
the permafrost melting in tundra encourages anaerobic respiration (CH4) which heats up the environment and encourages further melting

Question 19

Albedo effect positive feedback loop for climate change

Answer 19

High temps melt ice and snow, dark surfaces are exposed, more heat is absorbed, repeat

Question 20

Feedback loop for evapotranspiration?

Answer 20

When temp rises so does evaporation, water vapor increases temp since it is a weak GHG, which leads to more temp increase and more evaporation

Question 21

negative feedback loops and climate change examples:
1. CO2 and photosynthesis
2. CO2 and ocean uptake

Answer 21

1. Increased CO2 increases plant growth, plants absorb CO2
2. Increased CO2 increases ocean uptake, leading to less CO2 (this acidifies oceans, which can kill reefs and their inhabitants, as well as mollusks)

Question 22

What is soil composition?

Answer 22

relative amounts of minerals, organic matter, air, and water in soil

Question 23

Three types of minerals in soil?

Answer 23

Sand: largest, coarsest
Silt: medium
Clay: smallest

Question 24

what is the soil texture?

Answer 24

proportion of minerals (sand, silt, clay)

Question 25

Soil organic matter enters soil primarily as _______ and is broken down by ___

Answer 25

detritus decomposers

Question 26

OM affects soil by ___ and ___ nutrients and ____ water

Answer 26

providing and retaining retaining

Question 27

___, ___, and ___ ____, are found in pockets of empty space within the soil, referred to as pores.

Answer 27

Air, water, and plant roots

Question 28

____: total amount of pore space in soil

Answer 28

porosity

Question 29

______: how well water can move through soil

Answer 29

permeability

Question 30

___ ___ ___: how much water the soil can hold

Answer 30

water holding capacity

Question 31

to thrive, plant roots need right balance of air and water so most plants prefer a balance of ____ and ____

Answer 31

permeability water holding capacity

Question 32

How do we manage soils with high permeability and low water holding capacity? low permeability and high water holding capacity?

Answer 32

add organic matter. Organic matter retains water well due to its high SA and negatively charged surgace. It also binds soil together to make pathways for water, increasing its permeability

Question 33

___: usually largest mineral quantity in soil ___: influences soil properties the most

Answer 33

sand clay

Question 34

what three things are evaluted in soil fertility?

Answer 34

1. nutrient quantity 2. capacity to retain nutrients 3. are plants able to access these nutrients well?

Question 35

a measure of how well soil holds (+) charged nutrients

Answer 35

cation exchange capacity (CEC)

Question 36

what makes the CEC of clay so high? Why is Organic Matter's so much higher?

Answer 36

-Strong (-) charge and high SA -Exponentially higher SA than other soil particles

Question 37

To manage soils with a low CEC, add ___ to assist with ___ and ____ nutrients

Answer 37

organic matter providing retaining

Question 38

Soil pH affects ___ of nutrients

Answer 38

accessiblity

Question 39

optimal pH for most plants

Answer 39

6->8

Question 40

Earth's Layers and what they are composed of

Answer 40

Core: -Solid inner core and a liquid outer core -Super hot due to radioactive decay which fuels convection cells Mantle: -inner mantle has molten rock that circulates as a fluid in convection cells -asthenosphere is the mantle's semi-molten edge. This is what tectonic plates float on. Lithosphere: -crust -tectonic plates and rocky sub surface -soil sits on top of crust

Question 41

Oceanic crust is ___ and ___ while continental crust is ___ and ___

Answer 41

dense, basaltic thick, granitic

Question 42

tectonic motion is driven by ___

Answer 42

Convection cells

Question 43

convection cells form due to:

Answer 43

hot magma near earth's core rises, cools in asthenosphere, then sinks in a cycle

Question 44

tectonic cycle definition

Answer 44

process by which the lithosphere is continuously broken and built powered by convection

Question 45

boundary when plates move apart

Answer 45

divergent

Question 46

When oceanic plates diverge, a ___ ___ ___ forms. When continental plates diverge, a ___ ___ forms.

Answer 46

mid-ocean ridge Rift valley

Question 47

Areas where plates collide

Answer 47

convergent plate boundary

Question 48

subduction is caused by ___ and leads to ___ and ___

Answer 48

convergent plates in situations where one is denser than other volcanic coastal mountain ranges or chains of volcanic islands (archipelago) Ocean trenches

Question 49

When plates of similar densities converge

Answer 49

form a continental mountain range

Question 50

a volcano is a ___ where ___ rises to the surface as lava

Answer 50

vent magma

Question 51

Volcanoes can form at ___ and ___ plate boundaries and even in the ___ of a plate. How?

Answer 51

Divergent: (by definition, however these are not large usually) Convergent: pressure and steam build up in the subduction zone. Middle of plate: only way this can happen is a hot spot