quiz 4 Flashcards
(38 cards)
1
Q
Fossil Fuel
A
- Any hydrocarbon deposit that can be used for fuel
- anaerobic (no o2) decomposition of buried dead plants and animals)
- Main types: oil, natural gas, coal, peat
- burning releases 17 million tons of nitrogen oxide annually in US
- burning releases 13 million tons of sulfur dioxide annually in US
2
Q
Hydrocarbon
A
Organic compound consisting entirely of carbon and hydrogen ex: methane ch4
3
Q
Oil
A
- naturally occurring from bacteria,algae, and plankton buried and compacted with marine sediment
- complex liquid hydrocarbon
- yields range of combustible fuels, petrochemicals, and lubricants after distillation
- 90-100 degrees C
4
Q
Natural Gas
A
- naturally occurring from bacteria,algae, and plankton buried and compacted with marine sediment
- Mixture of hydrocarbon gases
- mostly methane 80%
- some ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hexane
- > 100-125 degrees C
5
Q
Renewables
A
naturally replenished on a human timescale
- water
- forest & crop
- solar
- wind
- geothermal (sort of)
location determines which one would be best
6
Q
Non-renewables
A
-fossil fuels
-metals
-industrial rocks
minerals
7
Q
Coal types
A
% of carbon increases as you go down list
- peat- leastheat, high moisture
- lignite
- sub-bituminous
- bituminous- heat greatest, few volatile
- anthracite- heat greatest, few volatiles
8
Q
Impact of Coal Mining
A
- most is open pit, strip mining, or mountain top removal
- creates coal waste sludge stored behind dams
- acid mine drainage
- wastewater
- fly ash
- CO2 and greenhouse gases
9
Q
Impacts of Coal Use
A
- more land strip mines as oil becomes limited
- produces ash
- releases large amount of CO2
- acid mine drainage causes low ph iron bearing waters and sulfuric acid
10
Q
Oil and Gas Impacts
A
- deposits found offshore
- migrate from source rock into more porous materials
- trapped by cap rock
- construction of roads
- building supply lines
- transportation
- drilling of wells
- disposing wastewater
- accidental releases
- acid rain damages environment
11
Q
Fracking
A
- natural gas offers some energy security, reduces ghg, and leads to price drops
- lack of regulation has lead to methane leaks in atmosphere and groundwater
- unknown effects on subsurface and human health
12
Q
Unconventional Recovery
A
horizontal drilling
13
Q
Conventional Recovery
A
vertical drilling
14
Q
Technologies that revolutionized hydrocarbon extraction
A
- horizontal drilling
- fracturing the rock using pressurized water
15
Q
Positive Impacts of Fracking
A
- less reliance on imported fossil fuels (70% of US gas supply is shale gas)
- reduced natural gas price
- boost to economies
- water use and solid waste reduced
- less nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide
16
Q
Negative Impacts of Fracking
A
- 2 to 10 million gallons of water required
- flowback water picks up toxins
- leaks methane gas
- induced earthquakes
- chemicals and methane in drinking water
- natural gas flares
17
Q
Ore
A
- a rock in which a valuable or useful metal occurs at a high concentration relative to average rocks
- economically worth mining
- Factors that determine profitability: value of mineral and it concentration
18
Q
Mineral Resource Distribution
A
- minerals not distributed evenly across globe: depends on geology rock age, and area
- majority of metallic ore deposits in western states: nevada and arizona
19
Q
Classification of Non-fossil Resources
A
- elements for metal production and technology (iron, aluminum, etc)
- building materials (sand, gravel, rock)
- minerals for chemical industry (salts)
- minerals for agriculture (phosphate)
20
Q
Environmental Impacts of Mining Mineral Resources
A
- waste dump leaching toxic metals
- erosion
- water use
- ecosystem disruption
- large holes in the ground (quarries)
- deforestation
- subsidence
- mine waste
21
Q
Reasons for changes in global mining production and consumption
A
- population growth
- availability of resources
- cost of extraction and processing
- recycling
- alternative substitute materials (synthetics)
- new products
- government regulation
22
Q
Mineral Mining Mitigation Strategies
A
- land reclamation
- reforestation
- deep well disposal
- chemical treatment
- process technology
- recycling given waste or pollutant
23
Q
Rare Earth Elements
A
- China produces 90+%, uses it as political tool by driving up cost
- increased backyard operations 40% of them sold are illegal
- they have little environmental concern, even though they foster huge legacy problem of toxic dumping
- used extensively in electronics
- not that rare
24
Q
Seabed Mining
A
- habitat destruction: seabed plumes, noise, light, increase temp
- disruption of nutrient rich water
- release of metals into food chain
- expensive
25
Hydroelectric Power
Largest contributor out of the renewables
Types:
-run-of-the-river
-conventional gravity
-pump storage
several smaller sources that together create significant amount of electrical energy in US
capacity in US has remained constant
26
Earth Resources
supplies of food, building, and clothing material, minerals, water, and energy that we draw from a bountiful earth that we need to sustain our life and civilization
27
Hydroelectric Dams
- expensive and time consuming to build
- multiple uses not always compatible
- destroy natural habitats and species
- hinders or stops fish migration
- sediment trapped beneath dam, increases shoreline erosion
- stream/river erosion below dam
28
Solar Energy
-best in West and Southwest (only use where there is sunshine)
-often need large collection areas which result in large environmental impact
-expensive as integrated system
Types:
-passive (direct gain) : south facing windows
-active (thermal collector) : water heating, not generating electricity
-photo voltaic solar panel system for electricity
29
Wind Power
- best areas are offshore and mid US
- most farms located in midwest
- In US wind electricity capacity increased more than 3 fold between 2010 and 2020
30
Nuclear Energy
- nonrenewable
- 19% of energy in US
- nuclear fission controlled with standard reactir
- uranium
- long term sustainablity depends on resolving disposing of spent nuclear fuel
- significant water consumption
- terrorism
- can caise earthwuakes and tsunamis
31
Environmental Issues Nuclear Energy
- mine waste
- uranium in water
- disposal of radioactive waste
- spent fuel (not in my back yard)
32
Radiation
isotope: atom whose nucleus contain same # of protons but different # of neutrons
Radioactivity (nuclear decay): nucleases of unstable atom loses energy by emitting ionizing radiation
-order of greatest depth: alpha, beta, gamma
33
Geothermal Energy
- heat energy from naturally occuring stream, hot rocks, or thermal waters
- site specific
- most located in regions of volcanism or tectonic activity (plate margins)
- 2% of US energy consumption
- limited lifetime 30-35 years
- available 24/7
- geothermal field, geothermal gradient 25 degrees C per km global avg
34
Geothermal Environmental Issues
- land use
- discharge of water and gases H2S
- ground subsidence
- noise and sight pollution
35
Biofuels
- produced through biological processes such as agriculture and anaerobic digestion
- derived directly from plants
- derived indirectly from agriculture, commercial, domestic, or industrial waste
- yields CO2
36
Biofuel Types
1st generation: conventional, made from food crops explicitly grown for fuel production
2nd generation: manufactured from biomass- woody crops, agriculture residues, waste plant material
3rd generation: manufactured from algae
37
Main Biofuels
Biogas: methane produced from anaerobic digestion of organic material. by anaerobes
Biologically produced alcohols: ethane, action of microorganisms and enzymes through fermentation of sugars or starches
Biodiesel: most common in europe, produced from oil or fats
38
Impacts of Biofuels
- contribute to air pollution like fossil fuels: CO2, CO, nitrous oxides, carbon particulates
- take away from food production
- deforestation
- soil erosion
- loss of biodiversity
- water use
