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ESWS155 - Elements of Environmental Protection > Study Guide pt 3 (ch. 10-11) > Flashcards

Study Guide pt 3 (ch. 10-11) Flashcards

(75 cards)

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1
Q

warm front

A

boundary where warm, moist air replaces colder, drier air; leads to clouds and light rain

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2
Q

coal formation

A

organic matter (trees and woody plant material) compressed under high pressure to form dense, solid carbon structures; 300-400 million years ago in swampy environments; requires anaerobic decomposition

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3
Q

green-collar jobs

A

employment opportunities that create or support environmental and sustainable practices and technologies

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4
Q

secondary pollutants

A

become harmful when they interact or react with components of the atmosphere (ozone, sulfuric acid)

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5
Q

what are ways humans can mitigate impacts on climate?

A

energy efficiency, renewable energy, protecting soil, preventing deforestation

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6
Q

aerobic

A

relating to, involving, or requiring free oxygen

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7
Q

cons of nuclear power

A

nuclear waste, meltdowns

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8
Q

how does climate change affect ocean pH?

A

increased CO2 leads to ocean acidification

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9
Q

non-renewable resources

A

crude oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power

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10
Q

how do greenhouse gases change climate?

A

they trap more heat on Earth’s surface, making temperatures rise, ice melt, dry areas dry out

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11
Q

why are there 4 seasons in WV (2 reasons)?

A
  1. Earth’s tilt on its axis 2. plant productivity
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12
Q

climate change

A

changes in measures of climate (temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns)

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13
Q

how have human activities altered the carbon cycle?

A

tapping into fossil fuels, deforestation lead to more carbon (CO2) in the atmosphere

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14
Q

troposphere

A

lowest layer, 3/4 of the atmosphere’s mass; air for breathing; temperature decreases as altitude increases

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15
Q

Kyoto Protocol

A

between 2008-2012, signatory nations must reduce emissions of 6 greenhouse gases to levels below that of 1990

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16
Q

what is Earth’s natural variation in atmospheric CO2?

A

180ppm-280ppm (most extreme)

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17
Q

nuclear power

A

splitting apart atomic nuclei to generate energy

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18
Q

what are the major constituents of the atmosphere?

A

Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%)

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19
Q

what are potential impacts of fracking?

A

water supply depletion, water contamination, air pollution, earthquakes

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20
Q

acid deposition

A

deposition of acid or acid-forming pollutants from the atmosphere onto Earth’s surface; impacts = damaged crops, eroded stone, corroded vehicles

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21
Q

Polar cells

A

from 60 degrees to the poles

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22
Q

Clean Air Act

A

set standards for how much air pollution can be released by a single entity; resulted in new policy, cleaner-burning engines, and scrubbers

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23
Q

explain thermal inversion

A

air temperature rises with altitude, trapping pollutants to the surface

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24
Q

NIMBY

A

“not in my backyard;” people want power and sustainability but don’t want to see it

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25
renewable resources
biomass, hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, tidal
26
nuclear fission
the splitting apart of atomic nuclei; releases nuclear energy
27
Paris Agreement
2015 agreement to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, reach peak greenhouse gas emissions asap, zero-carbon solutions by 2030
28
OPEC
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; largely Middle Eastern countries
29
relative humidity
the ratio of water vapor air contains compared to the amount it could contain at a given temperature
30
anaerobic
relating to, involving, or requiring an absence of free oxygen
31
greenhouse gas effect
greenhouse gases trap some solar energy and infrared energy emitted by Earth in the atmosphere to allow Earth to be habitable
32
photovoltaic (PV) cells
convert sunlight to electrical energy; light hits PV cell, electrons scatter, wires let electrons flow
33
bioenergy
energy obtained from biomass resources
34
tidal energy
natural motion of ocean water has kinetic energy; wave energy has many undertested designs; tidal energy can be harnessed from dams across basins
35
biodiesel
fuel produced from vegetable oil or cooking grease; reduces emissions; good fuel economy
36
what happens to atmospheric pressure as altitude increases?
decreases, because there is less air above
37
Ferrel cells
from 30-60 degrees; rain around 60 degrees
38
permanent gases
a gas that is incapable of liquefaction (remains gaseous under normal conditions); Argon (Ar), Neon (Ne), Helium (He), Hydrogen (H2), Xenon (Xe)
39
how are ice cores used in climate science?
trapped bubbles in ice cores provide a timescale of atmospheric composition; date back 800,000 years
40
Hadley cells
convective cells near the equator
41
oil/natural gas formation
dead organic matter (typically microorganisms) buried in marine sediments; matter turns to kerogen; 1.5-3km deep = oil; >3km deep = natural gas; requires anaerobic decomposition
42
how does fossil fuel extraction affect developing nations?
all of the money goes to the corporation and the (typically militaristic government; local people receive no money
43
how do wind turbines create electricity?
convert wind's kinetic energy to electrical energy
44
Milankovitch cycles
periodic changes in Earth's rotation and orbit around the sun
45
stratosphere
11-50km above sea level; drier and dense; contains ozone layer (UV blocking)
46
cogeneration
the generation of electricity and other energy jointly; i. e. using steam leftover from electricity generation to produce heat
47
biomass
organic material containing energy that originated from photosynthesis
48
what is EROI?
energy returned on investment; determines if extraction/acquisition is economically sound (cutoff around 10:1)
49
thermosphere
atmosphere's highest layer; absorbs solar radiation (very hot)
50
enriched uranium
radioactive uranium isotopes used for nuclear power
51
hydropower
using kinetic energy of moving water to turn turbines and generate electricity
52
cons of bioenergy
poor soil nutrition, ethanol production takes away food sources and requires fossil fuels
53
radiative forcing
amount of change in thermal energy that a given factor causes; positive forcing warms the surface, negative forcing cools it
54
active solar energy collection
technology to focus, move, or store solar energy
55
cold front
boundary where colder, drier air displaces warmer, more moist air; leads to clouds and thunderstorms
56
peak oil
rate of production peaks and then declines
57
mesosphere
50-80km in altitude; protects Earth from large meteoroids (they disintegrate)
58
geothermal power
thermal energy from beneath Earth's surface; radioactive decay of elements under high pressures generates heat; uses hot water and steam to heat homes, dry crops, generate electricity
59
pros of bioenergy
increases efficiency, recycles waste products, no net carbon emissions
60
variable gases
concentrations vary based on time and place; nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O3), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
61
global warming
rise in global temperatures due mainly to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases
62
what are potential impacts of offshore drilling?
oil spills or rig explosions; killing organisms, habitat degradation, food contamination, long-lasting oil in marine environments
63
pros of nuclear power
no stack emissions, fewer on-site health risks from pollution, uranium mining damages less land than coal mining
64
primary pollutants
pollutants that are directly harmful (soot, carbon monoxide)
65
where is the ozone layer?
in the stratosphere
66
pros for offshore wind power
higher wind speeds, less interference with people
67
how does climate change affect sea leavel?
runoff from melting sea ice; ocean water expands in volume as it warms -> sea levels rise
68
pros of hydropower
renewable, efficient, no CO2
69
what is the IPCC?
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; hundreds of scientists and government representatives document observed trends and predict impacts
70
passive solar energy collection
designed to maximize absorption of sunlight in winter; uses materials that store heat (straw, brick, concrete)
71
why is the ozone layer so important?
blocks UV radiation
72
cons for offshore windpower
higher startup costs, limited to shallow water
73
cons of hydropower
fossil fuels used to construct dams, reservoirs release methane (CH4), damming destroys habitats, downstream water quality suffers, prevents animal movement
74
why do we have wind cells
warm air rises, picks up moisture, cools with altitude, moisture condenses into clouds, cool dry air moves towards tropics
75
what are potential impacts of mountaintop removal mining?
clear-cutting trees, landscape changes increase risk of flash flood, native species struggle to recolonize, planted species do poorly in compromised soil, subpar reclamation efforts

ESWS155 - Elements of Environmental Protection (3 decks)

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