Unit 6-7

Question 1

Lithosphere

Answer 1

Hard shell of earth consisting of crust and topmost mantle
- covered in 70% in water
- has cracks/rifts: rocky plates (tectonic plates)

Question 2

Soil

Answer 2

Upper layer of lithosphere (pedosphere)
- formed by the interaction of other spheres (lithosphere with hydro, atmo, bio)
- necessary for plant life

Question 3

Layers of soil

Answer 3

Distinct layers parallel to surface ground

1. Organic matter
2. Surface soil (topsoil): soil containing humus and minerals (decomposing organic matter)
3. Subsoil: composed of tiny rocks (sand, silt and rock) includes small minerals, tree and plants with deep roots draw nutrients here
4. Substratum (fragmented parent rock): formed by the disintegration (weathering, erosion) of underlying unaltered parent rock
5. Rock (unaltered parent rock): starting point for soil formation

Question 4

Soil Agriculture (Necessity)

Answer 4

• Water soluble nutrients (Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium)
• Appropriate pH levels (affects rate of absorption of nutrients)
• Appropriate amount of water (intake of nutrients requires water)
• Oxygen (cellular respiration)

Question 5

Soil Agriculture (Problems)

Answer 5

Loss of soil fertility (depletion):
- Modern farm machinery (compacts soil - prevents rain and deprives oxygen)
- use of pesticides (contaminates ecosystems with toxins)
- Deforestation (destroys root network that prevents wind blowing away topsoil and organic matter that would have disintegrated)

Question 6

Permafrost

Answer 6

Ground frozen (below 0) for at least 2 years (found in polar regions and at high altitudes)
A combination of soil, rocks and sand that are held together by ice

Upper layers thaws briefly for growing season

Question 7

Problems with permafrost

Answer 7

1. Damage to house/roads,etc
2. Greenhouse gases released by thawing of frozen organic carbon (CO2 & CH4)
3. Could unfreeze ancient bacteria and viruses in ice and soil

Question 8

Permafrost and Global Warming

Answer 8

Permafrost traps methane gas melts — Methane gas released — more heat trapped in atmosphere — temperature increases

Question 9

Fossil Fuels

Answer 9

Coal (terrestrial animals), oil (marine animals) and natural gases

• cheap, easy to store and transport
• non renewable, GHG emissions (acid rain, CH4)

Thermal power plant: Transforms fossil fuel energy to mechanical or electrical

Question 10

Nuclear energy

Answer 10

Uranium

• small quantity = large amounts of energy and no GHG emission
• radioactive waste and emission, and material and enviro are radioactive for years

Nuclear: Power Plant Bonds of atoms are broken (fission) converted into electrical

Question 11

Geothermal energy

Answer 11

Energy that comes from the earth (fluid circulation)

• renewable energy, no GHG and reduce heating cost
• $$$ than traditional and only available in some spots

Question 12

Hydrosphere

Answer 12

Earths outer layer fo water in any state
(97.5% saltwater, 2.5% freshwater — 79% frozen glaciers and 21% lakes and rivers)

Question 13

Water cycle

Answer 13

Every (Evaporation) Creature (Condensation) Pretends (Precipitation) to (Transpiration) Ignore (Infiltration) Great (Ground water flow) Roars (Runoff)

Question 14

Watersheds

Answer 14

Area of land in which inland waters (freshwater bodies on the surface) drain into same large body

Catchment or drainage basin

Question 15

Manage of Watershed

Answer 15

1. Topography: slope and shape of land
2. Geology: type of rock found on land
3. Climate/Precipitation: Frequency of rain or snow)
4. Vegetation: Rainwater runoff is slowed by wooded areas
5. Agricultural, industrial and urban development: structures can prevent water flow

Question 16

Ocean Temperature

Answer 16

1. Depth
   a) Mixed layers (higher than 200m): heated by sun
   b) Thermocline (lower than 200m): no solar energy, cold, transition zone (decrease in temp as depth)
   c) Deepwater (lower than 1000m): cold and very dark
2. Seasons: ocean loses some heat in winter (less pronounced than land)
3. Latitude: warmer equator than temperate zones

Colder water: density increases, sinks
Warmer water: density decreases, rises

Question 17

Ocean Salinity

Answer 17

Measure of the amount of salt dissolved in liquid (g/L) salt doesn’t evaporate

Salinity increases, density increases, sink (35g/L)
Salinity decreases, density decreases, rise (1g/L)

Question 18

Ocean current

Answer 18

Movement of seawater in certain directions

1. Surface: caused by winds, moves horizontally, first 400m
2. Subsurface (deep): caused by variation in density between layers of water, lower 800m

Question 19

Thermohaline Circulation

Answer 19

Surface and subsurface current (forces nutrient water upwards)
Equator warm up — poles cold sinks

Question 20

Cryosphere

Answer 20

Consists of all the frozen water on Earth’s surface

Question 21

Pack Ice

Answer 21

Ice floating on ocean near poles, weakening due to global warming threatening life species (habitat)

Melting = high freshwater in oceans = water less saline = slows/stops currents

Question 22

Glaciers

Answer 22

Mass of ice on land (compressed snow), freshwater

Glacier melt = ice fall into water = water level rises

Melting = high freshwater in oceans = water less saline = slows/stops currents

Question 23

Icebergs

Answer 23

Glaciers breaks off 90% underwater

Question 24

Hydraulic (hydroelectric) energy

Answer 24

Moving water energy (turbines, dams)

• renewable, no GHG (mostly)
• flooding of ecosystem, mercury contamination, not available in some areas

Water turbines: connected to generators that convert the mechanical energy to electrical

Question 25

Hydro kinetic, wave, tidal energy

Answer 25

Hydrokinetic: energy from flow of rivers (freshwater) Wave: energy from vertical movement of seawater Tidal: energy from horizontal movement of seawater - renewable, no GHG emissions - may disrupt ecosystems, installations subjected to corrosion, not available in some areas

Question 26

Atmosphere

Answer 26

Layers of air (gases) surrounding earth Composition of mixture of gases (nitrogen, oxygen and water vapour)

Question 27

Functions of atmo

Answer 27

1. Acts as a screen - block dangerous (sun’s) rays 2. Retains (traps heat - creates a stable climate*** 3. Contains oxygen (cell rep) 4. Contains CO2 (photosynthesis)

Question 28

Greenhouse effect

Answer 28

Natural process that allows the Earth to retain some of the heat from the sun (water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide)

Question 29

Greenhouse effect process

Answer 29

1. Sun releases energy (some dispersed into atmo, most pass through and absorbed by ground) 2. Ground heated, releasing infrared ration into atmo 3. Some rays pass through atmo and go into space 4. Other rays are trapped by GHG and sent back to earth causing warming

Question 30

Wind energy

Answer 30

Energy harnessed by wind - renewable, no GHG, non-polluting - ruins beauty of landscapes, unpredictable winds, cannot be stored (Blades turns rotor which turn the shaft connected to generator)

Question 31

Solar energy

Answer 31

Energy harnessed from sun - renewable, no GHG, non-polluting - expensive set up, presence of sun varies Solar cells silicon, electrons move causing flow