Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Semester 2 > APES Chapter 17 > Flashcards

APES Chapter 17 Flashcards

1
Q

atmosphere

A

the thin layer of gases that surround the earth

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

troposhpere

A

blankets earth surface and provides the air that we need to breathe

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

stratosphere

A

11-50 km, 1,000 times drier and less dense

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

ozone layer

A

the layer of atmosphere that protect the harmful UV rays from reaching earth’s surface

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

atmospheric pressure

A

the force per unit area by a column of air

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

relative humidity

A

the ratio of water vapor a given volume of air contains the maximum amount it could contain at a given temperature

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

convective circulation

A

when the sun heats up water and it releases heat and the warm air rises and the cold air replaces it, making a current that circulates the air

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

weather

A

atmospheric conditions over short time periods

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

climate

A

the pattern of atmospheric conditions found across large geographic regions over long periods of time

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

front

A

the boundary between air masses that differ in temperature and moisture

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

warm front

A

boundaries along a mass of warmer moister air replaces a mass of colder, drier air

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

cold front

A

the boundary along which a colder, drier mass displaces a warmer, wetter air mass

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

high-pressure system

A

air that descends because it’s cool and the spreads out as it nears the ground

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

low-pressure system

A

warm air rises, drawing air inward toward the center of low atmospheric pressure

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

temperature/thermal inversion

A

when there is warm air, a layer of cold air and then more warm air

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

inversion layer

A

when temperature rises with altitude

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

hadley cells

A

currents on the equator that cause a lot of heat directly on the surface causing a lot of heat to rise and expand leading to release of water and heavy rainfall

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

ferrel cells

A

currents from the equator that cool and move down which is more arid and cool

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

polar cells

A

similar to ferrel but there’s less sun so it’s colder

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

coriolis effect

A

convective cells seem to be deflected from a straight path

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

hurricanes

A

when winds rush into areas of low pressure where warm, moisture-laden air over tropical oceans is rising

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

tornado

A

a mass of warm air meets a mass of cold air and the warm air rises quickly setting a powerful convective current into motion

23
Q

air pollutants

A

gases and particulate matter that has been added to the atmosphere and can affect climate or harm people or other organisms

24
Q

air pollution

A

the release of air pollutants

25
outdoor air pollution
air pollution that appears outdoors
26
aerosals
when a pollutant reacts with water and oxygen and condenses into fine droplets
27
primary pollutants
pollutants that immediately cause harm
28
secondary pollutants
pollutants that combine chemically to create a harmful compound
29
residence time
amount of time a pollutant is in the atmosphere
30
clean air act of 1970
stricter standards for air quality imposed limits on emissions new funds for pollution-control able to sue parties violating the system
31
clean air act of 1990
strengthen regulations for cars, emissions and toxins emissions trading program EPA set nationwide standards
32
criteria pollutants
pollutants judged to pose specifically great threats to human health
33
carbon monoxide
colorless, odorless gas made by incomplete combustion of fuel
34
sulfuric dioxide
colorless, but strong, pungent smell, from combustion of coal for electricity, may react with stuff in the air and settle back into ground as acid deposition
35
nitrogen dioxide
highly reactive, reddish brownish, foul-smelling gas that is part of smog and acid deposition
36
nitrogen oxides
family of nitrogen compounds that result from nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere that react at high temperatures
37
tropospheric ozone
human activity that accumulates in the troposphere and acts as a pollutant that smells from the sun reacting with the pollutant can cause liver problems or damage live tissue
38
particulate matter
solid or liquid matter that's small enough to be suspended and can cause serious lung tissue damage when inhaled
39
lead
a heavy metal that enters the atmosphere as a particulate pollutant can be inhaled or deposited on land, enter food chain and accumulate in body tissues can cause central nervous system malfunctions and other ailments
40
volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
carbon-containing chemicals used in, and emitted by vehicle engines and a wide variety of solvants
41
scrubbers
technology that chemically converts or physically removes airborne pollutants are emitted by smoke stacks
42
toxic air pollutants
substances known to cause cancer, have reproductive effects, or neurological, developmental and immune system and respiratory problems
43
industrial smog
gray-air smog coal or oil is burned, but not all of it is combusted reacts with other things in the air and creates a grey layer
44
photochemical smog
brown-air smog | when sunlight drives chemical reactions between primary pollutants and normal atmospheric compounds
45
ozone-depleting substances
human-made airborne chemicals that destroy the ozone layer by splitting it's molecules apart
46
halocarbons
human-made compounds derived from simple hydrocarbons
47
chloroflourocarbons (CFCs)
a type of halocarbon used in fire extinguishers, technology cleaners and aerosol spray cans
48
ozone hole
an area in the ozone layer that is depleting
49
montreal protocol
a treaty that made nations agree to cut CFC production in half by 1998
50
acid deposition
the deposition of acidic or acid-forming pollutants from the atmosphere onto the earth's surface
51
atmospheric deposition
a more broad deposition (wet or dry) of acid onto land in a wide variety of pollutants
52
indoor air pollution
indoor air that contains higher concentration of pollution in workplaces, schools, and homes that cause health effects worse than outdoor air pollution
53
sick-building syndrome
when someone gets sick and the cause is unknown with symptoms that are general and nonspecific

Semester 2 (11 decks)

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