Atmosphere

Question 1

What is denitrification?

Answer 1

Conversion of soil nitrates to nitrogen gas by bacteria eg pseudomonas

Question 2

What is nitrogen fixation?

Answer 2

Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, usually by bacteria

Question 3

What industrial examples involve the use of nitrogen?

Answer 3

Fresh food preservative (gas)
Refrigeration, lightbulbs, nitrate fertilisers

Question 4

Describe how uv light travels through our atmosphere

Answer 4

Uv light passes through the mesosphere easily but is absorbed by various forms of oxygen in the stratosphere

Question 5

How does the temperature change throughout the altitude of our atmosphere

Answer 5

Goes from -50 to 15 degrees between mesosphere and stratopause
15 to -50 between stratopause and tropopause
-50 to 15 between tropopause and sphere

Question 6

What are the sources of nitrous oxide and what is its mean residence time?

Answer 6

Agricultural fertilisers, combustion of fossil fuels and biomass
120 years

Question 7

Why does ozone depletion have the most significant effect on Antarctica?

Answer 7

The very low temperatures lead to the formation of ice crystals in the stratosphere which provide a catalytic surface of which reactions between UV and chlorine occur that cause holes in the ozone layer

Question 8

What is the atmospheric concentration of nitrogen?

Answer 8

78 percent

Question 9

What is the atmospheric concentration of rare gases? Eg helium and neon

Answer 9

1 percent

Question 10

What is the atmospheric concentration of co2 and what are some of its industrial uses?

Answer 10

0.04 percent
Industrial uses include fire extinguishers, fizzy drinks etc

Question 11

What is the atmospheric concentration of water vapour, what are some of its industrial uses and how can it be increased?

Answer 11

0-4 percent
Industrial use steam turbines, heating, cleaning
Can be increased by irrigation, reservoir construction etc

Question 12

What are some of the industrial uses of ozone and how can its atmospheric concentration be increased?

Answer 12

Industrial uses include water sterilisation, bleaching etc

Chemical reactions involving vehicle exhausts produce tropospheric ozone

Question 13

What are some of the industrial uses of methane?

Answer 13

Fuel, raw material in haber process to make ammonia and fertilisers

Question 14

What is the atmospheric concentration of oxygen and what are some of its industrial uses?

Answer 14

21 percent

Breathing gases in healthcare, smelting iron, welding

Question 15

What are the origins/roles of uv/ir in the atmosphere?

Answer 15

Insolation
Emissions from the earth
Thermal stratification
Chemical processes

Question 16

Describe how uv is absorbed in the atmosphere and converted to various forms of energy?

Answer 16

All UVC and most UVB is absorbed by ozone, converted to chemical energy and then heat
It can sometimes also be absorbed by cfcs during ozone depletion

Question 17

How is IR converted and absorbed in our atmosphere?

Answer 17

IR is absorbed by greenhouse gases and is converted to heat

Question 18

Describe a la Niño year

Answer 18

Stronger surface winds across tropical pacific
Warmer sea surface temperatures in northern Australia area with more rainfall
Cooler/less rainfall in coastal western s America

Question 19

Describe one of the effects of an El Niño year and how climate change will effect the el/la Nino cycle

Answer 19

Weaker Pacific Ocean currents
Increased severity of el/la Nino events

Question 20

Describe how gcc effects wind patterns and what the effects of this are worldwide

Answer 20

Changes in heating produce different air pressures changing wind direction and velocity
Potentially monsoon season in India could fail
Stronger hurricanes could occur
Reduced wind velocities in temperature areas

Question 21

What causes ocean acidification and what effects does this have?

Answer 21

Acidic conditions caused by high dissolved co2 levels reduce deposition of coral

Question 22

What are some of the effects caused by holes in the ozone layer?

Answer 22

Humans-skin/dna damage/cancer, eye cataracts
Plants-uv leaf damage, reduced photosynthesis
Marine organisms-uv damage to coral polyps and plankton

Question 23

What are the 6 main greenhouse gases in our atmosphere?

Answer 23

Co2, methane, (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), water vapour, tropospheric ozone, CFCS.

Question 24

What are some of the ecological impacts of climate change?

Answer 24

Plus 1.5 degree Celsius increase since industrial revolution
Changes in biotic conditions such as fewer pollinators, seed dispersers.
Changes in species distribution, deaths in previous range, (poleward shift).
Population fragmentation

Question 25

What are some of the main impacts of global climate change?

Answer 25

Sea level rise from thermal expansion, (molecules vibrate more)
Slowing of thermohaline circulation/Gulf Stream
Increased severity/frequency of El Niño

Question 26

What are some of the main difficulties with predicting future climate change?

Answer 26

Regional variations, (arctic warming 2/3 times faster than ROP
Inaccurate data, proxy data such as tree rings
Unpredictable emissions
Natural drivers, (volcanic activity)
Unpredictable climate control action eg Paris 2015
Feedback mechanisms

Question 27

What did the Rowland Molina hypothesis on cfcs show about the gg?

Answer 27

Very persistent
Low solubility in water, (not removed by rain)
Dissociation by uv
Reactions of chlorine with ozone

Question 28

What are some of the cfc control methods?

Answer 28

Montreal protocol 1989-ban on CFCs+other ODS
use of alternative materials eg propane/butane aerosols
Alternative processes-pump action sprays/roll on

Question 29

Why is ozone depletion greatest over Antarctica?

Answer 29

Very low temps=formation of ice crystals in stratosphere
This provides a catalytic surface for chemical reactions between chlorine and ozone
Polar vortex winds blow around the Antarctic, preventing dispersal of pollutants

Question 30

Describe how infrared and uv energy is absorbed in the atmosphere

Answer 30

All UVC is absorbed in the ozone layer
Most UVB is absorbed
Some light is absorbed by dark surfaces
Greenhouse gases absorb outgoing infrared energy.