CH. 17 Flashcards
a criteria pollutant produced by incomplete combustion of fuel
Carbon Monoxide
a criteria pollutant which is highly reactive and contributes to smog and acid rain
Nitrogen dioxide
criteria pollutant released when coal is burned, contributes to acid rain
Sulfur Dioxide
a criteria pollutant the results from the interaction of heat, light nitrogen oxides and VOC’s
Tropospheric Ozone
ozone in the troposphere caused by pollution
Ground-level-ozone
the movement of air as it rises, cools, expands and falls
Convection Circulation
protective layer in the stratosphere
Ozone Layer
the force per unit area produced by a column of air
Atmospheric Pressure
the ratio of water vapor a volume of air contains to the maximum amount it could contain at a given temperature
Relative Humidity
the pattern of atmospheric conditions found across regions for long periods of time
Climate
the boundary between air masses
Front
cold dry air replaces warm moist air
Cold Front
systems that bring fair weather
High-Pressure System
system that often brings precipitation
Low-Pressure System
the band of air in which temperature rises with altitude
Inversion Layer
cool air trapped beneath a layer of warmer air
Temperature Inversion
convective cells near the equator
Hadley Cells
Convective cells located between 30 and 60 degrees north and south latitude
Ferrel Cells
The apparent deflection of convective cells which results in curving global wind patterns
Coriolis Effect
another term for outdoor air pollutants
Ambient Pollutants
very small airborne particles
Aerosols
pollutants emitted directly into the troposphere
Primary Pollutants
pollutants produced from the reaction of pollutants and atmospheric substances
Secondary Pollutants
amount of time a pollutant spends in the atmosphere
Residence Time
Law that set standards for air quality
Clean Air Act of 1970
law that strengthened regulations and set up an emissions trading policy
Clean Air Act of 1990
family of compounds containing nitrogen and oxygen
Nitrogen Oxides
any solid or liquid particle small enough to be airborne
Particulate Matter
carbon containing chemicals emitted by many vehicles and household chemicals
VOCs
The process of cleaning pollutants out of smokestacks
Scrubber
gray-air smog from emissions
Industrial Smog
smog produced from reactions with light
Photochemical Smog
human made compounds made from combining a simple hydrocarbon with a halogen
Halocarbons
a class of halocarbons which break down the ozone layer
CFCs
chemicals which destroy the ozone layer
Ozone-Depleting Substances
the reduction of stratospheric ozone levels
Ozone Hole
world wide treaty to ban CFC’s
Montreal Protocol
pollutants that are deposited from the atmosphere on to the land
Atmospheric Deposition
pollutants that are emitted inside
Indoor Air Pollutants
illness related to non-specific causes that seem to be caused by something inside
Sick-Building Syndrome
precipitation which has a pH lower than 7
Acid Rain
one of six pollutants thought to pose the greatest risk to human health
Criteria Air Pollutants
warm moist air replaces colder drier air
Warm Front
specific atmospheric conditions over short periods of time
Weather
also known as ambient air pollution
Outdoor Pollutants
convective cells nearest to the poles
Polar Cells
also known as temperature inversion
Thermal Inversion
