Ch.16 vocab Flashcards
contains most of the water vapor of the atmosphere and is where weather takes place
troposphere
contains most of the ozone (absorbs sunlight)
stratosphere
layer with increasing temperature
thermosphere
layer with decreasing temperature
mesosphere
composed of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor
atmosphere
types of unmodified materials that, when released into the environment in sufficient quantities, are considered hazardous
primary air pollutant
pollutants produced by the interaction of primary air pollutants in the presence of an appropriate energy source
secondary air pollutant
those air pollutants for which specific air quality standards have been set by the us environmental protection agency
criteria air pollutants
a primary air pollutant produced when organic materials, such as gasoline, coal, wood, and trash are incompletely burned
carbon monoxide
minute solid particles and liquid droplets dispersed into the atmosphere
particulate matter
“cancer causing”
carcinogenic
compound of sulfur and oxygen that is produced when sulfur-containing fossil fuels are burned
sulfur dioxide
burning of fossil fuels produces a mixture of nitrogen– containing compounds commonly known as..
nitrogen oxides/oxides of nitrogen
metal that enters the body when we inhale airborne particles or consume, accumulates in body and causes variety of health problems
lead (Pb)
mixture of pollutants including ozone, aldehydes, and peroxyacetyl nitrates that results from the interaction of nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen monoxide, and volatile organic compounds with sunlight in a warm environment
photochemical smog
condition in which warm air in a valley is sandwiches between two layers of cold air and acts like a lid on a valley
thermal inversion
airborne organic compounds; primary air pollutants
volatile organic compounds
primary source of several important air pollutants: carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides; ozone is secondary pollutant of automobile use
motor vehicle emissions
primary pollutants associated with electric power plants are particulates, sulfur dioxide, ad nitrogen oxides
power plant emissions
carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, and nitrous oxide
greenhouse gases
development of an international agreement on greenhouse emissions
kyoto protocol
amended in 1970, ‘77, ‘90; primary means of controlling air pollution
clean air act
deposition of wet acidic solutions or dry acidic particles from air
acid rain
molecule consisting of the sun’s UV energy before it reaches the earth’s surface
ozone
chlorofluorocarbons and similar compounds can release chlorine atoms, which can lead to the destruction of the ozone
ozone depletion
region of the earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the sun’s UV radiation
ozone layer
property of CO2 that allows light energy to pass through the atmosphere but prevents heat from leaving
greenhouse effect
normal component of the earth’s atmosphere that in elevated concentrations may interfere with the earth’s heat budget
carbon dioxide
organic compound produced by living organisms that is a greenhouse gas
methane (CH4)
level of the sea’s surface
sea level
any accumulation of organic material produced by living things
biomass
a change in global or regional climate patterns
climate change
harmful/annoying levels of noise
noise pollution
chemical, biological, and physical concentration of indoor air
indoor air pollution
smoke exhaled by smoker or smoke emitted from burning tobacco
secondhand smoke
inert radioactive gas with a half-life of 3.8 days, formed during breakdown of uranium, seeps naturally from soils and rocks below buildings and is the 2nd most common cause of lung cancer
radon
a unit used to measure the loudness of sound
decibels
accumulation of potential acid-forming particles on a surface
acid deposition
group of organic compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms that are evaporated from fuel supplies or are remnants of the fuel that did not burn completely and that act as a primary air pollutant
hydrocarbon (HC)
sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many which are hazardous; includes both organic and inorganic particles such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets
particulate matter emissions
