Earth Resources- Grp.3 Flashcards
Materials that organisms need; some can be replaced and others cannot.
Resources
Natural resource that can be replaced by nature as quickly as it is used up.
Renewable Resource
Resources produced by the earth.
Natural resources
Replacement of renewable resources at the same rate at which it is used up.
Sustainable yield
Resource that exists in a fixed amount, replacement via geological, chemical, and physical processes that take millions of years.
Nonrenewable resource
Different places have different resources.
Distribution of resources
Provides places for organisms to live and interact. Spaces for the growth of forests and grassland habitats.
Land resources
42% US land is protected.
Protected land
Provide scenic landscapes and protect wildlife habitats and wilderness areas.
National parks
Provide protection of habitats and breeding areas for wildlife especially endangered species.
National wildlife refuges
Takes thousands of years to form but minutes to disappear via erosion.
Soil
Loss of topsoil in arid regions.
Desertification
Mixture of gravel, sand and crushed stone than naturally accumulates near the earth’s surface.
Aggregates
Solid rock made of limestone, granite, marble or other rocks mined in quarries.
Bedrock
Natural resource that can be mined for a profit.
Ores
Minerals crystallize and settle to the bottom of a cooling body of magma SOURCE OF ORE.
Settling of crystals
Occur along faults and veins SOURCE OF ORE.
Hydrothermal Vein
SOURCE OF ORE manganese and iron.
Chemical precipitation
Sand and gravel bars that contain heavier sediments such as gemstones and oxide pebbles SOURCE OF ORE.
Placer deposits
Material left behind from ore extraction.
Tailings
Rain washed CO2 into oceans and early life released O2 via photosynthesis.
Origin of oxygen
Conversion of carbon dioxide into carbohydrates by plants during photosynthesis.
Carbon cycle
Vital for proteins, movement of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil and living organisms.
Nitrogen cycle
Substance that enters earth’s geochemical cycles and can harm the well being of living things.
Pollutant
AIR POLLUTION SOURCE (List Three)
Volcanoes, Fire, Randon
Has a high boiling point, can store large amounts of heat energy, and can dissolve compounds.
Liquid water
Lower density, floats on liquid water.
Solid water
Used for agriculture and drinking.
Freshwater
Dams, transporting surface water, groundwater, desalination.
Ways to manage freshwater
Earth’s main energy source.
Sun
Total amount of living matter in an ecosystem.
Biomass
Fuel from biomass.
Biomass fuels
Poorly drained areas with spongy, wet ground that accumulates peat.
Bogs
Low cost efficient biofuel found in bogs.
Peat
Incomplete decomposition of organic matter formed over millions of years.
Fossil fuels
Most abundant fossil fuel, compression of peat over millions of years.
Coal
Formed from microscopic organisms from the oceans pumped out of the ground then refined into various products, migrates sideways then upwards and ending up in limestone and sandstone.
Petroleum and natural gas
Gathered via passive methods (concrete) and active methods (solar panels) from the sun.
Solar energy
Structure made of two layers of silicon that converts solar energy into electricity.
Photovoltaic cells
Generated from the controlled flow of water via turbines or waves made by wind.
Hydroelectric power
Energy from earth’s internal heat.
Geothermal energy
Converts wind energy into electrical energy.
Wind turbines
Energy from nuclear fission, splitting heavy nuclei into smaller ones.
Nuclear fission
Fuel sources made from biomass(ethanol from fermented crops) ie biodiesel.
biofuels
Highest energy resource consumption sources.
Petroleum, natural gas, coal
Amount of work produced compared to the energy used.
Energy efficiency
Two forms of energy generated at once, secondary energy such as heat is captured for domestic or industrial use.
Cogeneration
Global management of earths natural resources to meet current and future energy needs.
Sustainable energy
Resources needed by organisms
Air, food, water, and shelter
Increase in pop. over time.
Population growth
Pattern where a pop. grows faster as it increases in size.
Exponential growth
How many organisms an environment can sustain given its resources.
Carrying capacity
Pop. at the carrying capacity for its environment.
Equilibrium
Environmental factors that do not depend on pop. size (storms and fires).
Density independent factors
Environmental factors dependent on population(disease, predators, competition).
Density dependent factors
Restoring land to its original contours and plant vegetation.
Reclamation
Subsurface mining; used for minerals deep underground.
Underground mining
Removal of trees from a forested area without adequate replanting.
Deforestation
Causes loss of habitats.
Urban development
1.5 kilograms of solid waste a day.
Average US citizen
Use of organisms to break down toxic waste.
Bioremediation
Increase in average global temperature.
Global warming, Impacts of air pollution
Forms from car exhaust in sunlight.
Photochemical smog
Ozone layer is reduced.
Ozone depletion
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides mixing with atmospheric moisture to form acid rain.
Acid precipitation
Devices that capture particulate matter, removing older high pollution vehicles.
Methods for reducing air pollution
When there is not enough water, people either have to find new sources or decrease demand.
Water conservation
Pollution from one source.
Water pollution point source
Pollution from widespread areas.
Water pollution nonpoint source
Passed in 1974 in US to ensure access to safe drinking water.
Safe drinking water act
