Environmental Test Unit 2 Flashcards
Where is bauxite found
Tropical areas around the equator and in tropical regions, where high temperatures and abundant rainfall. This causes extreme chemical weathering of rock, particularly granite.
The formation of bauxite
As water percolates through the soil in the hot, humid climate, nutrients such as silica dissolve and are leached downwards. The soil that remains, Known as laterite, can be rich in aluminium oxides, which is insoluble, and as a result rich deposits near the surface can develop
Environmental impact
Of farming bauxite
Removes native vegetation which causes a loss of habitat and food for local wildlife
Requires lots of resources and such as electricity,water.
Needs coal to burn the bauxite as coal is the most polluting fuel source in mankind
Water sources are infected from waste mining
What are biofuels?
Are fuels that are produced from renewable resources. Such as biogas and biodiesel.
Advantages of biofuels
Easy to source - made from waste crops
Renewable - can be made from corn, manure, soybeans etc
Reduces In greenhouse gasses - reduces greenhouse gasses by 65%
Durability of vehicles engine - easier for engine to adapt to biofuels.
Lower levels of pollution - release lowers levels of carbon dioxide
Disadvantages of biofuels
High cost for production
Monoculture as soil can be destroyed as the soil is getting deprived of nutrients
The use of fertilisers can pollute water storages near by water as it contains nitrogen and phosphorus
Food storages will deplete as biofuels are created from food
Hydrological cycle
Storages - it can be both subterranean or surface and includes atmospheric moisture.
Water can also be stored on the surface as soil moisture and can be stored in snow and ice and streams etc
Processes
Evaporation is the physical state of water changes from a liquid to vapour as the surface is heated from the suns heat
