envs3120 quiz 1 Flashcards
how many deaths in the London 1952 event
4000 people
Describe the troposphere
holds 80% mass
10-15km depending on latitude and time of year
pressure and temp decreases with height
what is the tropopause
the exchange between layers
how many estimated people die every year by air pollution
7 million people
what is the spectral distribution of short wave radiation
0.15 - 3 um
what is the spectral distribution of long wave radiation
3 - 100 um
energy exists in what 4 forms
radiant, thermal, kinetic and potential
how is energy exchanegd
conduction, convection and radiation
what are air pollutants
substances in atmosphere with sufficient concentration that can harm health
what are the priority pollutants
S02 (Sulphur dioxide), NOx (Nitrous oxide), CO (carbon monoxide), Pb (lead) , smog, PM10 and PM2.5 (particulate matter)
what are the air toxics
metals, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), asbestos
what are emissions
chemical processes that release during fuel combustion, or release of leakage.w
what is combustion
chemical reactions between hydrocarbon and atmospheric oxygen which produces heat and light.
inadequate supply of oxygen = monoxide
high temps in combustion = nitrous oxide
what is carbon monoxide (CO)
produced by bushfires and oxidation in the oceans and air of methane. cars produce the most and remains in atmosphere for 1-2 months
what is sulphur dioxide (S02)
emitted from sulphur producing fuels such as diesel, coal and fuel oil. contributes to the PM and hangs around for a long time
what are the oxides of nitrogen
nitric oxide (NO)
nitrous oxide (N2O)
nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
what does nitrogen oxide contribute to
photochemical smog
what is photochemical smog
nitrogen oxides and VOCs combine with sunlight to make hazardous pollution
what are biogenic emissions
vege emits VOCs such as isoprenes and monoterprenes and contributes to ozone formation
what are fugitive and evaporative emissions
unintended escape of gases from pressurised containers
what is ozone
a gas secondary pollutant (made in the atmosphere - specifically stratosphere) formed by chemical reactions
what is dry adiabatic lapse rate
when unsaturated air cools at 9.8˚C/km as it rises. It will rise and then form clouds
what is wet adiabatic lapse rate
cools at a slower rate of 5˚C/km
what is a neutral lapse rate
air cooling at -9.8˚C/km
what is a stable lapse rate
air cooling at a slower rate than -9.8˚C/km (like 2˚C or -9.2˚C)
what is an unstable lapse rate
air cooling at faster rate than -9.8˚C
what is temperature inversion
air temperature increases with height causing trapped cool air (subsidence inversion)
when the lapse rate unstable
during the day with heat gain at the ground from incoming SWR
when is the lapse rate stable
at night when heat is loss through LWR
what is subsidence inversion
cool air compresses and dries out and warms up and traps cool air over night. can happen when a large area with high pressure (anticyclones)
what is frontal inversion
when a cold front comes through and undercuts warm air creating clouds
what is advection inversion
where warm air travels from inland across the mountain range leaving cool air in the valleys
what is anabatic flow
warm air in a valley travels upslope from pressure differences causing upwind
what is katabatic flow
cool air sinks down the hillslope into the valley caused by a high pressure over the mountains.
what is the formation of nitric oxide
N2 + O2 = 2NO
nitrogen + oxygen = nitric oxide
what is the oxidation of NO to NO2
nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide
2NO + O2 = 2NO2
2 Nitric oxide + oxygen = 2 nitrogen dioxide
what is the formation of free oxygen radical
NO2 + Hv = NO + O
Nitrogen dioxide + constant = nitric oxide and radical oxygen
what is the formation of ozone
free radical oxygen + oxygen = ozone
what is the process of tropospheric ozone formation
Nitric oxide formation mixes with oxygen to make nitrogen dioxide. nitrogen dioxide mixes with Hv (energy of photon) to make nitric oxide and free radical oxygen. free radical oxygen mixes with oxygen to create ozone.
