Final Exam Flashcards
Pollutants
gases or particles (liquids or solids) that occur in sufficient concentrations as to endanger health, affect the well being of organisms, or disrupt the orderly functioning of the environment, affect the economy
Primary Pollutants
emitted directly by identifiable sources
Secondary Pollutants
result from chemical reactions in the atmosphere with primary pollutants
London, 1300
Coal-fire pollution - King bans fires inside city, bans end when king dies
Smog
(smoke +fog) 1905, Dr. Henry Antoine Des Voeux
Donora, PA Death Fog
October 1948, 6,000 ill, 20 fatalities, zinc smelter refused to stop production, temp inversion help pollution from zing smelter close to land surface
London smog
1952, temp inversion help in pollution, 4,000 fatalities in 5 days
Chattanooga, TN
Most polluted US city in 1969
Clean Air Act
Passed in 1970, signed by President Nixon
US Environmental Protection Agency
formed 1990, passed with bipartisan support, signed by President Bush
Point sources
includes factories and electric power plants
Mobil sources
Not only includes cars and trucks but also lawn movers, airplanes, and anything else that moves and pollutes the air
Biogenic sources
This category includes all nonanthropogenic (not human-generated) sources. Examples include trees and other vegetation, microbial activity, oil and gas seeps, etc.
Area sources
Small and individual sources such as dry cleaners and degreasing operations.
Non-point sources
Agriculture, lawns, golf courses, roads, construction; can be sources of particulates, pesticides, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and other pollutants
Vehicle emissions make up how much of CO2 emissions?
Nearly half
Particulate matter
small solid or liquid drops (
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
colorless, corrosive gas, the results from burning of fossil fuels, smelting operations, and paper mills; forms SO3 in atmosphere, reacts with water to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4), major component of acid precipitation
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
results from burning of fossil fuels forming NO and NO2; NO2 reacts with water in air to form nitric acid (HNO3), another component of acid precipitation; causes brown haze common in large cities
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
colorless, odorless poisonous gas produced by incomplete burning of fossil fuels; reacts with hemoglobin in blood, depriving body of oxygen; can cause severe damage to central nervous system (brain) and death
Lead (Pb)
additive to gasoline, banned in mid 1970’s; industrial sources; absorbed by tissues and bones; even low doses can cause damage to nervous system
Ozone (O3)
Secondary pollutant, forms as primary pollutants react with sunlight (photochemical smog); irritates respiratory system, particularly for those with preexisting conditions like asthma and emphysema; can damage vegetation and crops
Attainment areas
geographic locations that meet the standards
Nonattainment areas
geographic areas that do not meet standards
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
components of gasoline, pesticides, paints
Mercury
results from burning of coal; toxic metal that can cause damage to nervous system; accumulates in aquatic organisms; fish consumption advisories-pregnant or nursing women, children
Precipitation can…
remove pollutants, such as particulates; particulates serve as condensation nuclei and are washed from the air
Temperature inversions…
hold in pollutants, making conditions worse at land surface
Geographic features can…
affect distribution of pollutants
Acid precipitation
Precipitation (rain) is naturally acidic from water reacting to CO2 in air, forming carbonic acid (H2CO3); pH ranges from 5.5=6.5
Sulfuric and nitric acid in rain can…
lower pH to ranges 4.5-5.0
Four spheres of the earth are…
1) Atmosphere - all the air and gases in and around the Earth
2) Biosphere - all life on Earth
3) Hydrosphere and cryosphere - all water (gas, liquid, and solid) on Earth
4) Solid Earth - crust, mantle, and core of Earth
Early Earth climates
Snowball Earth, Hot House Earth (ice free), Ice Ages (at least 4), Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)
Proxy data
climate date calculated from archives (alternate or indirect sources) - such as rocks, sea sediments, glacial ice, tree rings, fossil pollen from rocks or lake sediments, pack rat middens (nest of pack rats), historical data (diaries, paintings, newspapers, etc.)
Greenhouse gases
Determined by John Tyndall (1859); gases include: CO2, Methane, Water vapor
Natural causes of climate change
plate tectonics, volcanoes, Milankovitch cycles (orbit and axis tilt change), solar variability
Milankovitch Cycles
Orbital eccentricity - every 90,000-100,000 years, orbit becomes more elliptical; incoming solar radiation is affected
Axis tilt - Earth’s axis changes tilt from 22.1-24.5 degrees and back every 41,000 years (currently 23.5 degrees)
Precession - Earth’s axis “wobbles” or rotates every 26,000 years
Trace gases
Methane (cattle and rice), Nitrous oxide (fertilizers and fossil fuels), Chlorofluorocarbons (refrigerants)
Positive feedback
Water vapor, melting ice, forests, methane hydrates
Negative feedback
Water vapor and clouds
Four Pillars of Denial
1) Models are inaccurate
2) Instrument data or biased or inaccurate
3) Other evidence contradicts warming
4) Warming is from natural causes
