Litho And Hydro Flashcards
What is the lithosphere
The hard shell of the earth consisting of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.
What is the earth’s structure (layers that have distinct composition)
Crust
Mantle (upper and lower)
Outer core
Inner core
What are minerals
Inorganic substances. They are made up of the same elements in an orderly crystalline structure. They have a defined composition and properties.
Give all the mineral properties/classifications
-colour
-transparency
-hardness
-streak
-magnetism
What are the properties of colour and describe them.
-idiochromatic (one colour)
-allochromatic (many colours)
What are the properties of transparency and describe them all.
-transparent (see through)
-translucent (see light through)
-opaque (cloudy, cannot see through)
What is the scale for hardness
Mohs Scale from 1(softest) -10(hardest)
Describe the significance of the streak property
When rubbed on porcelain, the power trace is unique
what are soil horizons
they are differentiated layers running roughly parallel to the surface of the ground
what is organic matter
decomposing vegetation by bacteria
what is top soil
mineral rich soil, organic matter, supports life.
what is subsoil
this layer accumulates minerals
what is fragmented rock
broken rock from parent rock
what is parent rock
layer of large unbroken rocks
what are the conditions of soil fertility
- useful minerals
- moisture.
- appropriate soil pH (for plant growth)
- oxygen for soil bacteria, worms, insects.
- dark soils contain higher conectrations of organic materals such as carbon, phosphates, nitrates
- plant growth is encouraged
- Peat, Humus, are good
- Sand and Clay are bad.
what is soil depletion
the loss of oil fertility, loss of nutrients to overuse, loss of soil to wind, water erosion
what is compaction
heavy machinery causes compaction so it reduces O’2 available to micro-organisms.
what is soil contamination
the abnormal presence of a harmful substance in an environment.
explain fertilizers in soil contamination
fertilizers get into water system and cause growth of blue-green algae
explain pesticides in soil contamination
pesticides kill micro-organisms that break down soil.
What forms acid rain and then acidic soil.
heavy metals from car exhaust, gasoline SO’‘2 and NO’‘x form acid rain and then acidic soil.
how does acidic soil affect nature
upsets the natures balance of pH and nutrients, can
kill micro-organisms and cause plants to grow slowly.
what is Buffering Capacity
soils ability to resist changes in pH when acidic or alkaline (basic) compounds are added.
How does one get better buffering capacity
getting finer texture
how does one help counter pH variations
organic matter and clay because they are both fine grain.
what is permafrost
ground whose temperature has been 0 degrees celsius for at least two years.
explain why permafrost melts?
permafrost melting is a consequence of global warming that releases methan, a powerful GHG
why do we build house on piles (stilts) in the north?
so the thermal energy from the house does not go into the ground and cause instability
give examples of fossil fuels
coal, oil, and natural gas
what is the result of decomposition of organic matter
fossil fuels
do the percentage of fossil fuels and what they are
99.9% plants
0.1% animals
what does 2/3 of the world depend on?
fossil fuels
in how many years may fossil fuels run out
50 years
what is the cheapest and easiest energy source
fossil fuels
what are the pros of fossil fuels
- cheapest energy
- readily available fuels
- inexpensive to build
- can build anywhere
what are the cons of fossil fuels
- non-renewable
- emits pollutants; carbon dioxide, methane (greenhouse gases)
- sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx) = acid rain.
- not very efficent: heat lost in smoke
what are biofuels
- biofuels are usually liquid fuels produced from biomass materials (plants)
what are most biofuels used as?
transportation fuels
give examples of biofuels
wood, biodiesel, ethanol.
what is an advantage of biofuels
they absorb the same Carbon that burning them emits
what are the disadvantages of biofuels
- the plant inputs you need for biodiesel are more expensive than petroleum is
- uses agricultural land and drive up the price of food.
what is nuclear energy?
energy stored in the nucleus of the Uranium atom.
how is nuclear energy released?
released through Nuclear Fission
what are the pros of nuclear energy
- most of the heat is used (unlike fossil fuels)
- requires few resources for a large amount of energy
what are the cons of nuclear energy
- non-renewable
- risk of nuclear accidents
- produces dangerous radioactive waste
- expensive to build
what is Geothermal energy
heat energy extracted directly from the earth’s crust.
what are the pros of geothermal energy
- very efficient
- renewable
- generates few greenhouse gases
- inexpensive to run
what are the cons of geothermal energy
- requires acces to geothermal vents
- building is very expensive
what is hydrosphere
earth’s outer later of water in all states (s,l,g)
how much of the planet surface is covered in water
about 2/3
how much of water is considered fresh water
2.5%
how much of fresh water is contained in Glaciers (79%)
2%
where is the other 0.5% of fresh water in?
lakes, rivers, and ground water
what are watersheds
a region where all inland waters drain into the same larger body. it is a boundary defined by highest point of land between rivers.
explain how toxic spills affect watersheds.
toxic spills in a water shed affect all waters downhill but not uphill.
what are the naturals factors of affecting water flow in a watershed
- topography (hills and valleys)
- vegetation (trees and roots)
- geology (soil type)
- climate (frozen soil, precipitation
what is the human factor of affecting water flow in a watershed
- agricultural, industrial, and urban development (man made barriers)
explain surface currents (ocean) and give an example
- first 400 meters only
- caused by the wind
- ex: gulf stream (from florida to NFL to england)
explain subsurface currents (ocean) and give an exmaple
- greater than 800 meters in depth
- caused by density variations due to temperature (cold water sinks at poles, rises at equator) and salinity (more salt is denser and sinks).
- ex: cold water at poles moves south.
explain thermohaline circulation (ocean)
- all currents working together to create huge world wide circulation ‘‘conveyer belt’’.
- regulates Earth’s temperature (warms pole-cools equator).
what is the cryosphere
all frozen water
what is pack ice
ice floating on the oceans near the north and south poles
what does pack ice consist of
consists of brackish/briney solid water (mixture of fresh water and salt water)
what happens to the salinity in pack ice
lower than that of the salt water
what happens when pack ice is formed
salt is discharged into the water on which it floats, thereby increasing this water’s salinity (and density0)
what does pack ice affect
thermohaline circulation
global warming has 2 effects on the cryosphere. name them
- pack ice melts
- glaciers melt
explain the affects of pack ice melting (3)
- loss of habitat: polar bears and ringed seals.
- albedo: sun’s light is absorbed by dark ocean rather than reflected by white ice = more warming
- pack ice melt does NOT raise see levels, but water below is more salty (briny)
explain the affects of glaciers melting (2)
- raises ocean levels (falls of land)
- large amount of fresh, cold water could disrupt thermohaline circulation and slow down ocean currents.
what are the pros of hydraulic energy
- renewable
- very little greenhouse gas
- energy is virtually free
what are the cons of hydraulic energy
- dams expensive to build
- can disrupt aquatic life and cover huge areas for reservoirs
- water releases mercury (from industry) from the soil.
what type of energy is always bad for the environment
fossil fuels
describe the ocean temperature at the equator and at the poles. how does this affect us?
the ocean temperature is warm at the equator and cold at both the North and South poles. this is how seasons happen
How is the Gulf Stream a good example for surface currents
it is the most important stream in europed and it is very high in temperature.
how does salty and cold water affect the water and save us?
salty and cold water sinks a lot and saves us from global warming.
what does hydraulic energy create in order to use it?
hydro-electric dams
what are the pros of tidal energy
- renewable
- little green house gas
- predictable
- once built, the energy is free
- water is dense, it can move a large turbine
are the cons of tidal energy
- dams are very expensive to build
- can disrupt aquatic life
- only generates for 6-12 hours per day not on peak hours
- must be coastal, distance to market
what is tidal power
a form of hydropower that converts the energy from the natural rise and fall of the tides into electricity
name the 3 tidal technologies
tidal barrages (dam)
tidal fences (turbines)
tidal turbines (similar to wind turbines)
tidal power vs other powers
tidal power is very slow. Other powers are easier and faster, thats why people use the cheaper and larger powers.
what is thermal pollution
increase in water temperature = decrease in O’‘2 in water
- factories discharge hot water into rivers
- harmful to aquatic life.
what is ocean acidification
CO’‘2 from fossil fuels get absorbed by the ocean and decrease ocean pH
what is Eutrophication
the process by which natural waters lose their oxygen because of an excessive accumulation of organic matter and nutrients
