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Earth: A User's Guide > Midterm 1 > Flashcards

Midterm 1 Flashcards

1
Q

System

A
  • A group of interrelated components which operates as a whole.
  • distinct from its surroundings
  • dependant on scale (spatial, time)
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2
Q

Closed system

A

One where an exchange of matter is not allowed, but an exchange of energy is

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3
Q

Open system

A

Allows an exchange of both energy and mass. Most difficult systems to manage and most realistic when looking at earth

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4
Q

Thermodynamics

A

Relationship between heat and other forms of energy

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5
Q

1st Law of Thermodynamics

A

Energy can be transformed from one state to another and none is lost (cannot be destroyed)

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6
Q

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

A

In being converted from one form to another, quality declines as entropy increases

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7
Q

Entropy

A

Describes the progression of energy from highly ordered to less ordered (or chaotic)

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8
Q

Feedback

A

Occurs when a change in one part of the system causes a change in another part of the system.
-output affects input

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9
Q

Positive feedback

A

Enhancement or amplification

Ex) melting of arctic ice

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10
Q

Negative feedback

A

Regulates
Ex) atmospheric CO2
CO2 boosts plant growth. Photosynthesis causes CO2 to fall in the atmosphere

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11
Q

Steady state equilibrium

A

A balanced system

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12
Q

Dynamic equilibrium

A

System that fluctuates around an average

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13
Q

Threshold

A

Reached when a system moves far from equilibrium

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14
Q

Metastable equilibrium

A

If a system exceeds a threshold, it will behave differently from its original behaviour
Ex) landslides

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15
Q

Computer-based models

A

Allow the simulation of subsystems

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16
Q

Models

A

Representative of systems

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17
Q

Emergent property

A

Property which a collection or complex system has, but which the individual members do not have

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18
Q

Deterministic chaos

A

Apparently random patterns, upon closer examination there is a scale dependent fractal pattern

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19
Q

Self-organization

A

Occurs when a complex or stochastic system produces an ordered or regulated system

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20
Q

Lithosphere

A

Land surface and rocks

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21
Q

Biosphere

A

Life

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22
Q

Atmosphere

A

Gaseous envelope

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23
Q

Hydrosphere

A

Water

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24
Q

Cryosphere

A

Ice and snow

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25
Q

Mineral

A

Naturally occurring inorganic substance with a fixed structure

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26
Q

Rock

A

Composed of minerals

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27
Q

3 major classes of rock

A

Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock

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28
Q

Igneous

A

From molten rock

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29
Q

Sedimentary

A

From debris eroded from other rocks and other materials

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30
Q

Metamorphic

A

Rocks changed by heat and/or pressure

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31
Q

Intrusive igneous rocks

A

Cools at depth producing coarse texture

-magma: within the earth

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32
Q

Extrusive igneous rocks

A

Cools at the surface producing fine texture

-molten rock on the surface

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33
Q

Sedimentary rocks

A
  • mostly found under water
  • sediments are laid down in layers, and the compacted
  • fossils can be found in sedimentary rock
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34
Q

Metamorphic rocks

A

Igneous or sedimentary rock alerted by intense heat and/or pressure

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35
Q

Using minerals determination:

A
  1. Concentration in near surface layers of the Earth

2. Ease of converting the raw form into usable products

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36
Q

Fake news

A

News that is false.

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37
Q

Alternative facts

A

No such thing. Different opinions

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38
Q

Scientific theories

A

An explanation for an aspect of the natural world that has been extensively tested and supported under a wide range of conditions by a large number of scientists

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39
Q

Pseudoscience

A

Claimed to be scientific, but lacks evidence gathered by the appropriate scientific methods

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40
Q

Biodiversity

A

Variety and variability of living organisms

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41
Q

Intermediate disturbance hypothesis

A

Suggests that ecosystems under moderate disturbance have higher diversity

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42
Q

Species

A

A group of organisms that can breed with each other under natural conditions and produce offspring

43
Q

Taxonomy

A

Discipline of naming and classifying life

44
Q

Evolution

A

The process through which organisms have developed and diversified over the history of life on earth

45
Q

Population

A

A group of interbreeding organisms that live together in a specific area

46
Q

Genetic mutation

A

Any change that occurs in the DNA sequence of a gene

47
Q

Adaptation

A

Inherited characteristics in the structure or function of an organism that make it better suited to a particular physical and/or biological setting

48
Q

Natural selection

A

Occurs when, over generations, beneficial adaptations accumulate in a population that lead to improved reproductive success of the organism

49
Q

Speciation

A

The process in which one species separates into two or more species.
-usually some type of geographic isolation involved

50
Q

Species distribution

A

Total number of species in a certain area

51
Q

Extinction

A

Species entirely lost

52
Q

Extirpation

A

Species lost from an area

53
Q

Ecologically extinct

A

Species in such small numbers it no longer fulfills its ecological role

54
Q

IUCN

A

International Union for the Conversation of Nature

55
Q

Vulnerable Species

A

Likely to become endangered unless threats are reduced

56
Q

Endangered species

A

At risk for becoming extinct

57
Q

Critically endangered species

A

Extremely high risk of extinction or population decline of more than 80% in 3 generations

58
Q

Extinction causes

A
  • habitat loss
  • invasive species
  • pollution
  • overexploitation
  • climate change
59
Q

Why biodiversity matters

A
  • maintains ecosystem function
  • enhances food security
  • provides drugs and medicine
  • economic benefits through tourism and recreation
60
Q

Ecosystem services

A

Services that nature performs for free

61
Q

MEA

A

Millennium ecosystem assessment

62
Q

Ecosystem economics

A

Add the value of ecologies to traditional economics

63
Q

Sustainable scale

A

Do not overuse non-renewables

64
Q

Mutualism

A

Beneficial to both organisms

65
Q

Environmental Science

A

Study of the relationship between organisms and the physical environment

66
Q

Ecosystem

A

Combination of all the living organisms in a given area and the physical environment in which they live

67
Q

Ecosystem energy balance

A

Difference between the amount of energy that enters and leaves a system

68
Q

Evaporation

A

Liquid water into watee vapor

69
Q

Transpiration

A

Liquid water from soil and plants into atmosphere

70
Q

Evatranspiration

A

Combination of both evaporation and transpiration

71
Q

GPP

A

Gross Primary Production: organic carbon produced during photosynthesis

72
Q

Autotrophic respiration

A

When photosynthetic organisms use the organic carbon they created to power their own cells during cellular respiration

73
Q

NPP

A

Net Primary Production: how much organic carbon a plant accumulates over time

74
Q

Heterotrophic respiration

A

Process of converting organic carbon to CO2 by organisms that consume organic material as food during cellular respiration

75
Q

NEP

A

Net Ecosystem Production: the net total exchange of carbon between an ecosystem and the environment

76
Q

What % of the atmosphere is oxygen?

A

20%

77
Q

Soil

A

Mixture of mineral particles amd various types of organic and inorganic material

78
Q

Biological components of soil

A

Microorganisms
Macroorganisms
Detritus

79
Q

Physical components of soil

A

Clay
Silt
Sand particles

80
Q

How does soil become soil?

A

Physical weathering

Chemical weathering

81
Q

Mineralization

A

Process of converting mineral elements in organic matter to inorganic forms accessible by plants

82
Q

Soil organic matter

A

Carbon containing compounds found in soil

Nitrogen and phosphorus most important

83
Q

Provisioning services

A

Services human use

84
Q

Cultural services

A

Serves the need of the culture

85
Q

Regulating services

A

Wetlands, mangroves, forests, pollinators.

STABILIZERS

86
Q

Supporting services

A

Soil, decomposers, plants producing oxygen, habitat

87
Q

Biome

A

Large area characterized by similar climate, plants and animals

88
Q

Food production

A

Critical for developing more complex societies where some people specialize on food and others on other activities

89
Q

Agriculture

A
  • most animal and plant species are not suitable to domestication
  • varied a lot between continents
90
Q

The Big 5

A 
Sheep
Goats
Cattle
Pig
Horse
91
Q

Germs 4 factors

A
  1. Diff in plants and animals at orgins of ppl in that area
  2. Diffusion between continents
  3. Diffusion within continents
  4. Continental differences in area and total population size
92
Q

Birth rate

A

Number of people born/1000 people in a year.

Sometimes called CBR

93
Q

Current world fertility rate

A

2.45

Best predictor of future population growth

94
Q

Replacement rate

A

2.1

95
Q

Growth rate

A

Number of people added to a population over a given period of time, divided by the total number of people in that population

96
Q

Current growth rate MDC

A

1.18

97
Q

Current growth rate LDC

A

2.38

98
Q

Common pool resources

A

Natural or human-made resource for which one person’s use decreases it’s availability to other people, and which preventing someone from using is difficult and costly

99
Q

Tragedy of the commons

A

Degradation of a commonly held resource.
Issues with individual profit.
No benefit for preservation

100
Q

How do we value the environment?

A

Direct use value, indirect use value, option value, existence value

101
Q

GPI

A

Genuine process indicator

102
Q

GNH

A

Gross national happiness

103
Q

BLI

A

Better life index

104
Q

HDI

A

Human development index

Earth: A User's Guide (3 decks)

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