Nature of Environmental Science Flashcards
What is Nitrification?
Ammonia is converted to nitrate ions (NO3-)
What is evaporation?
Evaporation is when water is heated and turns into water vapour
What is condensation?
Condensation happens when water vapour is cooled and forms water droplets
What is precipitation?
Precipitation is when water droplets fall to earth
What gas is the carbon cycle based on?
The carbon cycle is based off of Carbon Dioxide
What type of organisms remove CO2 from the atmosphere?
Terrestrial producers remove CO2 from the atmosphere
Why do living things need Carbon?
Living things need Carbon to make, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates
What is nitrogen fixation?
Nitrogen fixation is when bacteria convert nitrogen gas into ammonia
What is denitrification?
Denitrification converts nitrogen ions back into nitrogen gas
What is NOT a nitrogen reservoir?
Mountain sides
What is the difference between the carbon cycle and the phosphorus cycle?
The difference between the carbon cycle and the phosphorus cycle is that the phosphorus cycle does not enter the atmosphere
What are plate tectonics?
Plate tectonics are several plates that earths outer shell is divided into that glide over the mantle
What is the driving force behind plate tectonics?
Convection in the mantle
What are the subduction zones?
The subduction zones are places where earths plate tectonics dive back into the mantle
What are mid ocean ridges?
Mid ocean ridges are gaps between the tectonic plates
How do mid ocean ridges form?
Mid ocean ridges form when magma wells up at the ridges, forming new ocean crust and shoving the plates apart
What do LAND to LAND convergent boundaries form?
LAND to LAND - Folded mountains
What do LAND to OCEAN convergent boundaries form?
LAND to OCEAN - Mountains/volcanoes
What do OCEAN to OCEAN convergences form?
OCEAN to OCEAN - Deep underwater trenches, underwater volcanoes that form islands
What do ocean divergences form?
Ocean divergences form mountains and volcanoes which renew the ocean floor
What do land divergences form?
Land divergences form giant troughs
What do transform boundaries create?
Transform boundaries create earthquakes
What are two main aspects of global carbon cycle?
- Distribution of the element among reservoirs
- Transfer of the element between reservoirs
What are some major carbon sinks?
- Organic molecules
- CO2
- Organic matter in the soil
- Fossil fuels and sedimentary rocks in the ocean
What are 4 steps of the carbon cycle?
- Weathering
- Absorption
- Decomposition
- Sediments
What is involved in the process of mineralization?
Im mineralization, bacteria convert organic phosphorus into inorganic phosphorus
What do plants use nitrate for?
Plants use nitrate to make protiens
What is released when organic waste starts to decay?
Ammonia is released when organic waste starts to decay
Where does the ammonia go to after decaying?
After decaying ammonia goes to nitrifying bacteria and gets converted back into nitrates
What happens to nitrates formed from ammonia?
Some of the nitrates get used up by plants and others go to denitrifying bacteria
What happened in the Agricultural Revolution?
- Humans grew crops and domesticated animals
- More food allowed for a larger population
- Specialization in jobs
What happened in the Industrial Revolution?
- Non-Renewable energy sources were starting to be used
- Advancements in sanitation, ag production and medical supplies
What happened in the Medical Revolution?
- Mass production of medical instruments, antibiotics and vaccines
- Production of vaccines and antibiotics to kill viral and bacterial infections
- Scientists began determining the root causes to myltiple diseases
- Waste management/personal hygiene
What happened in the Green Revolution?
- Vehicles increased food production
- Fertilizers increased crop yeilds
- Population growth due to an increase in food production and healthier lifestyles
- HIGHER NATALITY rates and LOWER MORTALITY rates
What happened in the Environmental Revolution?
- Realization of human impact on the environment
- Many solutions with the mention of sustainability
- Ecological footprint
What is sustainability?
Sustainability is fulfilling the current generations needs without compromising the future generations needs
What is environmental science?
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary science that studies how the natural world works, how the environment affects us and how we affect our environment
What is the HYDROsphere?
Water
What is the BIOsphere?
All living things
What is the LITHOsphere?
All land
What is the ATMOsphere
All air
What is the atmosphere made up of?
The atmosphere is made up of Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), other gasses such as Carbon dioxide etc. (1%)
What is divergent?
Two plates are spreading APART
What is convergent?
Two plates meet and slides beneath the other
What is transform?
Two plates move sideways/past each other
