Nature of Environmental Science

Question 1

What is Nitrification?

Answer 1

Ammonia is converted to nitrate ions (NO3-)

Question 2

What is evaporation?

Answer 2

Evaporation is when water is heated and turns into water vapour

Question 3

What is condensation?

Answer 3

Condensation happens when water vapour is cooled and forms water droplets

Question 4

What is precipitation?

Answer 4

Precipitation is when water droplets fall to earth

Question 5

What gas is the carbon cycle based on?

Answer 5

The carbon cycle is based off of Carbon Dioxide

Question 6

What type of organisms remove CO2 from the atmosphere?

Answer 6

Terrestrial producers remove CO2 from the atmosphere

Question 7

Why do living things need Carbon?

Answer 7

Living things need Carbon to make, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates

Question 8

What is nitrogen fixation?

Answer 8

Nitrogen fixation is when bacteria convert nitrogen gas into ammonia

Question 9

What is denitrification?

Answer 9

Denitrification converts nitrogen ions back into nitrogen gas

Question 10

What is NOT a nitrogen reservoir?

Answer 10

Mountain sides

Question 11

What is the difference between the carbon cycle and the phosphorus cycle?

Answer 11

The difference between the carbon cycle and the phosphorus cycle is that the phosphorus cycle does not enter the atmosphere

Question 12

What are plate tectonics?

Answer 12

Plate tectonics are several plates that earths outer shell is divided into that glide over the mantle

Question 13

What is the driving force behind plate tectonics?

Answer 13

Convection in the mantle

Question 14

What are the subduction zones?

Answer 14

The subduction zones are places where earths plate tectonics dive back into the mantle

Question 15

What are mid ocean ridges?

Answer 15

Mid ocean ridges are gaps between the tectonic plates

Question 16

How do mid ocean ridges form?

Answer 16

Mid ocean ridges form when magma wells up at the ridges, forming new ocean crust and shoving the plates apart

Question 17

What do LAND to LAND convergent boundaries form?

Answer 17

LAND to LAND - Folded mountains

Question 18

What do LAND to OCEAN convergent boundaries form?

Answer 18

LAND to OCEAN - Mountains/volcanoes

Question 19

What do OCEAN to OCEAN convergences form?

Answer 19

OCEAN to OCEAN - Deep underwater trenches, underwater volcanoes that form islands

Question 20

What do ocean divergences form?

Answer 20

Ocean divergences form mountains and volcanoes which renew the ocean floor

Question 21

What do land divergences form?

Answer 21

Land divergences form giant troughs

Question 22

What do transform boundaries create?

Answer 22

Transform boundaries create earthquakes

Question 23

What are two main aspects of global carbon cycle?

Answer 23

• Distribution of the element among reservoirs
• Transfer of the element between reservoirs

Question 24

What are some major carbon sinks?

Answer 24

• Organic molecules
• CO2
• Organic matter in the soil
• Fossil fuels and sedimentary rocks in the ocean

Question 25

What are 4 steps of the carbon cycle?

Answer 25

- Weathering - Absorption - Decomposition - Sediments

Question 26

What is involved in the process of mineralization?

Answer 26

Im mineralization, bacteria convert organic phosphorus into inorganic phosphorus

Question 27

What do plants use nitrate for?

Answer 27

Plants use nitrate to make protiens

Question 28

What is released when organic waste starts to decay?

Answer 28

Ammonia is released when organic waste starts to decay

Question 29

Where does the ammonia go to after decaying?

Answer 29

After decaying ammonia goes to nitrifying bacteria and gets converted back into nitrates

Question 30

What happens to nitrates formed from ammonia?

Answer 30

Some of the nitrates get used up by plants and others go to denitrifying bacteria

Question 31

What happened in the Agricultural Revolution?

Answer 31

- Humans grew crops and domesticated animals - More food allowed for a larger population - Specialization in jobs

Question 32

What happened in the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 32

- Non-Renewable energy sources were starting to be used - Advancements in sanitation, ag production and medical supplies

Question 33

What happened in the Medical Revolution?

Answer 33

- 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

Question 34

What happened in the Green Revolution?

Answer 34

- 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

Question 35

What happened in the Environmental Revolution?

Answer 35

- Realization of human impact on the environment - Many solutions with the mention of sustainability - Ecological footprint

Question 36

What is sustainability?

Answer 36

Sustainability is fulfilling the current generations needs without compromising the future generations needs

Question 37

What is environmental science?

Answer 37

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary science that studies how the natural world works, how the environment affects us and how we affect our environment

Question 38

What is the HYDROsphere?

Answer 38

Water

Question 39

What is the BIOsphere?

Answer 39

All living things

Question 40

What is the LITHOsphere?

Answer 40

All land

Question 41

What is the ATMOsphere

Answer 41

All air

Question 42

What is the atmosphere made up of?

Answer 42

The atmosphere is made up of Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), other gasses such as Carbon dioxide etc. (1%)

Question 43

What is divergent?

Answer 43

Two plates are spreading APART

Question 44

What is convergent?

Answer 44

Two plates meet and slides beneath the other

Question 45

What is transform?

Answer 45

Two plates move sideways/past each other