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ESWS155 - Elements of Environmental Protection > Study Guide pt 3 (ch. 10-11) > Flashcards

Study Guide pt 3 (ch. 10-11) Flashcards

1
Q

warm front

A

boundary where warm, moist air replaces colder, drier air; leads to clouds and light rain

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2
Q

coal formation

A

organic matter (trees and woody plant material) compressed under high pressure to form dense, solid carbon structures; 300-400 million years ago in swampy environments; requires anaerobic decomposition

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3
Q

green-collar jobs

A

employment opportunities that create or support environmental and sustainable practices and technologies

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4
Q

secondary pollutants

A

become harmful when they interact or react with components of the atmosphere (ozone, sulfuric acid)

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5
Q

what are ways humans can mitigate impacts on climate?

A

energy efficiency, renewable energy, protecting soil, preventing deforestation

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6
Q

aerobic

A

relating to, involving, or requiring free oxygen

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7
Q

cons of nuclear power

A

nuclear waste, meltdowns

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8
Q

how does climate change affect ocean pH?

A

increased CO2 leads to ocean acidification

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9
Q

non-renewable resources

A

crude oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power

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10
Q

how do greenhouse gases change climate?

A

they trap more heat on Earth’s surface, making temperatures rise, ice melt, dry areas dry out

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11
Q

why are there 4 seasons in WV (2 reasons)?

A
  1. Earth’s tilt on its axis 2. plant productivity
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12
Q

climate change

A

changes in measures of climate (temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns)

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13
Q

how have human activities altered the carbon cycle?

A

tapping into fossil fuels, deforestation lead to more carbon (CO2) in the atmosphere

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14
Q

troposphere

A

lowest layer, 3/4 of the atmosphere’s mass; air for breathing; temperature decreases as altitude increases

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15
Q

Kyoto Protocol

A

between 2008-2012, signatory nations must reduce emissions of 6 greenhouse gases to levels below that of 1990

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16
Q

what is Earth’s natural variation in atmospheric CO2?

A

180ppm-280ppm (most extreme)

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17
Q

nuclear power

A

splitting apart atomic nuclei to generate energy

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18
Q

what are the major constituents of the atmosphere?

A

Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%)

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19
Q

what are potential impacts of fracking?

A

water supply depletion, water contamination, air pollution, earthquakes

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20
Q

acid deposition

A

deposition of acid or acid-forming pollutants from the atmosphere onto Earth’s surface; impacts = damaged crops, eroded stone, corroded vehicles

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21
Q

Polar cells

A

from 60 degrees to the poles

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22
Q

Clean Air Act

A

set standards for how much air pollution can be released by a single entity; resulted in new policy, cleaner-burning engines, and scrubbers

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23
Q

explain thermal inversion

A

air temperature rises with altitude, trapping pollutants to the surface

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24
Q

NIMBY

A

“not in my backyard;” people want power and sustainability but don’t want to see it

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25
Q

renewable resources

A

biomass, hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, tidal

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26
Q

nuclear fission

A

the splitting apart of atomic nuclei; releases nuclear energy

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27
Q

Paris Agreement

A

2015 agreement to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, reach peak greenhouse gas emissions asap, zero-carbon solutions by 2030

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28
Q

OPEC

A

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; largely Middle Eastern countries

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29
Q

relative humidity

A

the ratio of water vapor air contains compared to the amount it could contain at a given temperature

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30
Q

anaerobic

A

relating to, involving, or requiring an absence of free oxygen

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31
Q

greenhouse gas effect

A

greenhouse gases trap some solar energy and infrared energy emitted by Earth in the atmosphere to allow Earth to be habitable

32
Q

photovoltaic (PV) cells

A

convert sunlight to electrical energy; light hits PV cell, electrons scatter, wires let electrons flow

33
Q

bioenergy

A

energy obtained from biomass resources

34
Q

tidal energy

A

natural motion of ocean water has kinetic energy; wave energy has many undertested designs; tidal energy can be harnessed from dams across basins

35
Q

biodiesel

A

fuel produced from vegetable oil or cooking grease; reduces emissions; good fuel economy

36
Q

what happens to atmospheric pressure as altitude increases?

A

decreases, because there is less air above

37
Q

Ferrel cells

A

from 30-60 degrees; rain around 60 degrees

38
Q

permanent gases

A

a gas that is incapable of liquefaction (remains gaseous under normal conditions); Argon (Ar), Neon (Ne), Helium (He), Hydrogen (H2), Xenon (Xe)

39
Q

how are ice cores used in climate science?

A

trapped bubbles in ice cores provide a timescale of atmospheric composition; date back 800,000 years

40
Q

Hadley cells

A

convective cells near the equator

41
Q

oil/natural gas formation

A

dead organic matter (typically microorganisms) buried in marine sediments; matter turns to kerogen; 1.5-3km deep = oil; >3km deep = natural gas; requires anaerobic decomposition

42
Q

how does fossil fuel extraction affect developing nations?

A

all of the money goes to the corporation and the (typically militaristic government; local people receive no money

43
Q

how do wind turbines create electricity?

A

convert wind’s kinetic energy to electrical energy

44
Q

Milankovitch cycles

A

periodic changes in Earth’s rotation and orbit around the sun

45
Q

stratosphere

A

11-50km above sea level; drier and dense; contains ozone layer (UV blocking)

46
Q

cogeneration

A

the generation of electricity and other energy jointly; i. e. using steam leftover from electricity generation to produce heat

47
Q

biomass

A

organic material containing energy that originated from photosynthesis

48
Q

what is EROI?

A

energy returned on investment; determines if extraction/acquisition is economically sound (cutoff around 10:1)

49
Q

thermosphere

A

atmosphere’s highest layer; absorbs solar radiation (very hot)

50
Q

enriched uranium

A

radioactive uranium isotopes used for nuclear power

51
Q

hydropower

A

using kinetic energy of moving water to turn turbines and generate electricity

52
Q

cons of bioenergy

A

poor soil nutrition, ethanol production takes away food sources and requires fossil fuels

53
Q

radiative forcing

A

amount of change in thermal energy that a given factor causes; positive forcing warms the surface, negative forcing cools it

54
Q

active solar energy collection

A

technology to focus, move, or store solar energy

55
Q

cold front

A

boundary where colder, drier air displaces warmer, more moist air; leads to clouds and thunderstorms

56
Q

peak oil

A

rate of production peaks and then declines

57
Q

mesosphere

A

50-80km in altitude; protects Earth from large meteoroids (they disintegrate)

58
Q

geothermal power

A

thermal energy from beneath Earth’s surface; radioactive decay of elements under high pressures generates heat; uses hot water and steam to heat homes, dry crops, generate electricity

59
Q

pros of bioenergy

A

increases efficiency, recycles waste products, no net carbon emissions

60
Q

variable gases

A

concentrations vary based on time and place; nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O3), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

61
Q

global warming

A

rise in global temperatures due mainly to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases

62
Q

what are potential impacts of offshore drilling?

A

oil spills or rig explosions; killing organisms, habitat degradation, food contamination, long-lasting oil in marine environments

63
Q

pros of nuclear power

A

no stack emissions, fewer on-site health risks from pollution, uranium mining damages less land than coal mining

64
Q

primary pollutants

A

pollutants that are directly harmful (soot, carbon monoxide)

65
Q

where is the ozone layer?

A

in the stratosphere

66
Q

pros for offshore wind power

A

higher wind speeds, less interference with people

67
Q

how does climate change affect sea leavel?

A

runoff from melting sea ice; ocean water expands in volume as it warms -> sea levels rise

68
Q

pros of hydropower

A

renewable, efficient, no CO2

69
Q

what is the IPCC?

A

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; hundreds of scientists and government representatives document observed trends and predict impacts

70
Q

passive solar energy collection

A

designed to maximize absorption of sunlight in winter; uses materials that store heat (straw, brick, concrete)

71
Q

why is the ozone layer so important?

A

blocks UV radiation

72
Q

cons for offshore windpower

A

higher startup costs, limited to shallow water

73
Q

cons of hydropower

A

fossil fuels used to construct dams, reservoirs release methane (CH4), damming destroys habitats, downstream water quality suffers, prevents animal movement

74
Q

why do we have wind cells

A

warm air rises, picks up moisture, cools with altitude, moisture condenses into clouds, cool dry air moves towards tropics

75
Q

what are potential impacts of mountaintop removal mining?

A

clear-cutting trees, landscape changes increase risk of flash flood, native species struggle to recolonize, planted species do poorly in compromised soil, subpar reclamation efforts

ESWS155 - Elements of Environmental Protection (3 decks)

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