Topic 6: Atmospheric systems and societies Flashcards
Explain the causes and effects of acid deposition on natural ecosystems.
Causes;
volcanic eruptions producing sulfur dioxide
lightening producing nitrogen oxide
combustion of fossil fuels
Effects
weakening of trees killing them
reduced ph in water and soil killing aquatic animals due to high acidity if ph is 0 to 4 and reducing soils capacity to hold nutrients
Causes:
burning of fossil fuels releases NOx/SOx;
the sources of these are mainly coal-burning industries/transportation/electricity generation;
emissions from livestock/use & production of inorganic fertilizers also contribute;
volcanic eruptions can also cause acid rain/release oxides of N/S;
NOx/SOx react with water to form acid deposition;
this acid may be deposited locally as dry deposition or dissolve in air moisture and reach ground by wet precipitation;
nitrous oxides produce nitric acid / sulphur oxides produce sulphuric acid;
wind may carry primary pollutants causing ecological damage to be widespread.
Effects:
direct adverse effect of acidity on living organisms eg kills lichens / plankton / fish / soil microbiota;
causing leaf-fall/thinning of waxy cuticle/reduced immunity to disease/root damage in terrestrial plants;
leading to reduced primary production/plant growth;
indirect toxic effect by changing chemistry of soil/water;
eg increased solubility/leaching of plant nutrients/reduced soil fertility;
eg increased solubility/release of toxic metals/aluminium damaging fish/plants;
such toxic metals might undergo bioconcentration/biomagnification;
overall, may therefore cause loss of biodiversity/reduction in food chains/webs etc.
Note: Do not credit biomagnification except in the explicit context of releasing heavy metals. And do not credit impacts of ocean acidification or impacts on limestone/urban infrastructure which are beyond the limits of this question.
Award [5 max] if either causes or effects are not included in response.
Outline, using examples, the differences between primary and secondary pollution.
Primary pollution is emitted from direct sources eg co2 emission from a factory
Secondary pollution is when proimary pollutants react with chemicals in the atmosphere eg sulfur dioxide, tropospheric ozone
Primary pollution:
is active upon emission of pollutant;
eg carbon dioxide/sulphur oxides/ozone/lead/nitrates/phosphates/heat/light;
Secondary pollution:
occurs when primary pollutants undergo some kind of physical or chemical change;
nitrogen/sulphur oxides combining with water to form nitric acid/sulphur acid/acid rain;
nitrogen oxides/VOCs combining to form tropospheric ozone/photochemical smog;
To what extent is pollution impacting human food production systems?
Aquatic and terrestrial
water pollution and soil pollution
BLEW
understanding concepts and terminology of aquatic and terrestrial food production; aquaculture, capture fisheries, aquatic sp. harvesting; provision of food to a growing population; aquatic pollution sources; wide range of parameters lowering water quality; soil content; soil degradation; soil fertility; sustainability of TPSs influenced by industrialization, fossil fuel use, mechanization, fertilizers, pesticides; acid deposition; tropospheric ozone; ozone depletion; eutrophication; dead zones; climate change (Note: Relevant examples will be of pollution affecting food production NOT the other way round);
breadth in addressing and linking a range of pollutants/polluting activities (fertilizer use/emissions from combustion of fossil fuels/mining/waste disposal etc) and their impacts on food production systems (aquaculture/terrestrial farming systems) and methods of limiting these impacts (alternative sources /regulations/clean-up procedures);
examples of food production systems; farming practices (aquatic and terrestrial); impacts of pollutants/polluting activities; and methods of limiting impacts;
balanced analysis of the extent to which a range of pollution events are impacting, or being restored/prevented from impacting, a range of different food production systems;
a conclusion that is consistent with, and supported by, analysis and examples given eg ‘Terrestrial FPSs are affected by a wider range of pollutants and polluting activities, thus aquatic FPSs show a greater potential for sustainable production feeding the fast-growing global population’.
Environmental value systems may lead to different approaches to addressing the issue of global warming. Discuss which environmental value system(s) you consider to be most appropriate in the management of global warming.
HOW DO YOU SOLVE THE PRODUCTION OF GHGS EG METHANE, CO2, TROPOSPHERIC OZONE
HOW DO YOU SOLVE THE PRODUCTION OF GHGS EG METHANE, CO2, TROPOSPHERIC OZONE
Methane; changing cow diets
CO2; alternative to driving cars
Tropospheric ozone;
Renwable energy resources eg wind tech
reducing combustion of fossil furels
Educating
Legislation
Ecocentric approaches:
promote education about global warming as a way to change human behaviour causing the problem;
promote energy efficient strategies in order to reduce production of greenhouse gases (GHG);
promote greater use of public transport / reduced flights / car sharing in order to reduce GHG production;
promote changes in diet to reduce meat consumption and thus reduce meat industry’s contribution to GHGs;
small communities, self-sufficiency / reduction of food miles, reduced consumerism - so less production GHG;
Anthropocentric approaches:
financial incentives to change behaviour such as tax credits for using renewable energy/increasing household energy efficiency;
market based solutions such as carbon trading will incentivise companies to reduce carbon emissions;
legislation in the form of taxation on high carbon emissions;
legislation by government to reduce carbon emissions / e.g. international negotiated treaties/government targets/regional targets for carbon emissions;
community based initiatives such as meat free Mondays to reduce meat consumption and therefore community carbon footprint;
Technocentric approaches:
promote adaptation to new conditions that result from global warming;
increase research and development for new fuels/renewable/nuclear energy / carbon capture technology;
invest in geoengineering solutions to reduce effect of greenhouse gases;
promote development of new technologies to reduce carbon emissions such as more fuel efficient cars/electric cars/hybrid cars.
State two factors necessary for the chemical formation of ozone in the troposphere.
sunlight/UV light;
NOx/oxygen (atoms/ free radicals/molecules)/hydrocarbons/VOCs;
With reference to processes occurring within the atmospheric system identify two transfers of energy.
radiation of sunlight
reflection of sunlight
/solar energy/heat/light toward earth;
radiation of heat/IR away from earth;
reflection of light/heat toward space from earth/clouds;
scattering of light/heat from particulate matter;
movement of (sensible) heat pole-wards by wind currents/tricellular winds/Hadley Cell/hurricanes/tropical cyclones;
movement of latent heat in water vapour by winds;
Identify two possible consequences for life on Earth resulting from the depletion of stratospheric ozone.
skin cancer
cataracts
death of phytoplankton
increased skin cancer/melanomas/skin aging/mutations;
increased eye abnormalities/cataract/photo allergy/blindness;
weakening of immune systems;
disrupts plant growth / damage leaves thus reducing photosynthesis / loss of plant species;
damage to phytoplankton in oceans / reducing base of food web;
causes death of krill/zooplankton/amphibian larvae reducing diversity/food for higher trophic levels.
Identify one human factor that contributes to photochemical smog.
[1]a.i
(intensive) combustion of fossil fuels/organic matter/through high density traffic/urbanisation/industrialisation/forest burning/release of VOCs from aerosols;
Identify one natural factor that contributes to photochemical smog.
sunlight
thermal inversion
local topography/high insolation/sunlight/low wind/thermal inversion;
Disturbance of the composition and processes of the atmospheric system through human activity always disturbs the equilibria of marine systems.
Discuss the validity of this statement with reference to named examples.
[9]c.
Global warming
habitat loss by;
evapouration
ice melting eg polar bears and penguins
heated up oceans killing fish who are sentive to temperatures
uv rays killing phytoplankton
Global warming and the three gases
methane
tropospheric ozone
co2
they increase temperatures which
loss of habitat to fish
heating up oceans leadign to death
melting ice leading to habitat loss of aquatic animals like penguins
D=GWEIC= BLEW=BRE
EFFECTS OF ALL GWEIC
understanding concepts & terminology of greenhouse gases; global warming; thermal expansion; rising sea-level; melting ice caps; salinity; ocean acidification; ozone depletion; UV radiation; global productivity; tropospheric ozone; acid rain (worth noting here that acid rain is NOT a significant cause/contributor to ocean acidification); etc
breadth in addressing and linking impacts on atmospheric systems (increased CO2; global warming; ozone depletion; tropospheric ozone; acid rain; etc) with disturbances in marine systems (rising sea level; ocean currents; fish migration; acidification; destruction of coral reefs; phytoplankton / marine food chains; etc)
examples of relevant atmospheric pollutants/disturbances; ocean currents; coral communities; migratory fish; marine food chains; etc
balanced analysis of the extent to which each atmospheric disturbance causes disturbance in marine systems whether significant, minimal or none at all, acknowledging relevant counter-arguments/alternative viewpoints;
a conclusion that is consistent with, and supported by analysis and examples given e.g. generally, the statement is valid regarding large scale disturbances to the atmosphere such as global warming and ozone depletion but more localized disturbances like tropospheric ozone and acid rain have fairly minimal impact. NB This is only an example of a possible conclu
Outline why the Montreal Protocol may be considered the world’s most successful environmental treaty.
MORE than 100. countries signed
cfcs production and consumption ws phased out
ozone hole in antartctica is healing
clear evidence of successful reduction in CFC use/ozone depletion/size of ozone hole;
protocol prompted production of alternatives to replace CFCs allowing smooth phase-out;
financial assistance was offered to assist in phase out of CFCs (Multilateral Fund);
demonstrated it was possible for governments to work multilaterally;
led to changes in the behaviour of individuals and societies;
very large number of signatories;
secured binding environmental agreements/legal commitments with which countries/industries complied;
there was a widespread/common acceptance/understanding of the effect of CFCs (amongst scientists/public/politicians).
Outline the evidence that CO2 acts as a greenhouse gas.
[1]a.
CO2 absorbs heat elevating global temperatures.
State a greenhouse gas other than CO2.
methane
tropospheric ozone / CFCs / HCFCs / HFCs.
/ water vapour / nitrous oxide / tropospheric ozone / CFCs / HCFCs / HFCs.
Identify two mitigation strategies to manage climate change, other than carbon capture and storage.
global warming is under climate change
troposheric ozone nitrogen oxides combustion of fossil fuels
changing cow diets; methane
RENEWABLE ENERGY
RECUCE COMBUSTION
reducing energy/fossil fuel consumption through carbon tax/cap & trade;
reducing emissions of NOx/methane/through catalytic converters/regulations;
alternative energy sources;
geoengineering;
fertilizing oceans;
afforestation/biomass production.
Outline the role of the atmospheric system in the distribution of biomes.
winds blow nimbus clouds from oceans to land increasing productivity thus tropical rain forests
mosit air/water vapour increases precipitation thus SEE ABOVE
WIND DESPERSAL
atmospheric/tri-cellular circulation (including Hadley, Ferrel & polar cells) creates patterns of climate that determine dominant vegetation types;
low pressure due to intense heating/high insolation at the equator causes / rising moist air in the tropics creates high precipitation giving rise to rainforests;
moving polewards (at high altitude), air cools, becomes denser and sinks forming a high-pressure zone / descending/dry air (20–30° latitude/tropics) creates water-limiting/arid conditions giving rise to deserts;
some of the air continues towards the poles to equalize temperature difference / atmosphere transfers heat from (sub-)tropics to mid-latitudes giving rise to temperate biomes;
descending/dry air (high latitude/polar regions) creates water-limiting conditions in tundra;
water vapour (from mid-latitudes/temperate regions) is transferred to high latitudes giving rise to heavy precipitation/snow in boreal forest;
water vapour is transferred from ocean surfaces overland generating freshwater aquatic systems;
prevailing winds/jet streams (blowing from high to low pressure) bring precipitation to a region, e.g. temperate rainforest in mountainous region/riverine/water-margin systems;
rain shadow effect of high mountains causes dry winds in the leeward side, resulting in arid or semi-arid biomes (e.g. Tibetan Plateau, Mongolian Gobi desert and steppes);
atmosphere may be responsible for shifting biomes due to global warming/climate change;
