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ESS > topic 6 - atmospheric systems and socities > Flashcards

topic 6 - atmospheric systems and socities Flashcards

1
Q

what does the atmosphere do?

A

provides shield
protects from harmful radiation
moderates and stabilises climate
we obtain oxygen that we breathe

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2
Q

what is the coriolis effect?

A

phenomenon that causes fluids, like water to curve as they travel across or above the earths surface

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3
Q

how/why does the coriolis effect happen?

A

earth spins from west to east, due to spherical shape the equator spins faster, so if something was going straight it would actually deflect to the left or right

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4
Q

what depends on which way the fluids deflect to in the coriolis effect

A

travelling southern it would go left
north, go right

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5
Q

what are the things in the earths atmosphere?

A

aerosols in the earths atmosphere
salt
carbon from fires
sulphates from fossil fuels
dust
water vapour

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6
Q

how did the ozone layer form?

A

oxygen increased and reacted with UV radiation to form the ozone layer
sunlight energy breaks the bonds in diatomic oxygen

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7
Q

what are the different UV rays?

A

UV-A, longest
UV-B, medium
UV-C, shortest

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8
Q

how much does the ozone absorb each wave length

A

A- unable to absorb, goes to ground level
B- ozone absorbs most but some passes down
C- absorbs all, doesn’t reach earths atmosphere

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9
Q

what are the impacts of increased UV-B

A
  • Sunburn and premature ageing
  • Skin cancers
  • Cataracts - damage to eyes
  • Immune-suppression
  • Reduction in crop production
  • Reduced phytoplankton growth
  • Reduction in forest productivity
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10
Q

threats to stratospheric zone

A
  • threatened by chemicals that react with ozone layer and reduce its concentration
  • most common are CFC’s
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11
Q

why are CFC’s so damaging?

A

Very stable compounds
They aren’t soluble and the UV exposure breaks them down into chlorine, that then breaks down the ozone later by breaking it down into chlorine

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12
Q

hadley cell

A

Moist, warm air rising at the equator creates a low pressure zone, causing considerable rainfall. The same air, drier and cooler when it falls, contributes to arid (dry) conditions. high pressure zone

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13
Q

how do you measure ozone levels

A

dobson units and dobson spectrometer

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14
Q

what happens when ozone concentration decreases?

A

ozone molecules become more dispersed within the same area

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15
Q

why has air pollution increased?

A

increased fossil fuels usage
industrialisation
population growth

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16
Q

how can we reduce air pollution

A

nations can set emission standards
WHO guidelines, UK follow, america doesnt

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17
Q

what are primary pollutants

A

air pollutants that are directly emitted from their source

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18
Q

examples of primary pollutants

A

product of incomplete combustion of CO2 - carbon monoxide
water vapour
sulphur dioxide

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19
Q

secondary pollutants

A

pollutants formed when primary pollutants react with things in the atmosphere

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20
Q

examples of secondary pollutants

A

acid rain
ozone
particulate matter

21
Q

what is a temperature inversion

A

a temperature inversion is a layer in the atmosphere in which air temperature increases with height
warm air rises, however the inversion acts as a cap to the warm air preventing it from rising further

22
Q

what does the temperature inversion trap

A

traps mist, fog, and atmospheric haze and pollutants

23
Q

how do thermal inversions link to increased atmospheric photochemical smog

A

cold air is trapped between a warm inversion layer that disperses the photochemical smog sideways instead of up
this increases the concentration of it

24
Q

how does photochemical smog form

A

occurs when sunlight activates reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, that result in the formation of ozone and peroxyaxyl nitrates (car fumes)

25
Q

what factors increase photochemical smog

A

amount of industry
population size
mode of transport
high level of sunlight (equatorial countries)
wind (dispersion)
dry weather
valley (accumulation)

26
Q

why does LA have so much smog

A

heatwaves
population
imports come through
basin
wildfire

27
Q

what are solutions to LA

A

increase use of public transport
reduce energy consumption and more renewable energy
stricter rules and regs on things

28
Q

management to reduce air pollution

A
  • Altering human activity
    • Involving alternative tech
    • Education
    • Legislation
    • Clean up and restoration
  • Adopting use of more energy efficient devices
29
Q

what is carbon tax

A

governments taxing companies on carbon emissions

30
Q

what does carbon tax do to help

A

reduces amount of carbon emissions
gives incentives
however companies just trade

31
Q

government strategies to reduce air pollution

A
  • Use of subsides to encourage new tech
    • Public transport aid
    • Use of road tolls and parking to discourage cars
  • Tax credits to promote renewable sources of energy
  • legislation
  • building regs (renewable eco-friendly etc)
32
Q

what are catalytic converters

A

converters in cars that make ozone and photochemical smog forming chemicals inert, changes composition to reduce pollutants

33
Q

why does Bejing have lots of photochemical smog

A

topographical and meteorological conditions that make photochemical smog formation easier
it has reduced life expectancy by 5 years

34
Q

what has bejing done to decrease smog

A

replacing coal burning power plants with gas powered
limiting use of cars to alternative days
banning trucks
difficult to buy cars

35
Q

how is acid rain formed

A

primary pollutant of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides reacting with the atmosphere and forms acid rain

36
Q

why is there acid rain

A

burning fossil fuels release more acids due to sulphur content in fossil fuels

37
Q

what is the impact of acid rain

A

dry depositions - pollutants settle on surfaces, emissions of ash or dry particles can be absorbed by plants and buildings
wet deposition - acid rain damaging things
aquatic systems - lowers pH, kills organisms

38
Q

what are the two most prominent gases in the atmosphere

A

nitrgoen 78% and oxygen 21%

39
Q

what are the layers of the atmoshpere

A

first to last
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
thermosphere
exosphere

40
Q

what happens in the troposphere

A

clouds formed
living temps to sustain life
ozone layer is above

41
Q

what happens in the stratosphere

A

airplane travel
colder

42
Q

what happens in the mesosphere

A

meteors

43
Q

what happens in the thermosphere

A

satellites and aurora borealis

44
Q

what happens in the exosphere

A

space ships and such

45
Q

natural GHG effect

A

natural process that warms the earths surface
sun energy absorbed by GHG
trap heat

46
Q

transformation in atmosphere

A

light to heat
release of oxygen from photosynthesis

47
Q

transfer in atmosphere

A

precipitation
warm air rising
dispersion of photochemical smog

48
Q

three biotic interactions between organisms

A

predation, parasitism, and competition.

ESS (10 decks)

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