Climate
Which greenhouse gases have the greatest impact on climate change?
-CO2 + water vapor
What are the four types of hazards? List an example of each.
Biological (viruses), Social (lifestyle), Chemical (fossil fuels), Physical (earthquakes)
What are the three main particle sizes found in soil?-
sand, silt, clay
What materials are mined?
Metals (iron, copper, aluminum),Nonmetals (sand, gravel, limestone),Fuels (coal, uranium)
What are the 4 main forms of non-renewable energy?
-coal oil, natural gas, nuclear
What is albedo
a measure of a surface’s reflectivity
Compare and contrast epidemiology and toxicology.
Epidemiology is the study of disease in human population while toxicology is the study of how poisonous substances affect an organism’s health
What is an example of a provisioning service in an ecosystem?
Timber, animals,fruit, medicine
How much of Earth’s water is fresh?
About 2.5%
What is the law of conservation of energy?
energy cannot be created not destroyed, only transformed
What is the thermohaline gradient?
temp gradient between the poles and equator where salt water is denser than freshwater
What are the 6 types of chemical hazards?
carcinogens, chemical mutagens, teratogen, neurotoxins, endocrine disrupters, allergens
How are sanitary landfills built to reduce groundwater contamination?
the lining system collects leachate and prevents ground interaction
How does nutrient pollution cause eutrophication?
Excess nutrients → algal bloom → algae die → decomposition uses oxygen → dead zones.
What is an open system?
both matter and energy are exchanged
What is the main cause of climate change?
-human activities->combusting fossil fuels
What five common indoor chemical hazards did we discuss in class?
-asbestos, radon, VOCs, carbon monoxide, lead
In what two areas does deforestation cause the most harm? Why?
tropical and arid; loss of biodiversity
What are temperature inversions?
Warm air traps cooler air below → pollution builds up near ground.
What are three ways of transferring energy?
conduction, radiation, convection
What is a weakness of the Paris Agreement?-
non-binding so it was never ratified
Describe how DDT sprayed on insects
harmed bald eagles.
DDT has POPs which persist in the environment through biomagnification, harming the bald eagles food source
What is required by the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (2003)?
- The Healthy Forests Restoration Act encourages thinning, prescribed burns, and community involvement to reduce wildfire hazards.
What happened because of the Montreal Protocol?
International agreement to phase out CFCs
Considered one of the most successful environmental treaties
Ozone layer is slowly recovering
What is the basic process used to produce electricity?
heat->steam->turbine/generator