Soils and Agriculture
What is soil?
Soil is the loose, top layer of Earth where plants grow.
What are minerals?
Minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a chemical composition and crystal structure.
What is climate?
Climate is the long‑term pattern of temperature and weather in an area, not just what happens on a single day.
What is energy?
Energy is the ability to do work or cause change
What is waste?
Waste is any unwanted material or substance That results from a human activity or process.
What is soil made of?
It’s made of minerals, organic matter, water, air, and tiny living organisms.
Why is fresh, liquid water considered limited even though Earth has so much water?
Most of Earth’s water is saltwater or frozen, so only a tiny fraction is actually usable for drinking or agriculture.
What is the greenhouse effect?
Climate is the long term pattern of temperature and weather in an area, not just what happens on a single day.
What is the law of conservation of energy?
This law says that energy cannot be created or destroyed and it can only change forms.
What forms when rain or other precipitation percolates through a landfill and dissolves waste material?
Leachate forms
What is Desertification?
Desertification is when fertile land turns into desert, usually in dry regions.
What is an aquifer?
An aquifer is a layer of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and lets it move through tiny spaces.
What is the difference between global warming and climate change?
Global warming is the rise in Earth’s average temperature, while climate change includes all the bigger shifts that come with it like stronger storms and changing rainfall.
Why is global electricity demand rising faster than population growth?
People use way more technology and appliances than past generations, so each person needs more electricity.
What is the largest unregulated source of hazardous waste?
Households
What does the Organic Food Production Act Do?
The Organic Food Production Act sets the rules for what counts as organic in the U.S.
What is the difference between primary and secondary air pollutants?
Primary pollutants are released directly into the air, like car exhaust. Secondary pollutants form when primary pollutants react in the atmosphere.
What is the Keeling Curve and why is it important?
The Keeling Curve is a graph that shows how carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have risen over time.
What is the basic process used to generate electricity in nonrenewable energy sources?
All four nonrenewable sources heat water to make steam that spins a turbine connected to a generator.
What is hazardous waste? What are the four categories of hazardous waste deined by the EPA?
Hazardous waste is liquid, solid, gas, or sludge that is corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive.
What is the Green Revolution?
The Green Revolution was a period in the mid 1900s when scientists created high yield crops and new fertilizers that helped countries grow way more food than before. It prevented massive famines by boosting harvests, but it also increased reliance on fertilizers and irrigation.
How does nutrient pollution lead to cultural eutrophication?
Extra nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus cause algae to grow explosively, which blocks sunlight and throws the ecosystem off balance. When the algae die, decomposers use up the oxygen in the water, creating dead zones where almost nothing can survive.
How does the thermohaline circulation help regulate global climate?
The thermohaline circulation moves warm and cold water around the oceans based on differences in temperature and saltiness, which helps spread heat across the planet.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy?
Nuclear energy creates a huge amount of electricity with almost no air pollution, which makes it a strong low carbon option. The downside is the radioactive waste and the high cost of building and maintaining plants, which makes people worry about long term safety.
What was the Love Canal Incident? Why is it signiicant?
Love Canal was a residential neighborhood built in Niagara Falls on a former industrial site, residents got very sick from disposed industrial waste, this led CERCLA.