Monitoring & stewardship
This color-coded scale tells you how clean or polluted the air is each day.
What is the Air Quality Index (AQI)?
This layer of gases surrounding Earth traps heat and helps keep the planet warm.
What is the atmosphere?
A huge wave that comes at you like a wall of water, often following tectonic activity.
What is a tsunami?
This is an abundant element that is necessary for forming complex biological molecules
What is Carbon?
The best mitigation for this hazard is to limit outdoor activity or use air filters or a mask.
What is air pollution?
or air quality index
This type of station collects continuous data on pollutants and uploads it to national databases for scientists and the public to track.
What is an air monitoring station?
This is the name for gases like carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere.
What are greenhouse gases?
The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.
What is mitigation?
Animals and humans release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by doing this basic life process.
What is respiration?
Mitigations for this hazard include creating a "defensible space" around your home, or just evacuating.
What is a wildfire?
Planting trees, reducing vehicle emissions, and encouraging public transit are examples of this environmental responsibility.
What is air quality stewardship?
Without the greenhouse effect, Earth’s average surface temperature would be?
What is less/lower/colder?
This hazard occurs when excess water covers normally dry land, often after heavy rain or snowmelt.
What is a flood?
This major carbon “sink” — also known as Earth’s largest CO₂ absorber — stores carbon in water and marine life.
What is the ocean?
Mitigation strategies for this hazard include staying indoors, avoid using electronics, and steering clear of any indoor water (showers/baths)
What are thunderstorms?
The EPA regularly checks for ozone, particle pollution, CO, and NO₂. Name one reason such national monitoring programs are critical for public safety.
What is early detection of harmful air conditions to prevent health risks?
This human activity is the main contributor of excess greenhouse gas buildup.
What is burning fossil fuels?
This type of natural disaster spreads quickly, fueled by wind and dry conditions, and can worsen air quality over large areas.
What is a wildfire?
This cycling of carbon through mostly geological processes.
What is the Slow Cycle?
Mitigation strategies for this hazard include winterizing homes and cars, stocking up on supplies, and staying indoors.
What is a blizzard?
The act of supervising or taking care of something?
What is Stewardship?
This natural greenhouse gas, produced by livestock and wetlands, is over 25 times more effective at trapping heat than CO₂.
What is methane (CH₄)?
Wearing sunscreen, sunglasses, and limiting midday outdoor activity can help protect you from this environmental hazard measured by a daily index.
What is the UV Index?
The process of restoring land, soil, and ecosystems degraded by human activities—primarily mining, industrial development, or agriculture—to a stable, productive, and functional state.
What is reclamation?
Mitigation of this hazard might include elevating property, deploying sandbags, "Turn around, don't drown", and evacuating the area.
What are floods?