The Atmosphere
This layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer that absorbs the sun's ultraviolet rays.
What is the Stratosphere?
he stratosphere contains a protective layer of oxygen compounds (ozone layer). The high concentration of ozone absorbs most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation, shielding Earth. The ozone layer protects living things on Earth.
Corn can be grown at a rate of 1,000 kcal per hectare, and it takes 20 times more land to produce beef than it does to produce corn. What amount of land is needed to produce 10,000 kcal of beef?
What is 200 hectares?
This substance is a gaseous decay product of uranium that is found in rocks.
What is Radon?
Which of the following is a greenhouse gas that comes only from human sources?
A) Nitrous oxide
B) Carbon dioxide
C) Methane
D) Chlorofluorocarbons
E) Carbon monoxide
What is D) Chlorofluorocarbons ?
Which of these energy sources is not derived directly or indirectly from solar energy?
A) Geothermal
B) Photovoltaic
C) Hydroelectric
D) Biomass
E) Wind
What is A) Geothermal?
This layer is the region with lowest atmospheric pressure.
What is ... the Exosphere?
Climatograph:
Which environment is most likely to be characterized by dry scrub with frequent fires?
What is C?
It is a chaparral.
What is coal-burning?
Coal combustion releases air pollutants including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, toxic metals, and particulates.
Water vapor is a greenhouse gas and is produced by burning fossil fuels. However, anthropogenic water vapor does not contribute significantly to global warming because water vapor
A) is naturally occurring and therefore will not harm the environment
B) does not absorb energy
C) has a short residence time in the atmosphere
D) does not contain carbon
What is C?
Water vapor is responsible for the majority of the naturally occurring greenhouse effect. Its relatively short time spent in the atmosphere limits its contributions to global climate change and makes it difficult to calculate the global-warming potential of the gas.
Which of the following identifies the two factors thought to be the most harmful to biodiversity?
A)Acid deposition and increased use of fertilizers for agriculture
B)Depletion of the ozone layer and oil drilling
C)Destruction of habitat and invasion by nonnative species
D)Changes in climate and proliferation of endemic species
E)Global warming and decline in fisheries
What is C?
Remember HIPPCO
This layer of Earth’s atmosphere contains the fewest molecules of the layers shown, and the low density of gas leads to very few molecules transferring heat to an object. In this layer, ultraviolet radiation causes photodissociation of molecules, creating ions.
What is the Thermosphere?
Primary producers in a lake ecosystem store approximately 25,000 kcal/m2/yr of energy in their biomass.
Which of the following identifies the most likely amount of energy available to a tertiary consumer in this ecosystem?
This pathogen infects the intestine and is spread through contaminated water or food.
What is cholera?
Cholera is a bacterial disease that infects the intestines and is contracted from infected water or food.
Which of the following types of releases of greenhouse gases from an anthropogenic source?
A)Volcanic eruptions emitting CO2 into the atmosphere
B)Release of VOCs from tree species and motor vehicles into the atmosphere
C)Industrial and agricultural practices releasing CH4 into the atmosphere
D)Evaporation of surface water increasing H2O vapor in the atmosphere
What is C?
Correct. Industrial and agricultural practices are human activities that release large amounts of the greenhouse gases such as CO2 , CH4 , and N2O into the atmosphere
Switching from customary large-scale agricultural practices to which of the following is most likely to reduce the exposure of farmworkers and nearby residents to toxic chemicals?
A) No-till cultivation
B) Integrated pest management
C) Contour plowing
D) Crop dusting
E) Use of cover crops
What is B) Integrated Pest Management?
What is... Nitrogen (N2)?
Which of the following annual populatin growth rates is paired with the correct doubling time?
A) 1%.. 700 years
B) 2%... 35 years
C) 3.5%... 12 years
D) 5% ... 350 months
E) 7%... 70 months
What is B?
The rule of 70 states that dividing the number 70 by the percentage population growth rate approximates the populations doubling time.
Which of the following best describes why DDT is classified as a persistent organic pollutant?
A) DDT is very stable, and as much as 50% of the original concentration can remain in the soil 15 years after the initial application.
B)DDT can be used to control diseases, such as malaria and typhus, that are spread by insects.
C)DDT is detected in food worldwide and the general human population is most commonly exposed to the toxin through food.
D)DDT has both short-term acute and long-term chronic health effects in both humans and wildlife.
What is A?
DDT is a synthetic, carbon-based molecule that is very stable (does not easily break down) in the environment. Its persistence means that it is found widely across the globe, even in regions where it was not used (such as the Arctic).
Which of the following contributes to global climate change through the direct release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?
A) Use of foams and packing materials that contain chlorofluorocarbons
B)Generating electricity at a nuclear power plant
C) Transporting products from one continent to another on a cargo ship
D) Growing fast-growing crops in open fields
What is C?
Container ships primarily burn heavy fuel oil. This releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when combusted. Newer container ships that use liquid natural gas still release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when it is combusted.
Which of the following is a primary cause of El Niño climate variations?
A) Reversals of Hadley cell circulation in the Atlantic Ocean
B) Increased dust blowing into the Atlantic Ocean from the Sahara desert
C) Warmer surface waters in the Pacific Ocean
D) Reduced deep-water upwelling in the Pacific Ocean
What is C?
Shifts in westward trade-wind currents result in warmer surface waters in the northern Pacific, which cause El Niño.
Why is the lower portion of the troposphere warmer than the upper portion?
What is... The surface of Earth absorbs sunlight, heating the lower portion of the troposphere more than the upper part.
Calgary & Edmonton Footprints:
The cities of Edmonton and Calgary are relatively far north and at high elevation. Which of the following best explains the data presented in their ecological footprints ?
A) Many of the inhabitants of Edmonton and Calgary must commute to southern cities for work.
B)Products must be shipped large distances from major shipping ports to Edmonton and Calgary.
C) Growing seasons are shorter in Edmonton and Calgary, requiring larger amounts of fertilizers to grow crops.
D) Colder average temperatures and longer nights in Edmonton and Calgary lead to high energy usage to heat and light homes.
What is D?
The primary difference in footprints of these cities is housing, which is related to the energy needed to heat and provide lighting during the winter.
Which of the following is a common characteristic of lakes undergoing cultural eutrophication?
A) Decreased rates of sediment accumulation
B)Decreased amounts of green and blue-green algae
C)Increased levels of oxygen throughout the water column
D)Increased water clarity in the epilimnion
E)Increased levels of plant nutrients
What is E?
These are the direct products of the use of hydrocarbon fuels in automobile engines.
A) O, N, CO
B) CO, Ar, O3
C) CO2, H2O, O3
D) CO2, O3, Pb
E) CO2, NOX, VOCs
What is E?
This is the major biological source of dissolved oxygen in the ocean.
What is photosynthesis by phytoplankton?