Agriculture & Soil
A farm repeatedly grows a single crop on the same land year after year. What is this practice called?
--Crop rotation
--Zoning
-- Monoculture
-- Permaculture
Monoculture
Approximately what fraction of Earth’s total water supply is salty ocean water?
A. About 3%
B. About 50%
C. About 70%
D. About 97%
D. About 97%
Since the late 1800s, factories, vehicles, and power plants have burned increasing amounts of coal, oil, and natural gas. Scientists have recorded a steady rise in a specific greenhouse gas over this time.
Which gas has increased due to these human activities?
A. Oxygen
B. Carbon dioxide
C. Nitrogen
D. Helium
B. Carbon dioxide
During an El Niño event, surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean are typically:
A. Colder than average
B. Warmer than average
C. Frozen
D. Less salty
B. Warmer than average
A government report shows that cars, trucks, and airplanes burn fossil fuels daily, releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Which economic sector does this describe?
A. Forestry
B. Transportation
C. Residential landscaping
D. Fisheries
B. Transportation
If soil becomes too acidic or too alkaline, plants may not grow well because:
A. Water evaporates too quickly
B. Essential nutrients become harder for roots to absorb
C. The soil color changes
D. Sand content increases
B. Essential nutrients become harder for roots to absorb
A coastal city relies heavily on groundwater from a confined aquifer. Over time, excessive pumping lowers the water table. Residents begin noticing increased salt levels in their drinking water wells.
What is the most likely explanation?
A. Increased evaporation rates
B. Saltwater intrusion due to aquifer depletion
C. Acid rain contamination
D. Eutrophication
B. Saltwater intrusion due to aquifer depletion
On hot, sunny days, a large city experiences thick, hazy air that irritates lungs and reduces visibility. Scientists explain that certain pollutants react when exposed to intense sunlight.
What is directly responsible for triggering these chemical reactions?
A. Wind
B. Rain
C. Sunlight
D. Cold air
C. Sunlight
Why is the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere essential for life on Earth?
A. It creates wind currents
B. It reflects visible light
C. It absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation
D. It increases oxygen levels
C. It absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation
The main purpose of the Clean Air Act was to:
A. Promote industrial growth
B. Reduce harmful air emissions
C. Increase transportation systems
D. Expand mining
B. Reduce harmful air emissions
When fertilizers enter a lake and cause rapid algae growth, which nutrient cycle is being altered?
A. Water cycle
B. Nitrogen cycle
C. Carbon cycle
D. Rock cycle
B. Nitrogen cycle
In a suburban neighborhood, rainwater flows over lawns treated with fertilizer, across driveways with motor oil stains, and into storm drains that empty into a nearby river.
This type of pollution is best classified as:
A. Point-source pollution
B. Nonpoint-source pollution
C. Industrial discharge
D. Wastewater treatment
B. Nonpoint-source pollution
A city replaces grassland with highways, parking lots, and dark rooftops. Over time, the average temperature in the city becomes several degrees higher than surrounding rural areas.
What is the primary reason for this temperature increase?
A. The city is closer to the equator
B. Buildings reflect more sunlight
C. Paved surfaces absorb and retain heat
D. The ozone layer is thinner above cities
C. Paved surfaces absorb and retain heat
In which atmospheric layer do clouds form and storms develop?
A. Stratosphere
B. Thermosphere
C. Troposphere
D. Mesosphere
C. Troposphere
An abandoned industrial factory site is found to contain toxic chemicals in the soil and groundwater. The federal government steps in to fund cleanup efforts to protect nearby residents.
What type of site is this classified as?
A. Watershed
B. Conservation district
C. Superfund site
D. Recharge zone
C. Superfund site
Fish deaths occur in a pond after excessive nutrient pollution leads to oxygen depletion. This process is known as:
A. Desertification
B. Erosion
C. Eutrophication
D. Salinization
C. Eutrophication
Although freshwater is continually renewed through the hydrologic cycle, many regions still face water scarcity. In some cases, aquifers are being depleted faster than they are naturally recharged.
Which explanation best accounts for this contradiction?
A. Freshwater is nonrenewable
B. Human extraction rates exceed recharge rates
C. Oceans are shrinking
D. Precipitation has permanently stopped
B. Human extraction rates exceed recharge rates
Urban infrastructure composed primarily of asphalt, concrete, and dark roofing materials alters local energy balance by increasing heat absorption and reducing evapotranspiration compared to surrounding vegetated land.
This localized climate modification is known as:
A. Atmospheric convection
B. Urban heat island effect
C. Albedo amplification
D. Global dimming
B. Urban heat island effect
Scientists observe that altered Pacific Ocean temperatures influence jet stream positioning, which subsequently changes storm tracks, drought frequency, and flood patterns across multiple continents.
This demonstrates that ENSO events primarily affect global weather through modifications in:
A. Ocean currents and atmospheric wind systems
B. Solar radiation output
C. Earth’s orbital eccentricity
A. Ocean currents and atmospheric wind systems
City leaders are debating whether to invest in cleaner technologies that reduce pollution before it enters the environment rather than paying for expensive cleanup projects later.
Why is preventing pollution generally more effective than cleaning it up?
A. It reduces waste at the source
B. It increases landfill space
C. It spreads pollution evenly
D. It eliminates all environmental law
A. It reduces waste at the source
A soil analysis reveals that phosphorus and nitrogen are present in adequate amounts; however, plants are unable to absorb these nutrients efficiently. Further testing shows the soil pH has shifted significantly outside its optimal range.
Which conclusion best explains the reduced plant productivity?
A. The nutrients chemically transformed into toxic compounds
B. Nutrient solubility and root uptake are affected by pH imbalance
C. Microorganisms eliminated all mineral content
D. Irrigation diluted the nutrients beyond usefulness
B. Nutrient solubility and root uptake are affected by pH imbalance
Engineers warn that a poorly lined landfill poses a threat to a community’s aquifer. They explain that precipitation percolating through solid waste can mobilize dissolved heavy metals and synthetic chemicals into surrounding groundwater systems.
The contaminated liquid produced in this process is called:
A. Runoff
B. Leachate
C. Condensate
Leachate
On warm, stagnant-air days, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds accumulate in an urban basin. Under intense solar radiation, these compounds undergo photochemical reactions that generate secondary pollutants harmful to respiratory health.
Which environmental condition is being described?
A. Acid deposition
B. Thermal inversion
C. Photochemical smog formation
D. Ozone layer thinning
C. Photochemical smog formation
Meteorologists observe a shift in Pacific Ocean surface temperatures. Trade winds weaken, and Pacific warm water moves eastward toward the west coast of South America. Global weather patterns begin to shift.
This climate pattern is known as:
A. La Niña
B. El Niño
B. El Niño
The Clean Water Act focuses on controlling:
A. Soil erosion
B. Water contamination
C. Airborne particles
D. Urban development
B. Water contamination