Environmental exam 3
How long will it take for chlorofluorocarbons released from Earth's surface today to reach the stratosphere?
10 to 20 years
The US Census Bureau defines an urban area as an area that contains more than
2500 people
Which of the following best describes measurements of CO2 levels in the atmosphere since 1958?
CO2 levels are higher in winter and lower in summer, but the winter "highs" have increased each year and the summer "lows" have not fallen as far
Which of the following is an example of land used as a protected area to preserve the scenery and ecosystems?
Grand Canyon National Park
the _______sets standards to minimize the surface effects of coal mining on the environment
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977
Which of the following does not address how oceans affect climatic conditions on land?
Water cools Earth because it reflects the most sunlight
In 1870, the first national park established to protect and preserve the land for future generations was
Yellowstone
DDT is harmful to the environment because it
all of the above
Why is it important to preserve farmland?
all of the above
As a lake becomes more acidic, fish are harmed not only by the acidity but also by substances that leach out of the soil into the water. Which of these toxic substances is leached when conditions are acidic?
aluminum
a quarry also could be called
an open pit
One potential way to deal with the problem of seafood overharvesting is by intensifying _____ efforts.
aquaculture
land where it is possible to grow crops is called
arable land
Evaporites most commonly form in
arid regions where rates of evaporation are high
Schools in the United States have spent over $40 billion to remove
asbestos
Erosion is most likely when the soil is
bare and exposed to wind and rain
Persistent pesticides are those that
become concentrated in organisms high on the food chain
Pest populations that damage plants
become resistant to pesticides via natural selection
Integrated pest management can include chemical pest control,____ and a mix of farming methods
biological pest control
Surface mining can cause
both air and noise pollution
Which of the following contributes most to acid precipitation?
burning of fossil fuels
A true statement about carbon monoxide is that it
can lower the level of oxygen carried in the blood
La Nina is the ______ phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle
cold
An important property of air circulation is
cold air is denser than warm air
genetic engineering of food crops
continues to be debated among scientists
Which of the following most effectively allows forests to recover from tree harvesting?
cutting only medium-sized or mature trees
Light pollution can be decreased by
directing lighting downward
What must hot subsurface waters contain in order to be considered hydrothermal solutions?
dissolved minerals
Which of the following actions contributes to soil erosion?
driving farm machinery over fields
Two-thirds of the sulfur dioxide that pollutes the air is produced by
electric power plants
Which of the following is not one of the ways that ore minerals may form?
flooding of empty streambeds and rivers
The critical difference between today's global warming and Earth's previous climate changes is that
global warming may occur much more rapidly than it did during previous climate changes
Dredging steamboats may be an effective technique for mining
gold
Gangue minerals
have no commercial value
A true statement about nutritional requirements in humans is that
humans need to get eight essential amino acids from the proteins they eat
Where do most Americans live?
in urban areas
One way radon and asbestos is similar is that they
increase the risk of cancer
Which of the following is a side effect of heat islands?
increased precipitation
Products obtained from livestock include
leather, wool, eggs, meat, and manure
An area prone to landslides is an example of
marginal land
Through_______, mining companies can identify areas where there may be valuable mineral resources
mineral exploration
Latitude strongly influences climate because _____ solar energy falls on areas that are closer to the equator than to the poles.
more
What can contaminate a river during dredging?
muddy sediments
Which of the following farm practices have been used by farmers only in recent years?
none of the above
Which type of building would most likely have poor indoor air quality?
one that is tightly sealed and air conditioned
Which of the following is not a method of subsurface mining?
open-pit mining
Which of the following are minerals that contain valuable substances?
ore minerals
Which of the following has not resulted from urban sprawl?
overgrazing
Which of the following pH measurements of rain water would indicate acid precipitation?
pH 4.1
Activities such as construction and agriculture are primary sources of
particulate matter
collapse of ____ can lead to subsidence
pillars in abandoned mines
The National Farmland Protection Program was designed to
protect the farmland from being developed
the designation of wilderness areas
provides for protected habitats
What is reforestation?
replanting trees in an area
Reclamation is the process of
returning land to its original or better condition after mining
The average global temperature has _____ during the 20th century.
risen some years and fallen others, but has increased overall
Irrigation water usually comes from
rivers and groundwater
Regardless of where people live, they are dependent on resources produced in
rural areas
Which of the following is often is used to remove poisonous gases from industrial emissions before they are released into the atmosphere
scrubbers
when a farmer uses no till farming methods,
seeds are planted among the roots of the previous crop
The layer of impurities on top of molten metal that forms during smelting is called
slag
Which of the following is a secondary pollutant?
smog formed in the presence of sunlight
When the acidity of soil increases,
some nutrients are dissolved and washed away
From whom must mining companies obtain permits before mining a site?
state and federal agencies
Which of the following is not a regulation mining companies must follow?
the Hazardous Products Act
An important environmental benefit of open spaces in cities includes
the improvement in air quality resulting from filtering of pollutants by plants
Climate in a region is
the long-term, prevailing atmospheric conditions
Most of the pollution that causes acid precipitation to fall in southeastern Canada is released from
the midwestern and eastern United States
Chlorofluorocarbons molecules are environmentally significant because
their chlorine atoms can destroy many stratospheric ozone molecules
Given that most people live in urban areas, why should rural areas be preserved?
they provide ecological services
Traffic jams, substandard housing, and polluted air and water can be caused by rapid growth in cities, a phenomenon known as
urban crisis
The results of the green revolution were not entirely positive because
use of pesticides and fertilizers increased the risk of pollution
Soil formation
usually involves the decomposition of bedrock
Temperature inversions work to trap pollution when
warm air keeps cooler air at the surface from moving upward
Which of the following is correctly states an observation that helps to explain circulation patterns in the atmosphere?
warm air rises and cools as it rises
Rain frequently results whenever
warm, moist air rises
Which of the following gases is most responsible for the greenhouse effect?
water vapor
During summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the Northern Hemisphere experiences
winter