EVR 2001 Final Exam

In what 4 ways do the Oceans influence water and climate?

A major source of water The main source of heat entering the atmosphere Have high heat capacity (absorb energy when heated) Currents convey heat through the globe

What is soil degradation?

A reduction in the capacity of soil to support plant life and to perform ecosystem functions.

Dryland ecosystems are defined by what?

Drylands cover 41% of Earth's ice free land, They are defined by precipitation not temperature.

What 2 things occur with surface (strip) mining?

Dynamite breaks overlying areas Giant power shovels remove overlying rocks and coal

What is ENSO?

El Nino/La Nina Southern Oscillation

What is electrical power? The electricity itself is what?

Electric power: the amount of work done by an electric current over a given time. Electricity is an energy carrier; it transfers energy from a primary source to its point source.

Virtually all coal that the U.S. produces is used to generate what?

Electricity

Where does ENSO take place?

Equatorial Pacific Ocean

What is one of the most crucial forms of soil degradation?

Erosion (soil and humus particles are picked up and carried away by water and wind).

Know the relative sizes of gravel, sand, silt, and clay (Figure 11-3)

Gravel: larger than sand (rocks) Sand: Silt: Clay: smallest

What is a carbon sink?

Half of the carbon is removed by sinks. A sink absorbs CO2 and keeps it from accumulating at a more rapid rate in the atmosphere.

We can become more oil independent how?

Increase fuel efficiency of our transportation systems (which uses most of the oil) Develop alternatives to fossil fuels Use the other fossil fuel resources we have to make fuel for vehicles (this leads us to some non-conventional sources of oil)

Regarding soil restoration, what is bioremediation?

Using organisms (microbes, plants) to remove pollutants.

What is the drawback of turning a primary source of energy into a secondary source of energy?

Using primary energy to make secondary energy loses more energy than using it directly (example: burning coal).

Energy from the Sun enters the atmosphere in the form of what?

visible UV light (shortwave radiation)

What is climate change?

A change in average long-term and large-scale climate patterns, from natural and human factors.

Crude oil that is extracted from the ground is a mixture of what? Before this mixture can be used, what must happen to it?

A mix of hydrocarbons an contaminants (sulfur and nitrogen). It must be refined to separate hydrocarbons and remove the contaminants.

When it comes to electrical demand in the U.S., know about base, intermediate, and peak electricity needs.

Baseload: the constant supply of power provided by large coal burning and nuclear power plants. As demand rises during the day, a utility uses additional power sources. Intermediate and peak load power sources that can be turned on and off (power source: gas, diesel).

What is the difference in a brownout and a blackout?

Brownouts result from a deficiency in available power and cause a reduction in voltage. Blackout are a total loss of power (events occur during peak demand).

The most significant anthropogenic greenhouse gas is what?

CO2

What is the world's most abundant fossil fuel?

Coal

At first, the major fuel for steam engines was what? As this became scarce, what was used next?

Coal was substituted for scarce firewood.

What is black lung disease?

Coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP)

Some of the projected outcomes of climate change include what 7 things?

Decreased snow and ice cover will open up the arctic ocean Warming and more fresh north Atlantic ocean water will slow thermohaline circulation More intense storms with higher wind speeds, extreme wave heights, more intense rain Acidified oceans will threaten coral reefs and shellfish 50% fewer outbreaks of cold air in the northern hemisphere More frequent and longer heat waves Dry regions will get dryer, while wet areas will get wetter

As the erosion of topsoil diminishes a soil's capacity to retain water and nutrients, drylands become what?

Deserts

What happens during ENSO?

ENSO interrupts/reverses trade winds Atmospheric pressure centers shift and produce globally erratic climates

How is CO2 formed from the burning of fossil fuels?

Each carbon atom in the fuel picks up 2 oxygen atoms in the course of burning and become CO2

What is the drawback of plowing? How does crops rotation help this issue?

Exposes soil to wind and water erosion; causes splash erosion (raindrops break up the clumpy structure of topsoil), decreases aeration and infiltration, evaporative water loss is increased. Crop rotation is sustainable (planting a cash crop one year but other years planting hay and clover which fixes nitrogen and adds organic matter).

What is oil shale?

Fine sedimentary rock containing kerogen

Know the 3 methods of irrigation discussed in the textbooks and in class.

Flood irrigation (water flows into canals in fields) Most wasteful. Center-pivot irrigation (water is pumped from a well into a giant pivoting sprinkler) Drip irrigation (tubes take water directly to plants) More water conserving

We humans get our energy from what?

Food

Who do we depend on for half of our crude oil?

Foreign sources

Soil holds carbon from where?

From leaf litter and dead organisms (3x as much as held in the atmosphere and plants)

What 3 attributes of soil are significant in its ability to deal with water?

Infiltration (water soaks into soil) Water-holding capacity (ability to hold water after it infiltrates) Evaporative water loss (depletes soil of water)

What are less fuel-efficient models of vehicles?

Large, fuel efficient cars are driven (SUV, minivan, light trucks)

What are the objections to Keystone XL?

Leaks could happen, crossing sensitive lands or recharge zones for aquifers, forests to be destroyed, greenhouse gas generations, and Canada would not guarantee oil sails to the U.S.

Know the 3 fractions of refined crude oil.

Lighter, thinner fractions (kerosene, gasoline) Heavier, thicker fractions (diesel) Heaviest, thickest fractions (wax, asphalt)

What is weathering?

Physical and chemical breakdown of parent material into smaller fragments.

What are 2 examples of organic fertilizer?

Plant and animal wastes (manure and compost).

What is the broader ecological impact of overgrazing?

Plants can't keep up with consumption, grasses lea to erosion and barren land. Livestock compete with native animals for food, reducing the population of native species. Livestock pollute waterways with sediments and their waste.

In the mutually supportive relationship between plants and soils, what are 3 ways in which plants support/protect soil?

Plants support soil organisms since most detritus come from green plants. Plants reduce erosion and evaporative water loss. Without these advantages, then mineralization occurs, reducing the amount of topsoil.

What are the 2 reasons that nuclear power technology is mistrusted?

Potential for accidents Disposal of waste

How is albedo related to cooling?

Prevents some warming by reflecting some of the solar radiation into space before it ever reaches the ground

What is the difference in primary and secondary energy sources?

Primary: used in the form found in nature (sun, geothermal, coal, wood, nuclear) Secondary: made from primary energy (electricity, energy holding systems)

How can we develop a low-carbon energy future?

Pursue nuclear power Promote renewable energy application

Mining is big business around the world. What are rare Earth elements?

Rare elements are used for electronics (China leads in mining these).

What are proxies?

Records providing information on climate form much further back in time (include tree rings, pollen deposits, marine sediments, corals)

Regarding fossil fuel deposits, why are they nonrenewable?

They are all created very slowly and are considered nonrenewable because extraction is happening faster than they can generate.

What 4 things are involved in cooling via albedo?

Thick, low-lying clouds have an albedo effect The cryosphere (snow, glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice) reflect sunlight, contributing to planetary albedo Aerosols scatter sunlight and help form clouds, increasing planetary albedo Volcanoes can lead to planetary cooling

Why do scientists study ancient climates?

To figure out whether such changes could happen today

What is the mission of the IPCC?

To provide accurate information leading to an understanding of human induced climate change.

Do forests continue to be cleared at high rates today? When is the problem particularly acute?

Tropical soils (oxisols) lack nutrients due to leaching, rains wash the thin layer, or humus, away leaving only the nutrient-poor subsoil.

What is the lowest layer of the atmosphere called? What 2 things are unique about it?

Troposphere All of our weather happens here Contains almost all clouds and water vapor

"Electrical power is the ultimate clean, non-polluting energy source." What is true and false about this statement?

True: using electricity creates no pollution. False: generating electricity creates pollution.

Why are mining companies turning towards surface mining?

Underground mining cause land subsidence and fires.

What is CHP?

Use combined heat and power technologies. Waste heat produces electricity and heats buildings.

What is thermal pollution and in what scenario would we observe this?

Waste energy discharged into natural waterways. Transferring waste heat into water kills plankton and impacts the ecosystem.

What is gully erosion?

Water joins into rivulets an streams, waters greater volume, velocity, energy remove soil an results in formation of gullies.

What 3 things do stomata exchange?

Water vapor and oxygen exit, carbon dioxide enters.

What is Keystone XL?

Would take it 1700 miles to refineries on the coast of Texas

What did the U.S. do in response to the oil crisis (higher prices) of the 1970's?

increased domestic production, built the Alaskan pipeline, reopened old fields, congress increased fuel efficiency standards and lowered speed limits, created strategic oil reserve, encouraged oil production in non-OPEC countries, influenced new discoveries

Absorbed energy is radiated back to space as what?

long wave infrared heat

Which greenhouse gas can have a warming or cooling effect?

Ozone

What is the greenhouse gas effect?

An increase in atmospheric temperature caused by molecules (gases) that absorb and trap heat.

What is ocean acidification?

As the oceans take up more and more CO2, there is a decrease in oceanic pH.

What was the breakthrough that launched the Industrial Revolution?

The steam engine

What are the "other" greenhouse gases?

Methane Nitrous oxide Ozone

Where were new discoveries made in the 1980's that allowed the world to be less dependent on OPEC oil?

Mexico, Africa, and the North Sea

Until recently, most natural gas was mined from where?

Mined from fields associated with oil and coal

What is the parent material? Where can parent material be deposited from?

Mineral material of the soil Can be from wind, water, or ice

What OTHER product can shale yield?

Natural gas

Of the 3 primary fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), which is the most desirable in terms of pollution? Why?

Natural gas because it is cleaner.

Do any power plants have a way to control CO2 emissions?

New plants do not control CO2 emissions, the technology is still being developed.

What are the two broad categories of energy we use to power machinery, heat our homes, communicate, travel, etc.?

Non-renewable fossil fuels and renewable energy (solar/wind).

Who has the largest oil sand deposits?

Northern Alberta, Canada

Why doesn't weathering (which releases nutrients) support normal plant growth? So where do the nutrients that support plant growth in ecosystems come from?

Nutrients become available through rock weathering but it is much too slow for plant growth. From the breakdown and release of nutrients from detritus.

What is an inorganic fertilizer?

Nutrients without organic compounds (does not support soil organisms or build soil structure).

Name a carbon sink.

Ocean Plants Seagrasses Biota Forests

When it comes to practices that cause erosion, what are the 3 discussed in the textbook and in class?

Overcultivation Overgrazing Deforestation

Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel. What does it produce when burned? What does it virtually NOT produce when burned?

Releases carbon dioxide and water but not hydrocarbons and sulfur oxides.

For their best growth, plants need what 5 things?

Root environment that supplies mineral nutrients, water, oxygen, near neutral pH, and low salinity.

What is salinization? Why would this occur if we use freshwater to irrigate?

Salts accumulate in and on the soil to the point where plants can't grow. Even the freshest irrigation water has some salt.

Why aren't sandy soils good soils? Why aren't clays good soils?

Sand soil has poor water holding capacity and dries out quickly. This precludes it from being a choice for soil agriculture. Clay soils don't allow infiltration or aeration.

During combustion, can sulfur dioxide be prevented from entering the atmosphere? If so, how?

Scrubbers are used to reduce air pollution

What is oil sand?

Sedimentary material containing bitumen

In most other developed countries, the price of gasoline is what? (compared to the U.S.)

So heavily taxed that is costs consumers upward of $6 per gallon where as in the U.S. it has been below $3 for most of the past 20 years

What is soil fertility?

Soils ability to support plant growth.

What are oxisols?

Soils of tropical and subtropical rain forests.

What 4 things do soils provide?

Supporting crop growth Filtering water Helping Earth's nutrient cycles Exchanges of gases

Coal can be obtained by what 2 methods?

Surface mining Underground mining

Why is the challenge of climate change unique?

There has never been a civilization that has had to deal with this before so there is no reference or guidance about it.

What are hydric soils?

These soils indicate a wetland or aquatic site and are used to delineate wetland boundaries for development or protection.

What does the current Keystone pipeline do?

Take it to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma

What is the Stratosphere? What 2 things are unique about it?

Temperature increases with altitude Ozone shield screens out sun's UV rays

What is OPEC?

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (consisted of mostly Arab countries)

The ultimate source of most of the energy on Earth is what? This energy is released by what?

The Sun The energy is released by nuclear reactions.

Here in the U.S., how is coal UNLIKE oil and natural gas?

The U.S. produces more coal than is uses and even exports 6%. China is the world's leading coal producer. 45% of U.S. electricity comes from coal-fired power plants.

Why is the climate of the UK much more mild than the same latitude in Canada and the Northeastern US?

The movement of warm water to the north atlantic transfers enormous amounts of heat toward Europe, providing a much warmer than expected climate.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a consequence of what?

The need to develop wells in deeper water and deeper below the seafloor in order to keep production up.

What does desertification mean and what does it NOT mean?

The soils ability to retain water and nutrients is reduced; does not mean the spread of deserts.