APES

The solid arrows and the dashed arrows indicate the direction of solar radiation and infrared radiation, respectively, which flow to and from Earth, the atmosphere, and space. The numbers express units, in relative terms, of the total incoming solar or outgoing infrared energy. How many units of energy are absorbed by Earth's surface?

120

Recent evidence from polar ice core analysis shows that, until now, carbon dioxide levels have never exceeded ____ppm in the last several hundred thousand years.

300

The average pH of rainfall in natural settings is

5.0-5.6

Which of the following are direct products of the use of hydrocarbon fuels in automobile engines?

CO2, NOx, VOCs

Which one of the following is NOT yet regulated by the EPA?Sulfur and nitrogen oxides? Lead? Carbon dioxide? Ozone? Or carbon monoxide?

Carbon dioxide

Although the polar regions radiate away more heat energy than they receive by insolation in the course of a year, they are prevented from becoming progressively colder each year by the:

Circulation of heat by the atmosphere and oceans

Recent studies show that a decline of some tree populations in the northeastern United States is due to a combination of factors. Which of the following is the most important factor?

Toxic metals feed by acid deposition

All of the following are likely consequences of indoor air pollution except an increase in:

a. the risk of developing skin cancer

important factors that contribute to smog formation in the Los Angeles basin include which of the following?

ample summer sunshine and high concentration of automobiles

Milankovitch cycles ________.

are changes in Earth's rotation and orbit around the sun that may trigger climate variation

The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the United States is from

burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation

has a stronger affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen has

carbon monoxide

The majority of atmospheric mercury is produced by

coal-burning power plants

Which of the following is LEAST likely to be an effect of global warming?

decreased rate of photosynthesis in vegetation

What are the three main anthropogenic sources of gaseous air pollutants in the US?

gaseous air pollutants in the US are industry, transportation, and energy production.

One of the problems that occurs as a consequence of CFC pollution is ________.

increasing skin cancer in humans

a greenhouse gas that is flammable and produced by landfills

methane

The atmosphere around Earth can cause global warming because ________.

molecules in the atmosphere are warmed by radiation from Earth and retain that heat

Ground level ozone in most major United States cities results primarily from

motor vehicle exhaust

The Los Angeles smog problem is made much worse by ________.

nearby mountains and the warm sunshine which causes inversion layers

comes from rocks below house foundations and has been implicated as the cause of as much as 15 percent of lung cancer cases

radon

comes from burning fossil fuels with high sulfur content, is an important precursor to acid rain

sulfur dioxide

If the air layers in the diagram were relabeled to illustrate normal atmospheric conditions, the correct labeling from the air layer closest to the Earth's surface to the one farthest from the Earth's surface would be

warm air, cool air, cooler air

Air near Earth's surface tends to be ________.

warmer and wetter; then it rises, expanding and cooling