Unit 4 FRQs

4) Describe how the proposed change from coal to wind could decrease the ecological footprint of the community.

Burning coal to get energy expels lots of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, so it plays a significant part in heating the earth. Too much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases overheat the earth and influence global warming. Turning to wind energy will help decrease the amount of greenhouse gases that are outputted into the atmosphere.

1) iii) Describe how the activity identified in part (a)(ii) could affect the relative abundance of the major greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Burning fossil fuels releases large quantities of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, so there are increased amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

1) c-iii In addition to direct measurements, relative sea surface temperatures can be inferred with radar measurements from satellites. Cold sea surface water will be further away from the satellite than warm sea surface water. Explain why this occurs.

Cold water sinks because it is more dense, so it will be further away from the satellite.

1) c-iv Describe how the results of the study would differ in total rainfall over a six-month period in the southeastern United States if the data were collected during a La Niña year rather than an El Niño year.

During La Nina, normal conditions are just intensified. Southeast US tends to be a drier and warmer climate, so rainfall would decrease since La Nina would make the south even drier and warmer.

3) a- Describe what an El Niño is and clearly indicate where it occurs.

El Nino is when the ocean currents reverse and the winds stall or reverse. Warm surface water circulates towards South America, where it would normally circulate towards Australia. This occurs in the tropical Pacific ocean, specifically between Australia and South America, which are the continents most effected.

4) Every few years in the Southern Hemisphere, the winds over the Pacific Ocean, as shown in the diagrams, weaken or reverse direction. Describe the typical change to the weather pattern that happens along the northwestern coast of South America during those years.

El Nino occurs during this time. It happens every few years in the tropical Pacific Ocean and causes winds to reverse/stall and ocean currents reverse. The weather pattern on the northwestern coast of South America will become warmer and wetter. This leads to increased rainfall and a higher risk of flooding, landslides, and mudslides.

1) b-ii Explain how a change in the atmosphere that results from El Niño conditions represented in the model would affect Australia.

El Niño creates dry conditions in Australia, which means that the continent is now more prone to droughts and fires. Lessened accessibility to water sources means that the plants and animal life may decrease as water becomes scarce.

1) i) Describe how the solar radiation that arrives at the equator is redistributed around the Earth through atmospheric circulation.

Energy from the sun heats up the earth and warms the atmosphere. Heat can then be redistributed by convection currents, which form as a result of unequal heating. Unequal heating also alters ocean and wind currents that redistribute the heat.

5 Identify one agricultural practice that can lead to elevated nitrate levels in groundwater.

Excess use of fertilizers means that more nitrates are infiltrating the groundwater

5 Describe how the practice you identified in (c)(i) leads to elevated nitrate levels in groundwater.

Fertilizers are rich in nitrates, so when it precipitates, the nitrates percolate into the ground and infiltrate groundwater sources.

2) b- Assume that the maximum arable land area on Earth is 4.00 billion hectares. Using the smooth curve that you created above, determine the year in which the human population is likely to run out of arable land for agriculture.

Following the pattern on the chart, Earth could reach its 4 billion mark at around the year 2045.

4) Based on the information in the diagrams, explain how the seasonal wind direction could affect local weather at location 1.

For location 1 in January, cooler air is coming from the north. This could lead to colder temperatures and possibly snow in some areas. In July, warm, moist air comes from the equator. This could increase rainfall and chance of storms.

1) ii) Identify one human activity that could directly contribute to global climate change.

Humans burn large quantities of fossil fuels, which expels lots of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, so it traps heat in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming.

1) b-iii Describe one environmental effect resulting from the conditions represented in the model that could have a negative effect on humans in western South America.

Humans in western South America experience warm and wet conditions. This means that there is a higher risk of flooding and landslides, which decimate residential areas and can take many lives.

4) Identify a reasonable hypothesis for the investigation.

If wind energy is used instead of energy used from burning coal, greenhouse gas concentrations will decrease.

2) d- Describe TWO viable strategies for reducing the amount of land needed for agriculture.

Implementing the practice of crop rotation would increase soil fertility and produce more crops, so less land would be needed since the abundance of crops increased. Livestock need lots of land so graze on and end up hurting the land by diminishing the natural plants and resources as well as producing lots of waste that runs into bodies of water. Cutting back on livestock by eating lower on the food chain would help reduce the amount of land needed for agriculture.

4) Based on the information in the diagrams, describe the seasonal changes in global wind patterns between January and July at location 1

In January, the winds home from the north in location one. In July, the winds come from the southwest.

4) For winds in the Southern Hemisphere that blow out of the south and are directed northward toward the equator, as shown in the diagrams, identify the direction toward which they are deflected and explain why this deflection occurs.

In the Southern Hemisphere, winds are deflected towards the left because of the Coriolis Effect. The Coriolis Effect is due to the fact that the earth rotates on its axis, so in the Southern Hemisphere, wind is deflected and curves to the left.

3) d- Clearly describe two other important environmental problems associated with ENSOs.

Increased rainfall can cause flooding and landslides, which decimate residential areas and wildlife habitats, therefore killing species and decreasing diversity. Increased land temperatures causes droughts, which causes fires and kills species.

4) Describe one economic problem that is a result of the weather change described in part (e).

Increased rainfall means that the northwestern coast of South America is more prone to weather disasters such as floods, landslides, and mudslides. These events destroy lots of properly and can wipe out whole villages. These events can also ruin agriculture and crops, which causes lots of lost revenue. Destroyed property and means of income damages the economy.

5 Identify one specific biotic component of the A horizon

Microorganisms such as bacteria

5 Explain one way acid deposition onto soil can affect plant health.

Plants have a specific range of tolerance for acidity in soil. Acid deposition can cause the soil to move out of the range of acidity tolerance for plants, therefore causing the species to die.

5 Climate change is causing far-reaching ecosystem changes, including soil degradation in many of the world's biomes. Describe TWO ways that climate change can degrade soil.

Rising sea levels could flood coastal areas, leading to increased erosion of soil that is being washed away. The soil will also have increased salinization because of the saltwater of the ocean. Increased global temperatures can lead to a lack of precipitation, which causes desertification of the soil and climates.

3) c- People in what part of the world would be most likely to be affected by this link between El Niño and disease?

South America, especially the western coast.

5 Describe how TWO climate factors affect the rate of soil formation.

Temperature- high temperatures quicken the process of the decay of organic matter, which is a key component in soil formation. Soil formation would increase. However, cold temperatures slow these processes down, so soil formation would slow down. Precipitation- lots of precipitation facilitates the weathering of rock, which is the basis of soil erosion. However, lots of precipitation can also increase erosion, which disrupts the process of soil formation by sweeping the components away.

3) b- Describe the connection between the climate change associated with an El Niño and the transmission of diseases. Explain whether the article is correct in its reporting of the various disease epidemics that occur in response to an El Niño.

The article claims that the changing surface temperature during El Nino intensifies the conditions for the rapid spread of disease. During El Nino, South America gets very hot and wet. These conditions can bring out more mosquitoes, which transmit diseases such as yellow fever. Hotter conditions can also deplete water sources, so people may turn to dirtier, bacteria-infested water where they may get cholera. I think that the article is correct, but I do not think that the increase of disease transmission is that drastic in comparison to non-El Nino conditions.

1) b-i) Describe a change in ocean circulation that results from an El Niño event that is represented in the model

The currents reverse so that instead of the warm water circulating towards Australia, it now circulates towards South America. This means that the upwelling now occurs near Australia, not South America.

2) a- Describe how the curve of a graph would look regarding the data above

The curve would increase as time went on.

1) c-ii Identify the control group in the study.

The effects and intensity of El Nino

4) Identify one characteristic of the expected climate on the slope of a mountain farthest from the ocean, when the prevailing winds carry air from the ocean over land, up the slope of a mountain, and over the other side.

The event described above is the Rain Shadow Effect. The side of the mountain facing away from the ocean is very arid and dry with not a lot of life or biodiversity. This is because the windward side of the mountain blocks the leeward side, and therefore gets all of the wind and moisture.

4)Based on the information in the diagrams, explain why the days in location 5 have more hours of daylight in December than the days in location 2 have in December.

The way Earth is tilted on its axis, location 5 is tilted towards the sun and therefore has more hours of daylight that location 2, which does not face the sun in December.

5 (Describe one method for remediating soil affected by acid deposition.

You can add crushed limestone or marble dust to amend the soil.

1) c-i Identify a dependent variable in the study

amount of rainfall

2) c- Soil quality is a critical factor in agriculture. Identify TWO physical and/or chemical properties of soils and describe the role of each property in determining soil quality.

pH- plants thrive in different acidy levels of soil. Different plants have different levels of tolerance, so pH plays a big factor. Water capacity- some plants need lots of water to survive, so it is important that the soil can retain enough water to support the needs of the plants.

5 Identify one abiotic component of the A horizon.

rocks

4) Other than positioning the turbines to be exposed to the same wind direction and speed, identify one variable that would have been held constant in the investigation.

the type of wind turbine