Environmental Science Review

Large quantities of methane hydrates are located in this region and if released will contribute significantly to global climate change

Alaska

This region of the world is currently experiencing the largest average annual temperature increase because of anthropogenic climate change

Alaska

Which of the following represents a positive feedback loop in the Arctic that is associated with anthropogenic climate change?

Arctic Ocean ice melts -> ocean surface water Temperature increases-> more ice melts

Area where new crust is being created at a divergent plate boundary

Atlantic Ocean

Catalytic converters reduce which of the following pairs of pollutants in car exhaust

Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons

Most homeowners are unaware that their garbage may contain hazardous waste, which should be taken to a designated hazardous waste dump site instead of being placed in their regular trash. All of the following are considered household hazardous waste EXCEPT

Food scraps

Which of the following accurately describes a fuel cell vehicle?

Fuel cell vehicles use hydrogen to generate electricity that runs the motor

Which environment is characterized by the highest diversity of tree species?

High temperatures and high precipitation

Which environment is most likely to be characterized by dry scrub with frequent fires?

High temperatures and low precipitation

Which of the following is true of the Ogallala Aquifer?

It underlies the United States High Plains and is being depleted by overuse

Was once widely used in the United States as a gasoline additive

Lead

Poses a health risk to humans who eat large quantities of marine fish such as swordfish and tuna

Mercury

Which represents the nitrogen cycle?

N2 is absorbed into soil from the air

Area that exhibits island arcs

Near New Zealand and Figi

The suns radiation provides the energy for all of the following except

Plate tectonics

A gaseous decay product of uranium that is found in rocks

Radon

A leading cause of lung cancer in the United States

Radon

Red pine trees are are currently found growing in only the cool northernmost areas of the central and eastern United States. Climate change is expected to have an impact on the distribution of the species. Which of the following describes the most likely change to the distribution of red pine over the next 200 years?

Red pine distribution will shift northward into Canada

This region has been the largest petroleum exporter for the past four decades

Saudi Arabia

For which of the following reasons do small isolated islands have a greater rate of species extinction than larger, less isolated islands?

Small isolated islands have a lower availability of resources

Area that exhibits a growing nonvolcanic mountain chain due to uplift

South Europe

Fragmentation of tropical forests due to human activities is leading to a significant loss of biodiversity in this area

Southwest Africa

Phytoplankton are most abundant in the upper few hundred feet of most bodies of water because

Sunlight does not penetrate to great depths in water

Damaging tornadoes occur most frequently in this area

The United States

Construction of a solar power plant is proposed for a desert area near a school. A student had hypothesized that the shade cast by the solar panels will increase the mortality of creosote bush, a native desert plant in the area. Before construction begins, what experimental data should the student collect in order to eventually test the hypothesis?

The direct sunlight received by creosote bush in the desert area during a 12 month period

Some studies have indicated that global amphibian populations are declining and that exposure to herbicides in agricultural runoff is implicated in the decline. Which of the following is the most likely explanation of how herbicides affect amphibians?

The herbicides act as endocrine disrupters

Most deserts on earth are located near the 30 degree north and 30 degree south latitudes because humidity is lower at 30 degrees. The best explanation for the lower humidity is that

Warm air rises at the equator, cools, and sinks at 30 degrees latitude

Which of the following is a reason why hybrid electric vehicles use less fossil fuel per mile traveled than a typical internal combustion engine vehicle uses?

When the brakes are applied in hybrid electric vehicles, kinetic energy is converted into electric energy to charge the batteries that assist the electric motor

At which time after clear-cutting does the ecosystem exhibit the greatest species richness?

When there is the most plant diversity