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