Environmental Science Final; Mutiti GCSU

**Effects/consequences of climate change** Temperature patterns

further in future= more emissions= increasing temperature, b/c of ozone hole growing

**Water Pollution** Chemical Pollution

inorganic (inorganic fertilizers) and organic (oil)

**Population Ecology** Survivorship curves (illustrate) -Type 1 -Type 2 -Type 3

is a generalized diagram showing the number of surviving members over time from a measured set of births -1; Common for large animals, low infant mortality, high parental care, usually a long life span -2; Birds, small mammals, reptiles, equal chance of dying at all ages, low parental care -3; Invertebrates, fish, plants, amphibians, tons of babies but most die quickly, some survive by chance, no parental care

Every other greenhouse gas has a much higher global warming potential than CO2, but we worry about CO2 more b/c

it is the most abundant that we contribute to.

Greenhouse Effect

light passes through the atmosphere; hits the earth; the light is absorbed and changed; the heat dissipates back to outer space; some heat is trapped by greenhouse gases and warms the earth

Water is renewable, but

limited

Evaporation

liquid to gas; into the atmosphere; condensation; precipitation

Independent variable

variable manipulated by researcher, located on x-axis

How is water distributed on Earth?

very unevenly

**Effects/consequences of climate change** Precipitation patterns

warmer air holds more moisture; increase precip. in some areas and decrease in others

Heat is the most...

useless form of energy; b/c it keeps dissipating and it is not evenly spaced out

Primary pollutants

the moment it goes into the air, it is already a pollutant

Streams and rivers

"blood vessels" that drain the earth's surface, moving water from the highest points (mountains) to the lowest (oceans) -our most important source of water; b/c they are accessible/everywhere

Illustrate how hydrogen and oxygen are bonded

**refer to notes**

**Regulation of Pollution** The Rivers and Harbors Act

-1899; AKA the Refuse Act, prohibited dumping solid waste and obstructed of water ways.

**Global Distribution** -Fresh water -Saline(oceans)

-3% -97%

**Global Distribution** Of that fresh water: -Ground water -Icecaps & glaciers

-30.1% -68.7%

What percent of water use is: -agricultural -industry -residential

-7%; crop irrigation, watering of livestock -20% -10%

Greenhouse gases in order of important to climate change

-Carbon Dioxide (CO2) -Methane (CH4) -Nitrus Oxide (N2O) -Fluorinated gases including: CFCs, HFCs, PFCs, and Sulfur Hexafluoride

The Carbon Cycle (be able to present in drawing; refer to notes) -General info about carbon

-Carbon forms the biomolecules from which all life is made -If something is living, it contains carbon

How does the process of eutrophication work?

-Excess nutrients (fertilizer: inorganic; buy in store & organic; manure/compost) -Runoff to surface water -Algal bloom (photosynthetic) -Algal death and decomposition (using oxygen) -DO decreases= death (fish, ect.)

**Effects/consequences of climate change** Sea level rising

-LAND ICE causes sea level to rise; sea ice does not effect it (b/c that space is already accounted for) -warmer temperatures= melting ice -thermal expansion of water= higher temp

**Effects/consequences of climate change** Ocean acidification -Most probable cause for?

-More CO2 in atmosphere= more hydrogen ions= lower pH= MORE ACIDIC -Most probable cause for coral bleaching; also effects formation of shells

Hydrogen fuel cell and impacts on the environment

-NO CO2 -combining hydrogen and oxygen creates current -waste product= water, fuel= hydrogen -where to store, must invest in energy first

Gases that make up the atmosphere (percentages)

-Nitrogen 78% -Oxygen 20% -Argon 0.9% (special b/c it does not reacts so it rarely changes) {Carbon Dioxide, Water (H2O) Vapor, & several others- mostly air pollutants, O3} VARY

What kinds of substances can dissolve in water and why?

-Polar -Ionic: salt (NaCl)

Know how to conduct an experiment. For example: say you want to test whether tutoring helps improve performance on exams, how would you go about doing this?

-Question: does tutoring improve grades? -Hypothesis: tutoring improves grades. -Prediction: tutored students will have higher grades. -Experiment: 0hr, 30min, 1hr, 2hr (time is ind. variable); 5 replicates (average each); (exam scores are dep. variable) -Create graph w results: bar graph -Conclusion: based on our results, student who were tutored scored better on tests.

**Impacts of fossil fuels** Coal

-black lung disease: miners get; kills lung tissue turning the lungs black -mountain top removal: destroying ecosystems -acid mine drainage: changes pH (way more hydrogen ions) -greenhouse gas emissions: main gas released when burning coal- CO2 (also comes from humans through cellular respiration) -Acid rain -Human health: air pollution, causing diseases

**Impacts of fossil fuels** Oil & natural gas

-ecosystem destruction -oil spills -fracking; contaminating water, ect. -climate change (CO2 and greenhouse gases being released)

Driving forces behind the hydrologic cycle:

-heat energy (from sun) -gravity

Geothermal energy (not directly related or associated w/ the sun) -Limitation

-hot spring; related to chemical reactions that take place in the core of the earth -not everywhere has this

Hypothesis vs. prediction

-hypothesis is a suggested explanation of an event -prediction is what you think will happen

**Regulation of Pollution** Clean Water Act (1972)

-improvement of previous law, lead to creation of EPA -goal to establish zero pollution discharge -standards are set by federal gov (EPA), but implemented by the state and local govs -covers point and non-point pollution -must have permit to discharge

Gaseous biomass

-in: food scraps, animal manure -out: methane gas (CH4) -releases CO2

Impacts of wind energy on the environment

-kill birds/wildlife -hard to store -not always there

Oceans

-largest contributor to hydrologic cycle -influence global climate -significant amount of biological diversity

Bioenergy

-largest used worldwide -anything that is or was once living that we are now using as fuel -ex: roasting marshmallow, during trash in incinerator

**Water Pollution** Biological Pollution

-leaves falling in river -disease causing bacteria

What is rainfall? What are the 3 main kinds?

-liquid falling from atmosphere 1. frontal: warm and cold air meet 2. convective 3. orographic

Efforts to combat nutrient pollution:

-maintain buffer zones -protecting, restoring, and/or building wetlands -improve sewage treatment plant efficiency -reduce fossil fuel combustion

**Global Distribution** Where is it stored: -Majority of water on the planet: -Majority of planet's freshwater:

-ocean -icecaps

Solar Energy; passive and active

-passive: don't need to actively do something to release energy (hanging clothes on a clothes line) -active: need to invest in some mechanism to capture light and transform it to energy (photovoltaics: solar panels)

Tidal power and impacts on the environment

-put dam across the opening to an estuary or bay; tides push water through turbine -similar impacts to hydroelectric; destroys ecosystems

**Water Scarcity** -Physical -Economic

-quantity: not enough -quality

Impacts of solar energy on the environment

-radioactive materials -destroying ecosystems to find area w/ enough sunlight -expensive

**Effects/consequences of climate change** Melting snow and ice

-sea ice: impacts arctic habitats and population migration patterns, contributes to thermal pollution and thermal expansion -land ice: dilutes nearby ocean water, may contain other pollutants deposited into ocean water, may lead to permafrost thawing

Anthropogenic Air Pollutants; give examples of stationary and mobile

-stationary: burning smoke stack (factories) -mobile: car/vehicles

Natural Air Pollutants; give examples of stationary and mobile

-stationary: volcano -mobile: forest fires

Atmospheric Layers (there are four) "The Most Simple Thing"

-troposphere -stratosphere -mesosphere -thermosphere

Impacts of hydroelectric power on the environment

-use of extra energy -dams destroy wildlife and ecosystems

Hydroelectric power

-very popular in some countries -potential energy is stored in the water "produces"/transforms into kinetic (dam) -NO CO2

Describe how water flows from one RESERVOIR to another via the hydrologic cycle:

-will be fill in the blanks -refer to illustration in notes

Practice Problem: -Population size= 1325 -Population growth rate= 53 Find r (per capita growth rate)

53= r(1325) =0.04 per capita growth rate

Criteria pollutants

1. CO 2. Lead (toxic) 3. Ground Ozone, O3 (secondary) 4. NO2 5. SO2 6. Particulate Matter - All but O3 are primary

Clean Air Act

1970; sets goals and standards for the quality and purity of air in the United States

Ozone (O3)

3 atoms of oxygen combined

What is eutrophication?

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae.

Adaptation vs Migration

A: change in our behavior in response to changing climate M: attempt to "fix" the problem We need to combine

Types of UV rays: A, B, & C

A: least harmful, can pass through B: most harmful, does not reach C: most harmful that reaches

High Heat of Vaporization:

Amount of energy needed to change 1 gram to a liquid or a gas. -Benefit: sweat cools us down

Main source of indoor air pollution in developed countries:

Radon gas, particulate matter, cigarette smoke.

What are CFCs?

Chlorofluorocarbons; very stable b/c they are man-made (synthetic)- b/c it doesn't occur in nature it is not easy to break down

What kind of bond is holding O3?

Covalent; b/c they are sharing electrons

What are fossil fuels and why are they non-renewable?

Found underneath earth's surface; combustible (burn to release energy); made up of remains of things that were living in the geologic past -"non-renewable" b/c it takes an extremely long time to make them, we only have what is here now

Polar covalent bond b/t atoms (in water)

H has 1 electron and O has 8 electrons

Chemical composition of water:

H20

What is specific heat capacity?

How much energy is needed to heat up. -Waters hydrogen bonds cause it to have a high specific heat capacity.

**Global Distribution** How much is actually usable?

Less than 1% of the 3% of fresh water

Which physical state is most dense?

Liquid

What is the role of the ozone?

Protects from harmful rays reaching the earth

Which physical state contains the least amount of energy?

Solid

How does the Law of Conservation of Mass relate to water?

The amount of water on the planet stays the same; never changing.

Zone of saturation

The lower zone where water accumulates between small rock particles. AKA: groundwater

What is the Hydrologic Cycle?

The movement of water and it's change in form as it moves in the atmosphere and on earth between living and non-living things.

Zone of aeration

The upper zone which usually isn't completely filled with water, but with rocks and soil too. ( Is about Ground water) -plant roots get water

Cohesion

Water molecules are attracted to one another; hydrogen bond

Adhesion

Water molecules attracted/stick to other things (b/c adhesion- water bead forms)

Why do we put up dams?

To create a pool of water as a reservoir; drinking water, irrigation, fishing

Main sources of indoor air pollution in developing countries:

burning woody biomass, releasing particulate matter and CO.

Is water vapor a greenhouse gas?

Yes

Is there enough freshwater?

Yes, but distribution is an issue

What is an atmosphere?

a complex mix of gases that surrounds the earth (ex: candy apple); it is being attracted to the earth by gravity

Sustainability

ability to use resources responsibly now and not limit the availability of these resources for future generations

Carbon neutrality

adding the same amount that has been removed

**Water Pollution** Non-Point Source

almost impossible to pin point the source

Replication (replicates)

always have replicates to obtain a more accurate result; average these results in conclusions and graphs

Aquifer

an underground geological formation able to store and yield water

Nutrient pollution

any pollution that contains a lot of nutrients (Nitrates and Phosphates), examples include inorganic fertilizers, animal feces, and sewage

Toxic Pollutants

associated with cancer and birth defects; long term

Hydrogen bond:

b/t molecules

Secondary pollutants

became a pollutant because of something that happened to it

Water table:

boundary b/t zone of aeration and the groundwater

Impacts of bioenergy on the environment

burning gas to produce corn, ect; releasing CO2

**Water Pollution** Point Source

coming from one specific place (ex: pipe)

**Regulation of Pollution** 1948; Federal Water Pollution Act was enacted

covered contamination from sewage outfalls

How are waves measured?

crest to crest; the longer the length, the lower the energy and vice versa

Practice Problem: -Death rate= 0.5 -Birth rate= 0.12 -Population= 550 bears -Population growth rate= 36 Find K (carrying capacity)

dN/dt= rN(1-N/K) 36= 0.7(1-550/K) K= 8.470

Solar Radiation

energy from the sun; energy that travels in waves AND can travel through a vacuum

Kinetic energy, give ex

energy of motion; heat

Rills

erosion channels on bare soils

Fluxes/processes:

evaporation, precipitation, condensation, melting, runoff, consumption, extraction, infiltration, percolation, transpiration, sublimation, excretion, perspiration, respiration

Logistic growth

exponential until it reaches carrying capacity

**Global Distribution** Where is the majority of USABLE water stored?

groundwater

Population

group of individuals of the same species occupying a given area at a given time

Exponential growth

grows faster as time goes on

Wind energy (kinetic to kinetic)

has to be active/transformed

Industrial Smog

heat source: industry

Photochemical Smog

heat source: sunlight

**Water Pollution** Physical Pollution

heat/thermal

Difference b/t moving matter and energy in an ecosystem: -Illustrate how this works (in notes)

matter moves through both living and non-living things, energy only moves through living things

Control

not manipulated, kept the same, used for reference and comparison

Largest contributor to the hydrologic cycle:

oceans

Reservoirs for the hydrologic cycle:

oceans, glaciers/ice, ground water, lakes, soil/land, atmosphere (water vapor/clouds), rivers, plants, and animals

What human activities threaten biodiversity in oceans?

overfishing and pollution

Dependent variable

result/outcome of manipulated variable, located on y-axis

Milankovitch Cycles

proposed that changes in the geometry of the Earth's orbit around the sun are responsible for the advance and retreat of continental ice sheets (glacial-interglacial intervals)

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

quickly react, contains carbon -new car smell -benzine: found in gasoline, toxic pollutant

Acid rain

rain mixes with gases in air and becomes acidic before it even hits the ground

Illustrate the ozone-oxygen cycle

refer to notes

Global Warming

rise in global temperature DUE to an increase in greenhouse gases; too much is being absorbed

Scientific Method

series of well defined steps; -make an observation -ask a question -form a hypothesis that answers the question -make a prediction based on the hypothesis -do an experiment that tests the prediction -analyze the results

Covalent bond:

sharing electrons

**Population Ecology** Age Structure Diagrams

shows distribution by ages of females and males within a certain population in graphic form (females on right, males on left) -many countries have a female majority due to the longer life expectancy for females

**Population Ecology** Demographic Transition Model (illustrate)

shows patterns of birth rate and death rate that typically occur

Rivulet

small stream

Physical states of water:

solid, liquid, and gas

Floodplains

store excess water on a temporary basis; filter storm water, recharge groundwater

Potential energy, give ex

stored energy; wood

Population Ecology

study of populations and their change over time

Energy

the ability to do work; sun is the biggest form/supply

Consumptive water use:

water use that does not return water to its source, but instead leads to water being lost to evaporation, transported to another area, or contamination -personal use -ex: irrigation *illustration in notes*

Non-consumptive water use:

water use that returns water to its source -ex: power plants *illustration in notes*

Precautionary Principle

when health of humans and environment are at stake, no need for scientific proof to take action