Environmental systems exam review
Which pH measurements of rainwater would indicate acid precipitation?
5-1
Land where it is possible to grow crops is called, ___________________.
Agriculture
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
What is a quarry?
An open pit
Which trends are related to global warming?
Carbon dioxide levels have risen over the last 30 years. Global temperature and carbon dioxide concentration are related. By itself, reforestation is not sufficient to slow global warming.
Compared energy consumption for washing clothes in warm water to washing clothes in cold water.
Cold water uses much less energy
What would cause the smallest increase in smog in an urban area?
Combustion of ethanol
What is light pollution and how can we control it?
Directing lighting downward
Two-thirds of the sulfur dioxide that pollutes the air is produced by ________________.
Electric power plants
What are the social and environmental impact of dams?
Environmental concern is one reason for their decreased construction. Dams allow a river's natural power to be converted into useful energy. Land behind the dam undergoes change because of the change in the flow of the river.
What best describes why many people in the world go hungry?
Food production has not been increasing as fast as the human population.
List ways air pollution is produced.
Fuel burning, power plants, cars ,oil spills, light, sound
What is the difference between global warming and climate changes?
Global warming is a consequence of climate changes
Why is polluted groundwater is difficult to clean?
Groundwater is deep in the ground through large areas of rock. Pollutants cling to the materials that make up the aquifer and containaminate the clean water. The recycling process of groundwater can make hundreds or thousands of years.
What would not be a consequence of a rise in global temperature?
Increased polar ice mass
Most of the energy consumed in the United States is used for which aspect of our society?
Industrial
Ultraviolet radiation is particularly dangerous because ____________.
It can damage genetic material in cell
What is an advantage of nuclear energy?
It does not produce air pollution
What can be done to sustain the productivity of rangeland?
Limit herd size, eliminate invasive plants, leave land unused for a period of time
Climate is defined as?
Long-term, prevailing atmospheric conditions
The largest watershed in the United States is the _____________.
Mississippi River
Most of earths fresh water i held where?
North and South poles
What is the main reason why fewer nuclear power plants are being built today compared to 40 years ago?
Nuclear power plants have become too expensive to generate electricity at a reasonable cost.
Parasitic worms would be classified as which type of water pollutant?
Pathogens
When neighborhood residents noticed a large number of dead fish in a local creek, they traced the problem to a nearby gas station. It turned out that a tank of gasoline had developed a leak. What is this an example of?
Point-source pollution
Eliminating invasive plants and replacing them with native plants is one aspect of ___________?
Range movement
Regardless of where people live, they are dependent on resources produced in____________.
Rural areas
Describe the effect of pH change on soil (both acidic and basic)
Some nutrients are dissolved and washed away (acidic), bacteria increase (basic)
Most of the pollution that causes acid precipitation to fall in southeastern Canada is released from ______________.
The Midwestern and Eastern United states
What best describes the effect of a mountain range on the climate of a region?
The coastal side of the range usually has high levels of rain, A desert is often found on the inland side of the range. Average temperatures are lower at high elevations than at the base of the mountains
How is electrical energy generated in a coal-fired power plant?
The heat generated from burning coal turns water into steam, which turns a turbine, thus running the electric generator.
What would most likely to cause conflict between two countries that share a river?
The upstream countries build a series of new dams
Why have some communities have banned detergents containing high levels of phosphates ?
Too much phosphates can cause the fish to suffocate and die
What type of area do most Americans live in?
Urban
What would cause temperature inversions work to trap pollution?
Warm air above keeps cooler air at the surface from moving upward
What is an inexpensive solution to providing everyone with more fresh water to use?
Water conservation
What could make areas of the world without adequate fresh water have become habitable ?
Water management projects
Examples of biodegradable items
a leaf in a compost pile, table scraps composted, mulching Christmas trees
Evaporites most commonly form in what area of the world?
arid regions where rates of evaporation are high
What is not a characteristic of a mineral?
atoms in random geometric patterns
Persistent pesticides are important to be known because.....?
become concentrated in organisms high on the food chain
Why do ozone holes especially appear in polar regions during springtime?
chlorine atoms are released from polar stratospheric clouds
Why is deforestation an especially serious problem in tropical rain forests?
farmers must repeatedly clear additional forest area to obtain land that can support crops
Through _____, mining companies can identify areas where there may be valuable mineral resources.
mineral exploration
Collapse of _____ can lead to subsidence.
pillars in abandoned mines
How does No-till farming helps to conserve soil fertility?
remnants of the previous crop are left to slowly decay
How is coal formed?
swamplands are buried by sediment. The added weight creates heat and pressure that converts the plants to coal
One disadvantage and one advantage of wind energy
the difficulty of transporting the energy from its source to where it is needed.
What is an example of cogeneration?
using the waste heat from a furnace to power a steam turbine
How does soil formation happen?
usually involves the decomposition of bedrock
