Environmental Science Cunningham, 7th ed Ch 9

5 layers of atmosphere

1. Exosphere- basically space, lightest gases 2. thermosphere- largest layer, blocks x rays and UV rays 3. mesosphere- coldest layer, middle 4.stratosphere- has ozone layer, absorbs UVB & UVC radiation 5. troposphere- layer closest to earth, where weather occurs, has oxygen, nitrogen, and water

23.5 Degrees North Latitude

23.5 degrees North latitude is called the Tropic Of Cancer. It is a latitude in the Northern hemisphere and marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead. The sun is at this point once per year only in the month of June and is known as the June solstice. The Tropic of Cancer is located at approximately 23.5 degrees north latitude, or 23.5 degrees north of the Equator. This line of latitude is the north boundary of the area referred to as the tropics. During the summer solstice the sun is located immediately above the Tropic of Cancer. This line is the point farthest to the north at which the sun is hanging directly upward at noon. One of the Five Major Lines of Latitude

Ocean Trench

A deep, narrow canyon in the ocean floor

Which of the following is the weather pattern that is marked by the shifting of a large pool of warm surface water in the Pacific Ocean causing wind and rain patterns to change? A) ENSO B) Milankovitch Cycles C) Gulf Streams D) Monsoons

A) ENSO - El Nino, Southern Oscillation

Coral have a more difficult time making calcium carbonate skeletons as a result of acidification of the oceans due to dissolution of carbon dioxide in seawater. A) True B) False

A) True

Heat islands and dust domes are primarily problems around large, densely populated urban areas. A) True B) False

A) True

If the current rate of global glacial retreat continues, all the ice on Mount Kilimanjaro will be gone by 2015. A) True B) False

A) True

The phenomenon where cool, dense air sits under a layer of lighter warmer air is known as a ____________________. A) temperature inversion B) heat island C) heat sink D) Milankovitch cycle E) thermocline

A) temperature inversion

Earth's earliest atmosphere was breathable by humans. A) True B) False

B) False

Economic development which has resulted in the expansion of an affluent middle class in both _____________ and _____________ is of great concern to environmentalists as it relates to future worldwide global warming gas emissions. A) China and South Africa B) India and China C) Pakistan and India D) South Korea and China

B) India and China

Pumping carbon dioxide into geologic formations such as deep briny aquifers is an example of ______________. A) fugitive emissions B) carbon management C) unconventional pollutants D) criteria pollutants

B) carbon management

Which of the following is NOT considered a "Global warming gas?" A) carbon dioxide B) helium C) methane D) nitrous oxide E) none of the above

B) helium

Which of the following is NOT considered a "Global warming gas?" A) carbon dioxide B) helium C) methane D) nitrous oxide E) None of the above.

B) helium

Which of the following is NOT one of the layers of the earth's atmosphere? A) stratosphere B) megasphere C) thermosphere D) troposphere

B) megasphere

Which of the following air pollutants combines with other atmospheric components to form acid rain? A) ozone B) sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides C) CFCs D) all of the above

B) sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides

Which country leads the world in total carbon dioxide emissions? A) Australia B) Brazil C) China D) Qatar E) United States

C) China

The __________________ is an international treaty designed to lower global warming gas emissions. A) Tokyo Accord B) Kyoto Declaration C) Kyoto Protocol D) Tokyo Principle E) International Agreement on Global Warming

C) Kyoto Protoco

The first evidence that humans are increasing atmospheric CO2 came from an observatory in A) Copenhagen, Denmark. B) Kyoto, Japan. C) Mauna Loa, Hawaii. D) Mexico City, Mexico. E) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

C) Mauna Loa, Hawaii

The aurora borealis is the result of radiation exciting charged gases located within the A) ionosphere. B) troposphere. C) thermosphere. D) magnetosphere. E) stratosphere.

C) thermosphere

Temperature inversions, heat islands, and dust domes are the result of _______. A) El Niño B) ozone depletion C) urban pollution D) acid rain

C) urban pollution

The shape of the earth's orbit around the sun and the axis of rotation contribute to periodic changes in sunlight intensity called ______________________. A) the Coriolis effect B) the Ferrell Phenomenon C) hyper-solar periodicity D) Milankovitch cycles E) None of the choices are correct.

D) Milankovitch cycles

Who said "Troposphere, whatever, I told you before I'm not a scientist. That's why I don't want to have to deal with global warming, to tell you the truth"? A) President Barack Obama B) Television Host Oprah Winfrey C) U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy D) Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia E) None of the choices are correct.

D) Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

Which of the following has the highest albedo? A) black soil B) sand C) a forest D) fresh snow

D) fresh snow

A reduction in trout and salmon, loss of spruce-fir forests, and the degradation of monuments and statues are caused by _______. A) ozone depletion B) smog C) thermal pollution D) none of the above

D) none of the above

Air pollution levels in Mexico City exceed WHO health standards by ______ days per year. A) 90 B) 150 C) 230 D) 300 E) 350

E) 350

On a daily basis you and I could make a conscious effort to reduce global warming gas emissions by: A) combining auto errands B) unplugging appliances that bleed power when not in use C) purchasing local, seasonal produce D) riding a bicycle instead of driving E) All of the choices are correct.

E) All of the choices are correct.

Which of the following countries currently has the highest per capita global warming gas emissions? A) China B) India C) United Kingdom D) Australia E) Qatar

E) Qatar

Which component of Earth's atmosphere varies depending on air temperature and available moisture? A) Argon B) Carbon dioxide C) Nitrogen D) Oxygen E) Water vapor

E) Water vapor

While CO2 is the best known global warming gas, ___________ is accumulating twice as fast and absorbs 20-30 times more heat than carbon dioxide. A) nitric oxide B) ozone C) sulfur dioxide D) hydrogen disulfide E) methane

E) methane

Which of the following pollutants has actually become more of a problem in the US since 1970? A) lead B) ozone C) sulfur dioxide D) carbon monoxide E) nitrogen oxides

E) nitrogen oxides

Zones

Five broad belts of climate and geography that encircle the earth

Latitude

Imaginary horizontal lines that mark off north-south measurement on the earth in 180 parts from 0 - 90 degrees

Longitude

Imaginary vertical lines called meridians that mark off the east-west measurement on the earth in 360 parts from 0 - 180 degrees

Eastern Hemisphere

Longitude lines east of the prime meridian numbered 1 - 179 degrees

Western Hemisphere

Longitude lines west of the prime meridian numbered 1 - 179 degrees

-90 degrees latitude

South Pole

Prime Meridian

The 0 degree line of longitude which divides the eastern and western hemispheres. It runs through Greenwich, England

Ocean

The entire body of salt water that covers nearly 3/4 of the earth's surface made up of 5 large bodies that separate the continents: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic.

Tropical/Torrid Zone

The hot steamy region that lies north of the equator and below the tropic of cancer, and south of the equator and above the Tropic of Capricorn

Polar Zones

The icy-cold region at each pole; the Arctic at the top of the earth, and the antarctic at the bottom

66.5 Degrees North Latitude

The latitude line that is 66.5 degree north of the equator is called the Arctic Circle, one of the 5 major latitudes. It marks the boundary separating the Arctic zone to its north and Northern Temperate Zone to its south. Countries that lie on the Arctic Circle include Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Alaska and Finland. One of the Five Major Lines of Latitude

66.5 Degrees South Latitude

The latitude line that is 66.5 degree south of the equator is called the Antarctic Circle, one of the 5 major latitudes. The Antarctic Circle is located at approximately 66.5 degrees south latitude, or 66.5 degrees south of the Equator. This line, or circle, of latitude marks the start of the southern area known as the Antarctic. The circle consists of only one continent, Antarctica. There are not any humans within the boundaries of the Antarctic Circle that can be considered permanent residents of the area. One of the Five Major Lines of Latitude

Northern Hemisphere

The part of the earth from the equator to the north pole numbered 0 - 90 degrees latitude

Southern Hemisphere

The part of the earth from the equator to the south pole numbered 0 - 90 degrees latitude

South Pole

The point on the earth located at 90 degrees south latitude where the lines of longitude meet at the southern most point of the globe

North Pole

The spot where the lines of longitude meet at the northern most point of the globe 90 degrees north latitude

International Dateline

The time zone that lines up roughly along 180 degrees longitude, and places to the east of this line are a calender day behind places to the west

23.5 Degrees South Latitude

Tropic of Capricorn (more precisely 23° 26′ 22″ south of the equator) The Tropic of Capricorn is located at approximately 23.5 degrees south latitude, or 23.5 degrees south of the Equator. This line of latitude is the south boundary of the area referred to as the tropics. This line marks the point farthest to the south at which the sun is hanging directly upward at noon. During the summer solstice of the Southern Hemisphere, the sun is located immediately above the Tropic of Capricorn. One of the Five Major Lines of Latitude

Temperate Zones

Two moderate regions that lies north or and south of the tropical zone, each having hot summers, cold winters, and milder seasons in between

fossil fuel

a carbon-containing fuel formed over millions of years from the remains of living things

global climate change

a change in global weather patterns; includes changes in temperatures, wind patterns, rainfall, and the frequency of storms

albedo

a description of the earths relative surface reflective properties

climate

a description of the long term weather in an area

carbon tax

a fee that the government charges polluters for each unit of greenhouse gas they emit

greenhouse gas

a gas that traps heat near Earth, preventing the heat from radiating back into space; includes carbon dioxide and methane

ozone

a highly reactive molecule containing 3 oxygen atoms. a dangerous pollutant in ambient air. In the stratosphere, forms a shield that absorbs ultraviolet rays and protects the earth from radiation.

warm front

a long boundary caused when a warmer advancing air mass slides over neighboring cooler air parcels.

carbon sequestration

a method of storing carbon emissions to prevent their release into the atmosphere

cold front

a moving boundary of cooler air that displaces warm air

greenhouse effect

a natural process in which certain gases in the atmosphere trap heat near Earth, preventing the heat from radiating back into space

El Nino

a periodic change in air pressure, wind patterns, ocean temperature, and ocean circulation in the Pacific Ocean

carbon offset

a voluntary payment made to compensate for greenhouse gas emissions

Pressure systems (PS)

adjacent air masses differing in atmospheric pressure (AP)

Hadley cells

air circulation at 30 degrees north and south, drives a lot of wind, in the tropics, warm air rises and cold air goes horizontal then falls. the low-latitude overturning circulations that have air rising at the equator and air sinking at roughly 30° latitude. They are responsible for the trade winds in the Tropics and control low-latitude weather patterns.

properties of air

air density determines movement, warm air rises, causes cold air to fall,

Polar cell

air rises at 60 degrees north and south, and sinks at poles Though cool and dry relative to equatorial air, air masses at the 60th parallel are still sufficiently warm and moist to undergo convection and drive a thermal loop. Air circulates within the troposphere, limited vertically by the tropopause at about 8 km. Warm air rises at lower latitudes and moves poleward through the upper troposphere at both the north and south poles. When the air reaches the polar areas, it has cooled considerably, and descends as a cold, dry high pressure area, moving away from the pole along the surface but twisting westward as a result of the Coriolis effect to produce the Polar easterlies. The outflow from the cell creates harmonic waves in the atmosphere known as Rossby waves. These ultra-long waves play an important role in determining the path of the jet stream, which travels within the transitional zone between the tropopause and the Ferrel cell. By acting as a heat sink, the Polar cell also balances the Hadley cell in the Earth's energy equation.

high PS

an area where AP is greater than that of surrounding areas, brings fair weather

global warming

an increase in Earth's average surface temperature

Kyoto Protocol

an international agreement drafted in 1997 to limit greenhouse gas emissions

kyoto protocol

an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emmisions

thermohaline circulation

an ocean pattern in which warm, less salty water moves along the surface of the water, and cooler, saltier water moves deep below the ocean surface

low PS

area where AP is lower than that of area surrounding it. this leads to precipitation and tropical storms

stratosphere

atmospheric zone thats above the troposphere, pretty stable temperatures, little water vapor but alot of ozone

westerlies

between 30 degrees and 60 degrees north and south, name comes from direction of where wind comes from

easterlies

between 60 and 90 degrees north and south, slower due to rotation of poles.

Ferrel cell

between Hadley cells and polar cells is a secondary circulation feature, dependent for its existence upon the Hadley cell and the Polar cell. It behaves much as an atmospheric ball bearing between the Hadley cell and the Polar cell, and comes about as a result of the eddy circulations (the high and low pressure areas) of the mid-latitudes. For this reason it is sometimes known as the "zone of mixing."

front

boundary between air masses that differ in temperature and moisture

changes in climate

caused by latitude, elevation, closeness to land, closeness to water. longitude and latitude affect climate

what causes wind

cells interact with rotation of earth to create weather patterns, causes a deflection of moving objects directly north or south.

cold front

colder drier air displaces warmer moister air

weather

description of the physical conditions of the atmosphere (moisture, temperature, pressure, and wind)

milankovitch cycles

earth tilt that causes climate change every 100,000 years

0 degrees latitude

equator - One of the Five Major Lines of Latitude Possibly the most well-known circle of latitude is the line sitting at zero degrees latitude, the Equator. The Equator stems across the globe for almost 25,000 miles, dividing the northern and the southern hemispheres. This line of latitude is the starting point when referring to other points of the globe in terms of degrees north and degrees south.

second atmosphere

evolved from molten lava gases, allowed for formation of oceans and early life. Earth's "second atmosphere" came from Earth itself. There were lots of volcanoes, many more than today, because Earth's crust was still forming. The volcanoes released steam (H2O, with two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom), carbon dioxide (CO2, with one carbon atoms and two oxygen atoms), ammonia (NH3, with one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms).

trade winds

formed by hadlet cells, NE and SE, trade ships used, lots of wind

modern atmosphere

from bacteria that used photosynthesis. Eventually, Much of the CO2 dissolved into the oceans and a simple form of bacteria developed that could live on energy from the Sun and carbon dioxide in the water, producing oxygen as a waste product. Thus, oxygen began to build up in the atmosphere, while the carbon dioxide levels continued to drop. Meanwhile, the ammonia molecules in the atmosphere were broken apart by sunlight, leaving nitrogen and hydrogen. The hydrogen, being the lightest element, rose to the top of the atmosphere and much of it eventually drifted off into space. Now we have Earth's "third atmosphere," the one we all know and love—an atmosphere containing enough oxygen for animals, including ourselves, to evolve. So plants and some bacteria use carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, and animals use oxygen and give off carbon-dioxide. The atmosphere upon which life depends was created by life itself.

greenhouse effect

gases in the atmosphere are transparent to visible light but absorb infrared light rays that are reflected off the earths surface

weather

happens at the bottom layer of the atmosphere. its the condition of the bottom layer over a short period of time.

180 degrees longitude

international dateline, which divides the eastern and western hemisphere

hurricane

large cylindrical ocean storms with heavy rain and winds

original atmosphere

made up of lightest gases, hydrogen and helium Earth's original atmosphere was probably just hydrogen and helium, because these were the main gases in the dusty, gassy disk around the Sun from which the planets formed. The Earth and its atmosphere were very hot. Molecules of hydrogen and helium move really fast, especially when warm. Actually, they moved so fast they eventually all escaped Earth's gravity and drifted off into space.

warm front

mass of warmer, moister air that replaces colder dry air

saturation point

maximum amount of water vapor that can be in the air

aerosols

minute particles or liquids suspended in air

jet stream

narrow band of high wind speed

+90 degrees latitude

north pole

solstice

occur twice a year, when sun is at its northern or southern extreme. summer solstice is longest day, winter solstice is shortest day

equonoxes

occur twice a year, when sun is directly above equator

horse latitude

or subtropical highs are subtropical latitudes between 30 and 35 degrees both north and south. This region, under a ridge of high pressure called the subtropical high, is an area which receives little precipitation and has variable winds mixed with calm. The horse latitudes are associated with the subtropical anticyclone and the large-scale descent of air from high-altitude currents moving toward the poles. After reaching the earth's surface, this air spreads toward the equator as part of the prevailing trade winds or toward the poles as part of the westerlies. The belt in the Northern Hemisphere is sometimes called the "calms of Cancer" and that in the Southern Hemisphere the "calms of Capricorn". The consistently warm, dry conditions of the horse latitudes also contribute to the existence of temperate deserts, such as the Sahara Desert in Africa, the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, and parts of the Middle East in the Northern Hemisphere; and the Atacama Desert, the Kalahari Desert, and the Australian Desert in the Southern Hemisphere.

la nina

part of the el nino oscillation in the pacific where trade winds hold warm surface waters in the western part of the basin and cause upwelling of cold, nutrient rich, deep water in the eastern part of the ocean.

climate

pattern of atmospheric conditions across large geographic area

albedo

percent of sunlight that is reflected from a surface, cropland/forest is 10-20 %, snow covered lands is 80-95 %

jet stream

powerful currents of air that circulate in shifting flows

0 degrees longitude

prime meridian

doldrums

right at equator, very little wind

convection currents

rising or sinking air currents that stir the atmosphere and transport heat from one area to another. also occur in water.

earth

rotates west to east, takes 365.25 days to complete one revolution, earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees to create two tropics

Coriolis effect

rotation of earth causes deflection of objects moving north or south

monsoon

seasonal rains caused by a change in wind patterns

el nino

southern oscillation event that is a climatic change marked by shifting of a large warm water pool from the western pacific ocean towards the east. wind direction and precipitation patterns are changed over much of the pacific and maybe around the world.

latent heat

stored energy that is not detectable by normal sources, like heat stored in oceans

downbursts

sudden, very strong downdrafts of cold air associated with a coming storm

types of weather

temperature, precipitation, and wind

coral bleaching

the death or expulsions of the algae that live in corel reefs and give the coral its bright color; often caused by a change in water temperature or other conditions

Coriolis effect

the influence of friction and drag on air layers near earth, deflects air currents to the direction of earths rotation

troposphere

the layer of the earths atmosphere that is closest to the earths surface. temperature and pressure generally decease with altitude.

topography

the surface characteristics of an area

carbon footprint

the total carbon dioxide emissions produced by an individual, group, or location

proxy indicator

type of indirect evidence that serves as a substitute for direct measurement

tornado

violent storm catergorized by strong winds and updrafts. form when a strong cold front pushes under a warm, moist air mass over the land

intertropical conversion zone

where the two Hadley cells come together, majority of storms occur here. known by sailors as the doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where the northeast and southeast trade winds come together. It is a region on earth that experiences increased precipitation due to convectional lifting.