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116 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Ionizing Radiation
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enough energy to knock electrons from atoms forming ions, capable of causing cancer (ex gamma, xrays)
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High Quality Energy
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organized and concentrated, can perform useful work (ex fossil fuel and nuclear)
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Low Quality Energy
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disorganized and dispersed (ex heat in air, wind, solar)
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First Law of Thermodynamics
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energy is neither created nor destroyed but may be converted from one form to another
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Second Law of Thermodynamics
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when energy is changed from one form to another, some useful energy is always degraded into lower quality energy (usually heat)
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Natural Radioactive Decay
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unstable radioisotopes decay releasing gamma rays, alpha and beta particles
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Half Life
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the time it takes for 1/2 the mass of a radioactive element to decay
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Estimate of how long a readioactive isotope must be stored until it decays to a safe level
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approximately 10 half lives
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Nuclear Fission
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nuclei of isotopes split apart when struck by neutrons
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Nuclear Fusion
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2 isotopes of light elements forced together at high temperatures til they fuse and form a heavier nucleus. Expensive, break even point not reached yet
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Ore
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rock that contains a large enough concentration of a minteral making it profitable to mine
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Organic Fertilizer
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slow acting and long lasting because the organic remains need time to be decomposed
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Best Solution to energy shortage
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conservation and increased efficiency
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Surface Mining
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cheaper and can remove more mineral, less hazardous to workers
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Leaching
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removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving downwards
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Illuviation
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deposit of leached material in lower portions of sand, silt and clay
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Loam
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perfect agricultural soil with equal portions layers (B)
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Conservation
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allows the use of resources in a responsible manner
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Preservation
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setting aside areas and protecting them from human activities
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Parts of the hydrologic cycle
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evaporation, transpiration, run off, condensation, precipitation, infiltration
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Aquifer
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any water bearing layer in the ground
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Cone of depression
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lowering of the water table around a pumping well
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Salt water intrusion
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near the coast, overpumping of groundwater causes saltwaterto move into the aquifer
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ENSO
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El Nino Southern Oscillation- see sawing of air pressure over the S. Pacific
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During an El Nino year
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trade winds weaken and warm water sloshed back to South America
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During a non El Nino year
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Easterly trade winds and ocean currents pool warm water in the western pacific allowing upwelling of nutrient rich water off the coast of South America
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Effects of El Nino
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upwelling decreases disrupting food chains, N US has mild winters, SW US has increased rainfall, less Atlantic hurricanes
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Nitrogen fixing
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because atmospheric N can not be used directly by plants it must first be converted into ammonia by bacteria
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Assimilation
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inorganic N is converted to Nitrate Ions (NO-3)
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Denitrification
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bacteria convert ammonia back to N
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Phosphorous does not circulate as easily as N because
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it does not exist as a gas butis released by weathering of phosphate rocks
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Sustainability
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the ability to meet humanities current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
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Excess Phosphorous is added to aquatic ecosystemsby
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run off of animal wastes, fertilizer, discharge of sewage
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Photosynthesis
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plants convert atmospheric C (CO2) into complex carbohydrates (glucose C6H12)6)
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Aerobic Respiration
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oxygen consuming producers, consumers and decomposers break down complex organic compounds and convert C back into CO2
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Largest reservoirs of C
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carbonate rocks first, oceans second
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Biotic/abiotic
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living and non-living components of an ecosystem
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Producer/autotroph
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photosynthetic life
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Fecal Coliform
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indicator of sewage contamination
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Energy flow in food webs
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only 10% of the usable energy is transferred because usable energy lost as heat (2nd law) not all biomass is digested and absorbed, predators expend energy to catch prey
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Chlorine
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good - disinfection of water
bad - forms trihalomethanes |
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Primary succession
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development of communities in a lifeless area not previously inhabited by life (lava)
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Secondary succession
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life progresses where soil remains (clear cut forest)
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Cogeneration
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using waste heat to make electricity
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Mutualism
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symbiotic relationship where both partners benefit
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Commensalism
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symbiotic relationship where one partner benefits and the other is unaffected
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Parasitism
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relationship in which one partner obtains nutrients from at the expense of the host
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Biome
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large distinct terrestrial region having similar climate, soil,plants animals,dependent upon latitude and rainfall-
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Carrying Capacity
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the number of individuals that can be sustained in an area
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R strategist
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reproduce early, many small unprotected off spring
(fish, frogs, insects) |
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Positive feedback
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when a change in condition triggers a response that intensifies the changing condition (ex. warmer earth leads to snow melt, less sunlight is reflected and more is absorbed by earth leading to an even warmer earth)
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Natural Selection
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organisms that possess favorable adaptations pass them onto the next generation
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Malthus
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said human population cannot continue to increase the result is war famine and disease
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Doubling time
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Rule of 70
70 divided by the percent growth rate |
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Replacement level fertility
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number of children a couple must have to replace themselves (2.1 developed countries 2.7 developing)
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World Population is:
US Population is: |
almost 6.5 BILLION
300 million |
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Preindustrial stage
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birth and death rates high, population grows slowly, infant mortality high
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Postindustrial stage
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low birth and death rates
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Age structure diagrams
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broad base rapid growth
narrow base negative growth uniform shape zero growth |
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1st and 2nd most populated countries
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China and India
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BOD
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Biological Oxygen Demand
amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic decomposers to break down organic materials |
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Eutrophication
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rapid algal growth due to an excess of N and P
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Hypoxia
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when aquatic plants die, the BOD rises as aerobic decomposers break down the plants the DO drops and the water cannot support life
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Minamata Disease
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mental impairment caused by Hg
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Primary Air Pollutants
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produced by humans and nature (CO2, CO, SO2, NO, hydrocarbons, particulates)
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Negative Feedback
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when a change in some condition triggers a response that counteracts the changed condition (warmer earth -more ocean evaporation - more stratus clouds-less sunlight reaches the earth - cooler earth
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Particulate matter (source, effect, reduction)
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burning fossil fuels and car exhaust, reduces visibility and respiratory irritation, filtering, electrostatic precipitators, alternative energy
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Nitrogen Oxides
source effects reduction |
auto exhaust
acidification of lakes, respiratory irritation, leads to smog and ozone acid formation = NO+O2=HNO3 Catalytic converters |
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Sulfur Oxides
source effects reduction |
coal burning
acid deposition,respiratory irritation, damages plants scrubbers, burn low sulfur coal |
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Carbon Oxides
source e effects reduction |
auto exhaust,incomplete combustion
CO binds to hemoglobin reducing ability to carry O in blood, CO2 contributes to global warming SO2+O2=SO3+H2O=H2SO4 catalytic converter, emission testing, oxygenated fuel, mass transit |
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Ozone
Formation Effects Reduction |
Secondary pollutant, NO2+UV =NO +O O+O2= O3, with VOCs
respiratory irritant, plant damage, Reduce NO emissions and VOCs |
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Radon
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radioactive gas, formed from the decay of Uranium, causes lung cancer
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Photochemical smog
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formed by chemical reactions involving sunlight (NO, VOC, O)
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Acid Deposition
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caused by sulfuric and nitric acids resulting in lowered pH of surface waters
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Greenhouse gases
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H2O, CO2, O3, CH4, CFCs
trap outgoing infrared heat energy causing earth to warm |
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Effects of Global Warming
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rising sealevel (thermal expansion), extreme weather, droughts (famine), extinctions
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Ozone depletion caused by
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CFCs, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, halon, methyl bromide, all of which attack stratospheric ozone.
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Effects of Ozone depletion
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increased UV, skin cancer, cataracts, decreased plant growth,
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Love Canal
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chemicals buried in old canal and school and homes built over it causing birth defects and cancer - Superfund Site
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Municipal Solid Waste
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is mostly paper and most is landfilled
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True cost/External Cost
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harmful environmental side effects that are not reflected in a products price
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Sanitary Landfill problems and solutions
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leachate, liner with collection systems
methane collect gas and burn volume of garbage compact and reduce |
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Incineration advantages
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volume of waste reduced by 90% and waste heat can be used
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Incineration disadvantages
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toxic emissions, polyvinyl chloride - dioxin
scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators needed, ash disposal contains heavy metals |
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Best way to solve waste problems
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reduce teh amounts of waste at the source
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Keystone species
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species whose role in an ecosystem are more important than others ex sea otter
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Indicator species
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species that serve as early warnings that an ecosystem is being damaged ex. trout
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Most Endangered Species
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have a small range, require large territory or live on an island
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In a natural ecosystem, 50-90% of pest species are kept under control by
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predators., diseases and parasites
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Major insecticide groups
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chlorinated hydrocarbons -DDT
organophosphates - malathion carbamates-aldicarb |
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Pesticide Pros
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saves lives from insect transmitted diseases, increases food supply increases profits for farmers
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Pesticide Cons
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genetic resistance, ecosystem imbalance, pesticide treadmill,persistence, bioaccumulation, biomagnification
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Natural pest Control
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better agricultural practices, genetically resistant plants, natural enemies, biopesticides, sex attractants
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Electricity is generated by
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using steam (from water boiled by fossil fuels or nuclear power) or falling water to turn generator
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Petroleum forms from
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microscopic aquatic organisms in sediments converted by heat and pressure into a mixture of hydrocarbons
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Pros of petroleum
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cheap,easily transported, high quality energy
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Cons of petroleum
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reserves limited, pollution during drilling, transport and refining burning makes CO2
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Steps in coal formation
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peat lignite bituminous, anthracite
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Major parts of reactor core
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core, control rods, steam generator, turbine, containment building
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Two most serious nuclear accidents
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Chernobyl, Ukraine
Three Mile Island, PA |
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Alternate energy sources
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wind,solar, waves, geothermal, fuel cells,
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LD 50
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amount of chemical that kills 50% of the animals in the test population
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Mutagen, Teratogen, Carcinogen
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causes hereditary changes, Fetus deformities, cancer
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Endangered Species
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Northern Spotted Owl (loss of old growth forest)
Bald Eagle )thinning of egg shells caused by DDT, Piping Plover, nesting areas threatened by development |
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LI Exotic Species
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gypsy moth
Asian Long Horned Beetle |
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Garrett Hardin and the Tragedy of the Commons
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Freedom to breed is bringing ruin to all, Global commons such as atmosphere and oceans are used by all and owned by none.
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Volcanoes and Earthquakes occur
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at plate boundaries (divergent, spreading, mid-ocean ridges)(convergent, trenches) (transform,sliding, San Andreas)
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Ozone Depletion caused by
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CFCs methyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride, halon, methyl bromide, all of which attack stratospheric ozone
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Effects of Ozone depletion
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increased UV, skin cancer, cataracts, decreased plant growth
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K strategist
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reproduce late, few, cared for offspring
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Ammonification
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decomposers convert organic waste into ammonia
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Nitrification
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Ammonia is converted to nitrate ions NO-3
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Most endangered species
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have a small range or require large territory or live on an island
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Assimilation
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inorganic N is converted into organic molecules suchas DNA/amino acids and proteins
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industrial stage
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decline in birth rate, population growth slows
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transitional stage
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death rate lower, better health care, population grows fast
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