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30 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Ionizing radiation
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enough energy to knock electrons from atoms forming ions, capable of causing cancer
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High Quality Energy
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organized and concentrated, can perform useful work
(fossil fules) |
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low quality energy
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disorganized, dispersed (solar, air wind, gasses)
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First Law of Thermodynamics
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energy is neither created or destroyed, but may be converted from one form to another
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Second Law of Thermomdynamics
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when energy is changed from one form to another, some useful energy is always degraded into lower quality energy
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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 radioisotope decay
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how long must a radioactive isotope be stored till safe
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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(H) forced together at high temperatures till they fuse to form a heavier nucleus. not working yet
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ore
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a rock that contains a large enough concentation of a mineral making it profitable to mine
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mineral reserve
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identinfied deposits currently profitable to extract
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best solution to energy shortage
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consercation and increase efficiency
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surface mining
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cheaper and can remove more mineral, less hazerdous to workers
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humus
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organic, dark material remaining after decopmisiton by microoraganisims
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leaching
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removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving downwards through soil
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illuviation
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deposit of leached material in lower soil layers (b)
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loam
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perfect agricultural soil with egual portions of sand,silt, and clay
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solutions to soil problems
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conservation tillgae , crop rotation,m cotour plowing, organic fertilizers
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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, over pumpiming of groundwater causes saltwater to movie into the aquifer
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ENSO
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el nino southern oscillation, seesawing of air pressure over the South Pacific
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during an el nino year
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trade winds weaken and warm water sloshed back to South atlantic
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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 west coast of south america
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effects of El Nino
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upwelling decreases, disruptin food chains, north US has mild winters, SW US has increased rainfall, less atlantice hurricanes
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nitrogen fixation
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atmospheric Nitrogen is converted into ammonia by bacteria
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ammonifictaion
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decomposers concert oraganic waste into ammonia
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nitrification
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ammonia is converted to nitrater ions(no3)
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