Chapter 4-Earth Science

Front 1

Renewable resources

Back 1

can be replenished over fairly short spans of time, such as months, years, or decades.

Front 2

Nonrenewable resources

Back 2

take millions of years to form and accumulate.

Front 3

Fossil fuels

Back 3

are hydrocarbons that may be used as fuel, including coal, oil, and natural gas.

Front 4

Tar Sands and Oil Shale could become..

Back 4

could become good substitutes for dwindling petroleum supplies

Front 5

Some of the most important mineral deposits form through

Back 5

igneous processes and from hydrothermal solutions.

Front 6

Ore

Back 6

is a useful metallic mineral that can be mined at a profit.

Front 7

Nonmetallic mineral resources are extracted and processed either for

Back 7

the nonmetallic elements they contain or for their physical and chemical properties.

Front 8

Solar energy has two advantages:

Back 8

1. Solar energy’s “fuel” is free.
2. Solar energy is non-polluting.

Front 9

 In nuclear fission, the nuclei of heavy atoms such as uranium-235 are bombarded with

Back 9

neutrons

Front 10

The uranium nuclei split into

Back 10

smaller nuclei and emit neutrons and heat energy.

Front 11

In the next 50 to 60 years, wind power could meet between

Back 11

5 to 10 percent of the country’s demand for electricity.

Front 12

Hydroelectric

Back 12

power is the power generated by falling water.

Front 13

The water held in a reservoir behind a dam is a form of

Back 13

The water held in a reservoir behind a dam is a form of stored energy that can be released through the dam to produce electric power.

Front 14

The strong water flow that results

Back 14

drives turbines and electric generators.

Front 15

Geothermal energy

Back 15

is harnessed by tapping natural underground reservoirs of steam and hot water.

Front 16

Hot water is used directly for heating and

Back 16

to turn turbines that generate electric power.

Front 17

Tidal power is harnessed by

Back 17

constructing a dam across the mouth of a bay or an estuary in coastal areas.

Front 18

The strong in-and-out flow of tidal water

Back 18

drives turbines and electric generators.

Front 19

Each day, people use fresh water

Back 19

for drinking, cooking, bathing, and growing food.

Front 20

Point source pollution comes from

Back 20

a known and specific location, such as factory pipes.

Front 21

Nonpoint source pollution is

Back 21

Nonpoint source pollution is pollution that does not have a specific point of origin.

Front 22

Runoff is

Back 22

the water that flows over the land rather than seeping into the ground, often carrying nonpoint source pollution.

Front 23

The chemical composition of the atmosphere helps maintain

Back 23

life on Earth.

Front 24

The increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has altered the carbon cycle and contributed to

Back 24

global warming

Front 25

global warming

Back 25

the unnatural warming of the lower atmosphere.

Front 26

Through a series of chemical reactions, these pollutants in the air are converted into

Back 26

acids that are a major cause of acid precipitation.

Front 27

Earth’s land provides

Back 27

soil and forests, as well as mineral and energy resources

Front 28

Mines produce many mineral resources, but mines are destroying

Back 28

, soil, vegetation, and Earth’s contours.

Front 29

Mines also cause soil erosion

Back 29

and pollution that contaminates soil and water and destroys ecosystems.

Front 30

Conservation

Back 30

is the careful use of resources.

Front 31

Pollution prevention means

Back 31

stopping pollution from entering the environment.

Front 32

Starting in the 1970’s, the federal government passed several laws to

Back 32

prevent or decrease pollution and protect resources.

Front 33

In 1972, the Clean Water Act (CWA) required industries to

Back 33

reduce or eliminate point source pollution into surface waters.

Front 34

The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 helped

Back 34

The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 helped protect drinking resources.

Front 35

In the 1970’s, Congress passed the Clean Air Act

Back 35

, the nation’s most important air pollution law.

Front 36

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) established for six “criteria” pollutants known to cause health problems –

Back 36

carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates (fine particles).

Front 37

Protecting land resources involves

Back 37

preventing pollution and managing land resources wisely.

Front 38

Compost is

Back 38

partly decomposed organic material that can be used as fertilizer.

Front 39

Recycling is the

Back 39

collecting and processing of used items so that they can be made into new products.