Humans And The Envir. Final Exam

Front 1

Neolithic Revolution

Back 1

Also known as the agricultural revolution, it was the wide scale transition of many human, cultures from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture and settlement which supported an increasingly large population. Various types of plants and animals evolved in this time.

Front 2

Industrial Revolution

Back 2

18th to 19th centuries. A time where predominantly rural societies in Europe and America became industrial and urban. This marked a shift from home work to special purpose machinery, factories and mass production. This time also brought the iron and textile industries along with the development of the steam engine and improved transportation, communication and banking. Although, this brought on jobs and goods, it also resulted in grim employment and living conditions for the poor.

Front 3

Vital rates

Back 3

Birth and death

Front 4

demography

Back 4

The study of statistics such as birth rates, death, income, or the incidence of disease, which illustrates the changing structure of human populations

Front 5

atmosphere

Back 5

The thin layer of gases surrounding planet earth.

Front 6

troposphere

Back 6

The bottommost layer of the atmosphere. It extends to 11km (7 Miles) above sea level

Front 7

Demographic transition

Back 7

A theoretical model of economic and cultural change that explains the declining death rates and birth rates that occurred in western nations as they became industrialized. The model holds that industrialization caused these rates to fall naturally by decreasing mortality and by lessening the need for large families. Parents would thereafter choose to invest in quality of life rather than quantity of children.

Front 8

Stratosphere

Back 8

The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. It extends from 11km ( 7 miles) to 50km (31 miles) above sea level

Front 9

Mesosphere

Back 9

The atmospheric layer above the stratosphere extending 50-80 km (31-56 mi) above sea level.

Front 10

thermosphere

Back 10

The atmospheres top layer, extending upward to an altitude of 500km (300 miles),

Front 11

Thermal inversion

Back 11

A departure from the normal temperature distribution in the atmosphere, in which a pocket of relatively cold air occurs near the ground, with warmer air above it. The cold air, denser then the air above it, traps pollutants near the ground and can thereby cause a buildup of smog... aka temperature inversion

Front 12

L.A Smog

Back 12

Smoke and fog together. The atmospheric pollution levels of LA are increased by inversion that traps pollution close to the ground.

Front 13

London Smog

Back 13

December 1952, a period of cold weather combined with an anticyclone and windless conditions, collected airborne pollutants mostly from the use of coal to form a thick layer of smog over the city. It lasted for four days then dispersed quickly after a change in weather. It wasn't until years later that reports began to show numerous affects from the smog, a lot of premature deaths and over 100,00 illnesses... mostly respiratory tract infections.

Front 14

Sulfur dioxide

Back 14

SO2. A colorless gas that can result from the combustion of coal. In the atmosphere, it may react to form sulfur trioxide and sulfuric acid, which may return to earth in acid disposition. An EPA criteria pollutant.

Front 15

NOx

Back 15

Nitrogen Oxide--- one of a family of compounds that includes nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Front 16

particulates

Back 16

Particulate matter--- solid or liquid particles small enough to be suspended in the atmosphere and able to damage respiratory tissues when inhaled. Includes primary pollutants such as dust and soot as well as secondary pollutants such as sulfates and nitrates.

Front 17

Methane

Back 17

a colorless, odorless flammable gas that is the main constituent of natural gas. It is the simplest member of the alkane series of hydrocarbons.

Front 18

Carbon Monoxide

Back 18

a colorless, odorless toxic flammable gas formed by incomplete combustion of carbon.

Front 19

carbon dioxide

Back 19

a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration. It is naturally present in air (about 0.03 percent) and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis

Front 20

heavy metals

Back 20

a metal of relatively high density, or of high relative atomic weight

Front 21

The Greenhouse Effect

Back 21

the trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface.

Front 22

Global Warming

Back 22

a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants

Front 23

Greenhouse Gas

Back 23

a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, e.g., carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons.

Front 24

ozone

Back 24

O3- a colorless unstable toxic gas with a pungent odor and powerful oxidizing properties, formed from oxygen by electrical discharges or ultraviolet light. It differs from normal oxygen (O2) in having three atoms in its molecule (O3).

Front 25

chlorofluorocarbons

Back 25

any of a class of compounds of carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, and fluorine, typically gases used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants. They are harmful to the ozone layer in the earth's atmosphere owing to the release of chlorine atoms upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Front 26

UV Rays

Back 26

Ultraviolet Radiation(UV) is simply one form of energy coming from the sun. Even though you may have only just started hearing about UV and the effects it has on you, it is nothing new. In fact, UV is as old as the earth itself.

Front 27

acid rain

Back 27

rainfall made sufficiently acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm, typically to forests and lakes. The main cause is the industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels, the waste gases from which contain sulfur and nitrogen oxides, which combine with atmospheric water to form acids.

Front 28

LQ1: What causes acid rain? What effects might it have on the environment?

Back 28

Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain. Acid rain causes acidification of lakes and streams and contributes to the damage of trees at high elevations, and forest soils. In addition, acid rain accelerates the decay of building materials and paints, including irreplaceable buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of our nation's cultural heritage. Prior to falling to the earth, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) gases and their particulate matter derivatives—sulfates and nitrates—contribute to visibility degradation and harm public health.

Front 29

LQ2: What are the main sources of Greenhouse Gases?

Back 29

Electricity production (33% of 2011 greenhouse gas emissions) - Electricity production generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. Over 70% of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas.
Transportation (28% of 2011 greenhouse gas emissions) - Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation primarily come from burning fossil fuel for our cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes. Over 90% of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum based, which includes gasoline and diesel.
Industry (20% of 2011 greenhouse gas emissions) - Greenhouse gas emissions from industry primarily come from burning fossil fuels for energy as well as greenhouse gas emissions from certain chemical reactions necessary to produce goods from raw materials.
Agriculture (8% of 2011 greenhouse gas emissions) - Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture come from livestock such as cows, agricultural soils, and rice.

Front 30

LQ2: What are the main greenhouse gases?

Back 30

Carbon dioxide (CO2) : Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of certain chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement). Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or "sequestered") when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle.
•Methane (CH4) : Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
•Nitrous oxide (N2O) : Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.
•Fluorinated gases : Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that are emitted from a variety of industrial processes.

Front 31

LQ2: How do greenhouse gases contribute to global warming?

Back 31

greenhouse gases, absorb some of the energy radiated from the Earth and trap it in the atmosphere. These gases essentially act as a blanket, making the Earth’s surface warmer than it otherwise would be. While this “greenhouse effect” occurs naturally, making life as we know it possible, human activities in the past century have substantially increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing the atmosphere to trap more heat and leading to changes in the Earth's climate.

Front 32

LQ2: What are the major sources of Carbon Dioxide?

Back 32

There are both natural and human sources of carbon dioxide emissions. Natural sources include decomposition, ocean release and respiration. Human sources come from activities like cement production, deforestation as well as the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.

Front 33

LQ3: We want to have ozone in the stratosphere but not so much at sea level. Why?

Back 33

stratospheric ozone shields the earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the sun's rays. Ozone is a very reactive gas that is hard on lung tissue. It also damages plants and buildings

Front 34

LQ3: What causes depletion of stratospheric ozone? What causes increases at sea level ozone?

Back 34

there is widespread concern that the ozone layer is deteriorating due to the release of pollution containing the chemicals chlorine and bromine. Such deterioration allows large amounts of ultraviolet B rays to reach Earth, which can cause skin cancer and cataracts in humans and harm animals as well. Thermal expansion of oceans may cause sea level to rise at a relatively rapid rate of two to four centimetres per decade, and projected extremes of the hydrologic cycle are expected to produce more severe weather patterns and storms.

Front 35

LQ3: What problems are caused by the different sorts of smog which exist? Where do thermal inversions usually occur? What sorts of problems do they cause?

Back 35

Smog is made up of a combination of air pollutants that can compromise human health, harm the environment, and even cause property damage.
Smog can cause or aggravate health problems such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory problems as well as eye irritation and reduced resistance to colds and lung infections.

Inversions typically occur in the lower layer of the atmosphere with the significant ones below about 20000 feet. There is the normal inversion that marks the top of the troposphere and the bottom of the stratosphere as well.

This can cause medical problems for people with respiratory ailments and irritate the eyes, noses and throats of others.

Front 36

LQ4: How has the human population changed over the past million years? What have been some of the forces and transitions that have caused these changes?

Back 36

The agricultural revolution--people were forced to stay in one area so they built communities
The industrial revolution--The birth of the Industrial Revolution altered medicine and living standards, resulting in the population explosion that would commence at that point and steamroll into the 20thand 21st centuries.

Front 37

Hydrologic cycle

Back 37

the natural sequence through which water passes into the atmosphere as water vapor, precipitates to earth in liquid or solid form, and ultimately returns to the atmosphere through evaporation.

See chart for drawing

Front 38

precipitation

Back 38

Water that condenses out of the atmosphere and falls to earth as droplets or crystals

Front 39

runoff

Back 39

The water from precipitation that flows into streams, rivers, lakes and ponds and in many cases eventually the ocean

Front 40

Ground water

Back 40

Water held in aquifers underground.

Front 41

aquifer

Back 41

An underground water reservoir

Front 42

evaporation

Back 42

The conversion of s substance from a liquid to a gaseous form

Front 43

transpiration

Back 43

The release of water vapor by plants through their leaves

Front 44

Marine Water

Back 44

marine waters include estuaries where salt water mixes with fresh water coming from the land

Front 45

Fresh Water

Back 45

water that is relatively pure, holding very few dissolved salts

Front 46

Brackish Water

Back 46

Brackish water or briny water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. The word comes from the Middle Dutch root "brak", meaning "salty".

Front 47

Eutrophication

Back 47

The process of nutrient enrichment, increased production of organic matter, and subsequent ecosystem degradation in a water body

Front 48

Cultural Eutrophication

Back 48

Eutrophication is a naturally occurring, slow, and inevitable process. However, when it is accelerated by human activity and water pollution (a phenomenon called cultural eutrophication), it can lead to the premature aging and death of a body of water

Front 49

oligotrophic

Back 49

a term describing a water body that has low nutrient and high oxygen conditions

Front 50

mesotrophic

Back 50

having a moderate amount of dissolved nutrients

Front 51

eutrophic

Back 51

term describing a water body that has high nutrient and low oxygen conditions

Front 52

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Back 52

refers to microscopic bubbles of gaseous oxygen (O2) that are mixed in water and available to aquatic organisms for respiration—a critical process for almost all organisms. Primary sources of DO include the atmosphere and aquatic plants.

Front 53

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Back 53

The amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose the organic matter in a sample of water and used as a measure of the degree of water pollution.

Front 54

Red Tide

Back 54

a harmful algal bloom consisting of algae that produce reddish pigments that discolor surface waters

Front 55

dinoflagellate

Back 55

a single-celled organism with two flagella, occurring in large numbers in marine plankton and also found in fresh water. Some produce toxins that can accumulate in shellfish, resulting in poisoning when eaten.

Front 56

diatom

Back 56

a single-celled alga that has a cell wall of silica. Many kinds are planktonic, and extensive fossil deposits have been found.

Front 57

Phosphorus cycle

Back 57

a major nutrient cycle consisting of the routes that phosphorus atoms take through the nested networks of environmental systems

Front 58

mercury

Back 58

the chemical element of atomic number 80, a heavy silvery-white metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures.

Front 59

Minimata Disease

Back 59

chronic poisoning by alkyl mercury compounds from industrial waste, characterized by (usually permanent) impairment of brain functions such as speech, sight, and muscular coordination.

Front 60

Point Source Pollution

Back 60

A specific spot, such as a factory, where large quantities of air pollants or water pollutants are discharged

Front 61

Non-Point Source Pollution

Back 61

a diffuse souce of pollutants, often consisting of many small sources

Front 62

Waste Water Treatment

Back 62

Know chart in class... defined as primary, secondary, or tertiary according to the extent of pollutant removal and the mechanisms (physical, biological, or chemical) through which pollutants are removed.

Front 63

Pretreatment

Back 63

Pretreatment removes all materials that can be easily collected from the raw sewage before they damage or clog the pumps and sewage lines of primary treatment clarifiers. Objects that are commonly removed during pretreatment include trash, tree limbs, leaves, branches, and other large objects

Front 64

Primary Treatment

Back 64

consists of temporarily holding the sewage in a quiescent basin where heavy solids can settle to the bottom while oil, grease and lighter solids float to the surface. The settled and floating materials are removed and the remaining liquid may be discharged or subjected to secondary treatment.

Front 65

Secondary Treatment

Back 65

typically removes the smaller solids and particles remaining in the wastewater through fine filtration. common first step in the secondary treatment process is to send the waste to an aeration tank

Front 66

Tertiary Treatment

Back 66

involves the disinfection of the wastewater through chemical or energetic means. can remove more than 99 percent of all the impurities from sewage, producing an effluent of almost drinking-water quality.

Front 67

trickling filter

Back 67

a water pollution treatment system. an artificial bed of broken rock or other coarse material through which sewage or industrial wastes trickle after being sprayed on intermittently so that organic matter present is oxidized and removed by biological growths formed on the surfaces of the rock

Front 68

activated sludge

Back 68

sludge particles produced
in wastewater by the growth of organisms in
aeration tanks. The term ‘activated’ comes
from the fact that the particles teem with bacteria,
fungi, and protozoa. Activated sludge is
different from primary sludge in that the
sludge particles contain many living organisms
that can feed on the incoming wastewater

Front 69

Draw and label the hydrologic cycle and know each step...

Back 69

see chart

Front 70

Discuss both point and non-point source water pollution, types, and sources. How do they affect people, DO, BOD, and other organisms?

Back 70

A point source could be a factory or a sewer pipe. non-point can arise from larger areas like farms, city streets, or residential neighborhoods. Point sources have been picked out by the EPA and other organizations to protect the water, but non-points are a little more difficult to trap. Pollution can kill marine life in the water...it also would hurt the economy as fisherman wouldn't want to fish there. Drinking water could get contaminated.

Front 71

Describe the stages of the wastewater treatment. Why is it rarely 100% effective?

Back 71

See chart and explanations on notes
Due to pharmaceuticals being flushed and the treatment plants not picking them out of the water (bc they are dissolved) its not 100%