"our Global Environment" Chapter 11

Front 1

What was Earth's primitive atmosphere composed of?
What made possible our modern atmosphere?

Back 1

Carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrogen, traces of ammonia, with no oxygen.

Hint 1

The evolution of green plants...their photosynthetic activities of resulted in the uptake of considerable quantities of atmospheric CO2 and the subsequent release of free oxygen.
pgs 358-359

Front 2

Describe the earth-atmosphere system?
Is it closed or open? Why? What is an important implication of this?

Back 2

The present proportions of chemical constituents of the atmosphere have been the same for at least several hundred million years, however they are in a constant state of flux, reacting with the continents and oceans to form our weather patterns, constantly being removed and recycled. These interactions are called the earth-atmosphere system.

Hint 2

It's a closed system, meaning every material that goes into the air (though it may circulate and change form) remains within the earth-atmosphere system. Thus the concept that pollutants or other substances will eventually "vanish" is a physical impossibility.
pg 359

Front 3

What are the four major atmospheric components?
Which ones are needed for biological processes?

Back 3

Nitrogen (N2), Oxygen (O2), Argon (Ar), and Carbon Dioxide (CO2).

Hint 3

Oxygen is required by most living organisms for the production of energy (known as aerobic respiration).
Carbon dioxide constitutes the carbon source for photosynthesis.
pg 359

Front 4

Describe the composition of the atmosphere.

Back 4

-It's made up of four major atmospheric components.
-The composition of its component gases is uniform throughout the atmosphere, but scientists subdivide it into 3 distinct regions based on temperature zones.

Hint 4

pg 359

Front 5

Describe the troposphere.
What is the tropopause?

Back 5

-It extends from sea level to about 8 miles above the earth.
-Virtually all life activities occur here.
-Almost all weather and climatic phenomena occur here.
-In addition to the usual gases, it also contains varying amounts of water vapor and dust particles.
-The temperature falls with increasing altitude.

Hint 5

The tropopause is the upper limit of the troposphere.
pg 359

Front 6

Describe the stratosphere.
What is the stratopause?

Back 6

-It's above the troposphere.
-Temperature rises with increasing altitude.
-Does not contain water vapor or dust.
-Contains the ozone layer.

Hint 6

The stratopause is the upper boundary of the stratosphere.
pg 360

Front 7

Describe the mesosphere.

Back 7

-Above the stratopause.
-Temperature falls with rising altitude.

Hint 7

pg. 361

Front 8

What is the ozone layer?
Are ozone levels consistent around the globe?

Back 8

A region in the stratosphere with higher-than-usual concentrations of the rare gas Ozone.

Hint 8

Ozone concentrations are lowest above the equator, and increase toward the poles. They also increase between autumn and spring.
pgs 360-361

Front 9

What is the purpose of the atmosphere?

Back 9

-Provides the major source of certain chemical elements necessary for life.
-Controls the earth's surface environment by regulating the quality & quantity of solar radiation that enters & leaves the biosphere.

Hint 9

pg 361

Front 10

What are the three categories of solar energy? How are they categorized?

Back 10

UV rays, visible light rays, and infrared rays (heat).

Hint 10

Categorized depending on wavelength of the various forms of radiation involved.
pg 361

Front 11

Which forms of solar radiation are affected by which regions of the atmosphere?

Back 11

-Most of the UV radiation present in sunlight is absorbed by the ozone layer as it passes through the stratosphere/ozone layer.
-Visible light rays & infrared radiation are unaffected by the ozone layer, but scatter & diffuse in the troposphere due to contact with dust particles and clouds.
-Energy losses occur when CO2 and water vapor absorb infrared radiation as sunlight enters the lower atmosphere (resulting in an increase in air temperature).
-Additional amounts of all incoming solar radiation are lost by reflection from the surfaces of clouds, oceans, and land (especially when covered with snow or ice).

Hint 11

pgs 361-362

Front 12

What accounts for differences in the amount of infrared absorption in various climatic regions?
Give examples.

Back 12

The varying amount of water vapor in the troposphere.

Hint 12

Arid regions have greater temperature extremes during a 24-hour period than do humid areas because the low water vapor content of desert air minimizes the absorption of the infrared waves.
pg 362

Front 13

What is ground radiation?
What is its purpose?

Back 13

Outward radiation of energy from the earth's surface.

Hint 13

In order to maintain a global radiation balances, energy absorbed by the earth from incoming sunlight must be equaled by ground radiation.
pg 363

Front 14

Describe the greenhouse effect.

Back 14

Some of the infrared waves leaving the earth are absorbed by water vapor and CO2 in the atmosphere, a portion of which are reradiated back to the earth's surface, thereby keeping the earth's climate warmer than it would otherwise be.

Hint 14

pg 363

Front 15

What are the 2 major causes of human-induced atmospheric change?

Back 15

-Introduction into the atmosphere of pollutant gases and particles not usually found there in significant amounts.
-Changes in concentrations of natural atmospheric components.

Hint 15

pg 363

Front 16

Why is the ozone layer so important?

Back 16

It protects life on Earth from the damaging effects of solar UV radiation.

Hint 16

pg 363

Front 17

What is the "hole in the sky?"

Back 17

A large hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole, announced to exist in 1985 by British scientists.

Hint 17

pg 364

Front 18

What are some of the biggest contributors to depletion of the ozone layer? Why?

Back 18

-Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that were used in home & industrial refrigeration, freezing, air conditioning, and propellants in aerosol spray cans.
-Note also that the processes associated with global climate change are further aggravating ozone loss.

Hint 18

Their extreme chemical stability ensures that the chemicals don't break down, instead they drift upward through the troposphere into the stratosphere where the molecules are finally broken down by UV radiation, releasing their atoms into the ozone.
pgs 364, 368

Front 19

What is the Montreal Protocol? Has it helped?

Back 19

It called for the freezing of CFC consumption by 1990, followed by a 50% reduction in production of the chemicals by 2000.

Hint 19

Yes, because concentrations of chlorine in the upper stratosphere are increasing at a slower rate, but it also created a black market for CFCs, especially in developing countries.
Note: it has since been expanded to include other ozone-depleting chemicals.
pgs 366-368

Front 20

What are some things contributing to rising amounts on CO2 and decreasing oxygen levels?
Which are the most important?

Back 20

-Sharp rises in fossil fuel consumption
-Worldwide destruction of forest cover
-Poisoning of oceanic phytoplankton by pollution of the seas

Hint 20

Fossil fuel consumption has received most of the attention & blame, but deforestation (esp. in the tropics) contributes to nearly 1/4 of all global CO2 emissions (it's released when forest and organic matter in the soil are destroyed).
pgs 369-370

Front 21

Discuss how CO2 plays an important role in the greenhouse effect.

Back 21

It moderates the earth's temperature, just as the glass in a greenhouse permits light to enter but prevents the escape of heat, thereby warming the air within. CO2 absorbs infrared ground radiation and its subsequent re-radiation back towards the earth helps maintain an average global temperature of 59 degrees.

Hint 21

pg 371

Front 22

Discuss 3 other rising greenhouse gases, and the major sources of them.

Back 22

-Methane
-Nitrous oxide
-Halocarbons

Hint 22

-It's not easy to control methane because it comes from cultivation of rice, the microbial activity of cows and termites, landfills, tropical deforestation, and emissions from gas and coal production.
-Nitrous oxide has increased due to worldwide use of nitrogen fertilizers, combustion of fossil fuels, increased land cultivation, burning of biomass, and decomposition of agricultural wastes and sewage.
-Halocarbons should decrease over time due to the Montreal Protocol and decreasing CFCs.
Note: water vapor is also an important greenhouse gas, but it's not taken into consideration when discussing global warming.
pgs 372-373

Front 23

Is global warming equal across the globe?

Back 23

Although temperatures are rising everywhere, some places have a much higher rise and also changes in their rainfall patterns.

Hint 23

pg 375

Front 24

Describe global warming's impact on crop yields.

Back 24

-The hotter, drier weather will be disastrous at a time when global food demand is increasing.
-It may create conflict over access to irrigation water.
-Plant pathogens & crop-destroying insects will expand.

Hint 24

pgs 374, 376

Front 25

Describe global warming's impact on livestock.

Back 25

Livestock production will suffer due to heat-induced declines in animal fertility.
-Pastures can be expected to sustain heat damage.

Hint 25

pg 376

Front 26

Describe global warming's impact on biodiversity.

Back 26

-Natural ecosystems will feel greater stress than domestic ones since many nonagricultural species have gradually become adapted to life in a specific habitat and have a narrow range of tolerance to changing environmental conditions.
-Plants can shift location only as far as their seeds are dispersed.
-There are barriers to animal migration, such as cities, roads, dams, etc.
-Some animals are programmed to be territorial so won't move even if their environment becomes uninhabitable.
-Some animals that migrate may find the plants on which they feed are not in their new home, and so they will starve.
-Prevalence of infectious diseases is likely to increase.

Hint 26

pg 377

Front 27

Describe global warming's impact on sea level.

Back 27

-Sea level will rise due to both thermal expansion of water as temperatures increase, and the melting of ice sheets.
-Huge impact on human settlement patterns because 75% of world population lives within 36 miles of a coastline.
-This may be the most dramatic consequence of global warming.

Hint 27

pg 378

Front 28

Describe global warming's impact on human illness.

Back 28

-Extreme heat will result in some excess deaths, mainly due to heart attacks and strokes.
-Worsening air pollution will contribute to higher rates of respiratory disease.
-Vector-borne tropical diseases will spread into regions where they currently are not known.

Hint 28

pg 379

Front 29

Historically, is Earth's climate stable or changing?

Back 29

Evidence indicates that the relatively stable climate of the past 10,000 years is actually an anomaly. It appears that frequent and sudden changes occur throughout geologic time.

Hint 29

pg 380

Front 30

Describe thermohaline circulation and global warming's impact on the process.

Back 30

It carries heat from the equator to the polar regions of the North Atlantic, keeping western Europe about 10 degrees warmer.

Hint 30

Melting of ice & increase flow of fresh water could change the salt levels in sea water, which could change the circulation.
pg 380

Front 31

What is the FCCC?
Did it reach its intended goal?

Back 31

The Framework Convention on Climate Control, a voluntarily-signed document to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Hint 31

No, it became obvious that voluntary goals were not going to work.
pgs 381-382

Front 32

What is the Kyoto Protocol?
What happened at The Hague convention?

Back 32

A 1997 treat that set mandatory emissions reductions for 38 industrial nations.

Hint 32

A consensus was reached that climate change is a serious problem.
pg 382

Front 33

Describe government action toward global warming in the US.

Back 33

-President Bush withdrew us from the Kyoto Protocol treaty.
-The federal government continues to sidestep meaningful action, but many state and local governments have launched innovative initiatives.

Hint 33

pg 383

Front 34

What are the benefits of renewable, nonpolluting alternative energy?

Back 34

-They are beginning to become viable options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
-They simultaneously mitigate air quality
-They will reduce dependence on imported oil.

Hint 34

pg 383

Front 35

Why is private industry moving ahead aggressively to reduce emissions, even in the absence of federal regulations?

Back 35

Emissions reductions typically save companies money and promote the development of innovative technologies.

Hint 35

pg 384