Environmental Science Chapter 13

25 July 2022
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question
Which of the following layers of the atmosphere is responsible for the weather that we experience on the surface of Earth?
answer
Troposphere. This bottom layer of the atmosphere provides us with the air we breathe and also drives the planet's weather.
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Which gas makes up 78% of the molecules in the atmosphere?
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N2—nitrogen
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Which layer of the atmosphere extends to 500 km?
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thermosphere. Temperatures in the thermosphere climb steadily with height and can reach far past the boiling point of water!
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What process depends upon the cyclical, vertical movement of air currents: sinking cold, dense; and rising warm, less dense air masses?
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convective circulation. Temperatures in the thermosphere climb steadily with height and can reach far past the boiling point of water!
question
Which of the following statements properly describes the cause of a temperature inversion or its effects?
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Temperature inversions can trap air pollution in one place for many days. An inversion can work like a cap on the atmosphere. Air pollution is increased in concentration below the cap. Normally denser cold air falls to the surface, forcing the polluted air up and mixing it. A layer of warm air over a layer of colder air prevents mixing.
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What describes the pattern of atmospheric conditions across larger geographic regions over years, decades, or centuries?
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climate. Climate is a typical pattern of atmospheric conditions over a larger area; weather specifies atmospheric conditions over shorter time periods within small geographic areas.
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Which of the following can trap pollutants at ground level and cause dangerous smog?
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thermal inversions. Thermal inversions can trap pollutants at ground level, causing dangerous levels of pollution in the air that we breathe.
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What drives long-term climate patterns, such as the Hadley Cells at the Equator, over large geographic scales?
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convective air currents. These air currents are largely driven by heat.
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Point sources of air pollution are
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specific spots--such as a factory's smokestacks--where large quantities of pollution are discharged. The exact location of the point pollution release is known.
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What is a secondary pollutant?
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a pollutant that develops after a chemical reaction with chemicals normally present in the atmosphere. Acid precipitation is a secondary pollutant because the emitted chemical is SO2, which reacts with water to produce sulfuric acid.
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A __________ pollutant interacts with a part of the atmosphere and becomes a __________ pollutant.
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primary; secondary. Primary pollutants cause harm directly, but they may also interact with other substances in the atmosphere, forming secondary pollutants.
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Which piece of legislation set strict standards for air quality and pollution control in the United States?
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the Clean Air Act. This law set strict standards for air quality, imposed limits on emissions, and provided money for research.
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Which of the following is one of the EPA's six criteria pollutants?
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carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a very dangerous, colorless, odorless gas
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The EPA tracks six "criteria" air pollutants. Which of these is true of the criteria air pollutants?
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Total emissions of the six have declined by over 50% since 1970. Lead is down over 99%, and the other five are down between 33% and 85%.
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What are the effects of carbon monoxide?
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suffocation in mammals. Carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin irreversibly and prevents oxygen uptake by mammals.
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Which of the following damaging pollutants is NOT closely tracked by the U.S. EPA?
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mercury. While mercury is a neurotoxin, it is not produced in quantity by many sources, so the EPA does not track it nationally (it is not a criteria air pollutant). There is a concern about the mercury emissions from the combustion of coal, and these sources are monitored and regulated.
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Which of the following is an unhealthy mixture of pollutants that forms over cities?
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smog. Smog forms over cities as a result of burning fossil fuels.
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Which of the following chemicals is NOT a VOC (volatile organic compound)?
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carbon monoxide. A VOC (volatile organic compound) contains carbon and hydrogen.
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What releases NO and VOC into the atmosphere, initiating the formation of photochemical smog in cities like Los Angeles and Tehran?
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vehicle exhaust. The morning, during heavy traffic, is when this occurs.
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Which of the following convert or remove airborne pollutants from smokestacks?
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scrubbers. Scrubbers chemically convert or physically remove airborne pollutants before they are emitted from smokestacks.
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In which way does acid deposition originate?
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through fossil fuel combustion by cars, electric utilities, and industrial facilities. These activities burn fossil fuels, releasing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which react with water, oxygen, and oxides in the air to produce acids.
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What sorts of constituents do atmospheric pollutants (such as sulfates and nitrates) react with in order to initiate the process that results in acid deposition?
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water, oxygen, and oxidants. These chemical constituents form compounds of low pH with atmospheric pollutants.
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Which of the following results from acid deposition?
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Objects made of stone, like marble headstones, are worn away. Ancient cathedrals, monuments, temples, and statues are experiencing billions of dollars in damage as their features erode away as a result of acid deposition.
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What happens when acids from acid deposition hit topsoil?
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Plants and soil organisms are harmed. Acids leach nutrients such as calcium and potassium ions from topsoil.
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How has the Clean Air Act's emissions trading program addressed the issue of acid deposition in the United States?
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Economic incentives have encouraged polluters to invest in technologies such as scrubbers. Cleaner, more efficient technologies have decreased acid deposition in the United States.
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Which element, atoms of which are released from CFC molecules, is responsible for the cycle in which ozone is broken down?
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Chlorine. Chlorine is released from CFCs in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
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In which layer of the atmosphere is the "ozone layer" found?
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Stratosphere. The highest concentration of the ozone layer lies about 20 km above Earth's surface. It screens out all of the U-V C and most of the skin-damaging and mutagenic U-V B.
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Most of the indoor air pollution in developing countries comes from __________.
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Burning fuelwood for cooking and heating homes kills 3.5 million people each year in developing countries
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How does radon originate?
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natural decay of uranium. Radon is a radioactive gas that is produced during the natural decay of uranium. Radon is dangerous to breathe, and because of its heavy mass and the lack of air circulation, radon can accumulate to high concentrations in the lower levels of buildings, especially basements.
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Which two pollutants are the top two responsible for lung pollution in the United States?
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cigarette smoke and radon gas. Lung cancer from smoking kills 160,000 people each year, and lung cancer from radon kills 21,000 people each year.
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Annually, a large " hole" in the stratospheric ozone layer forms over __________.
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Antarctica
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Indoor Air Pollution
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Causes -Radon seepage into homes -VOCs from paints, carpeting, and furniture -inefficient indoor cookstoves Consequences -lung cancer; 20,000 deaths per year in the United States -respiratory disease in developing countries -people ill from sick-building syndrome Solutions -purchase of low- or no-VOC paints, carpeting, and furniture -measurement of radon with a test kit; increase in ventilation -conversion to more efficient clean-burning cook stoves