UNIT 4

Question 1

list each sphere with its energy sources

Answer 1

1. Lithosphere: Fossil fuels, Nuclear,Geothermal
2. Hydrosphere: Hydro (water), Ocean currents, Tidal
3. Atmosphere: Wind, Solar

Question 2

list 2 pros and 2 cons for each energy source in the litosphere (fossil fuels, nucelar, geothermal)

Answer 2

1. fossil fuels: PRO, very high energy output, reliable/abundant, CON, non renewable, high GHG emissions
2. Nuclear: PRO, high energy output, low carbon emissions, reliable, CON, disasters can be catastrophic, produces nuclear waster
3. Geothermal: PRO, renewable, reliable, efficient, CON, thier plants can cause earthquakes, can only be built at specific sites

Question 3

list 2 pros and 2 cons for each energy source in the hydrosphere (Hydro, ocean currents, tidal)

Answer 3

1. Hydro: PRO, renewable and clean (no GHG emissions, CON, can cause flooding, geographic dependent
2. Ocean currents: PRO, zero GHG emissions, renewable, reliable, CON, can affect marine environment, high costs
3. Tidal: PRO, efficient, no waste, renewable, predictable, CON exepensive, can impact animal migration

Question 4

list 2 pros and 2 cons for each energy source in the atmosphere (wind and solar)

Answer 4

1. wind: PRO, renewable, clean (GHG emissions), low operation costs CON, loud, weather dependant, not visually appealing
2. solar: PRO, renewbale, provides energy independence, clean, CON, expensive, weather dependent, polluting once used up, uses a lot of space

Question 5

name at least 2 environmental impacts of mining

Answer 5

1. erosion and sinkholes
2. loss in biodiversity
3. water pollution
4. contamination of soil
5. greenhouse gas emissions

Question 6

what does soil depletion mean?

Answer 6

a loss of minerals and nutrients from the soil, which decreases soil fertility

Question 7

what causes soil depletion?

Answer 7

1. heavy machinery used to harvest crops compacts the soil = deprives soil of oxygen and prevent rain from penetrating the earth (so the run off water carries away the nutrients
2. the more and more fertilizers and pesticides that are being used = excess fertilizer runs off into lakes, pesticides accumulate in living organisms tissues and kills them (those microorganisms, insects and small animlas helped maintain soil balance)
3. acid rain (carrying chemicals from by products of the burning of fossil fuels) = cause poor nutrient retention, kill microorganisms, slow or stop plant growth

Question 8

4

list exemples of soil contaminants

Answer 8

1. fertilizers
2. pesticides
3. leaked fossil fuels
4. heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury)

Question 9

what is bioremediation?

Answer 9

it is the idea of using microorganisms or other living things to neutralize or remove contamination from waste

Question 10

give 3 exemples of bioremediation

Answer 10

1. enzyme cleaners
2. use of plants( to clean up the soil (phytoremediation)
3. use of oil degrading microbes (biodegredation)

Question 11

what is permafrost?

Answer 11

ground that has been 0 degrees celcius or lower for at least 2 years

Question 12

list 3 effects of global warming on permafrost

Answer 12

1. softening of the soil which can cause damage to infrastrucutre by destabilizing the foundation
2. landslides
3. methane and CO2 trapped underneath permafrost can be released

Question 13

what is the difference between a carbon sink and a carbon source

Answer 13

a carbon sink absorbs and stores carbon, while a carbon source puts carbon back into the environment

Question 14

list 5 carbon sources

Answer 14

1. plant and animal respiration
   2.volcanoes
2. weather and erosion
3. forest fires/clear cut logging
4. decomposition of dead organisms

Question 15

list 5 carbon sinks

Answer 15

1. photosynthesis
2. limestone formation
3. reforestation
4. shellfish and coral
5. ocean sediments

Question 16

what does the nitrogen cycle allow?

Answer 16

it allows living organisms to intake nitrogen for primarely making DNA and Proteins since they cannot directly take in N2 gas

Question 17

5

list the steps of the nitrogen cycle

Answer 17

1. nitrogen fixation
2. nitrification
3. absorption
4. decomposition
5. denitrification

Question 18

describe the steps of the nitrogen cycle

Answer 18

1. nitrogen fixation: nitrogen fixing bacteria breaks apart N2 molecules from the atmosphere and fixe the nitrogen into other nitrogen-containing molecules, like ammonia and ammonium (NH4)
2. nitrification: nitrifying bacteria converts the ammonia and ammonium into nitrates and nitrites (molecule plants can easilly assimilate) (NO3, NO2)
3. absorption: plants absorb these molecules through the soil, or animal eat the plants that have them
4. decomposition: the plants and or animal decompose putting NO3 and NO2 back into the soil
5. denitrification: denitrifying bacteria converts nitrates and nitrites back into the atmospheric N2 gas

Question 19

3

why is the phosphorus cycle important?

Answer 19

• like carbon and nitrogen, phosphorus is essentiel to life
• phosphate is found in parts of DNA and ATP (a molecule neede for energy storage in the human body)
• animals need phosphorus for their shells, bones and teeth

Question 20

4

list the steps of the phosphorus cycle

Answer 20

1.erosion
2.absorption
3.decomposition
4.sedimentation

Question 21

describe the steps of the phosphorus cycle

Answer 21

1.erosion: wind and rain wear away at small amounts of phosphorus in rock, the phosphates gets absorbed into the soil or water supply
2.absorption: plants absorb the phosphates, herbivores in the plants that have them, and carnivores eat the herbivores
3.decomposition: digested phosphates (poo) from animals are returned to the soil as waste, decompsoers (fungi, microorganisms) release phosphates when they break down the dead plants and animals
4.sedimentation: remains sink to the bottom of the ocean as sediment, over time the sediment solidifies into rock and can be uplifted (brought to ground)

Question 22

what is the coriolis effect

Answer 22

the air asses /wind appear to move diagonally due to the spinning of the earth

Question 23

the air surrounding the earth is in…

Answer 23

constant motion

Question 24

air rises above …. of the earth and air descends over …. of the earth

Answer 24

warm regions, cold regions

Question 25

list the 3 prevailing winds and with what direction they go

Answer 25

1. polar easterlies: east to west 2. westerlies: west to east 3. trade winds: towards the west

Question 26

List 4 atmospheric contaminants

Answer 26

1. sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides (acid rain) 2. metals like mercury, arsenic, and lead (by products from the combustion of oil and coal 3. CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) which destroy the ozone 4. dust and airborne particles from factories and car exhaust

Question 27

what is the greehouse effect?

Answer 27

when greenhouse gases (H2O, CO2,CH4,N2O) which are suspended around the earth in the atmosphere keep in some of the energy of the sun

Question 28

# NOT the greenhosue gases specifically List the greenhouse gas contributors

Answer 28

1. methane (largely from cows) 2. trapped methane released when permafrost melts 3. volcanoes and earthquakes release trapped gases 4. CO2 from respiration and decomposition 5. CO2 from deforestation 6. H2O as product of combustion

Question 29

a watershed is also known as a ... and a ...

Answer 29

catchment area or a drainage basin

Question 30

What is a watershed?

Answer 30

an area that drains water to a specific location

Question 31

catchment areas are usually what??

Answer 31

seperated topographically from adjacent areas by geographical barriers (mountains)

Question 32

what are the factors that affect watershed locations?

Answer 32

1. Topography (shape, slope and area terrain) 2. Geology (type, depth, and structure of rocks) 3. Climate (precipitation, temperature, etc) 4. Vegetation ( density, diversity) 5. Agricultural, industrial, and urban development of surrounding areas (farms, factories, sewage installation, etc)

Question 33

how does eutrophication occur?

Answer 33

when an excess of organic material and nutrients (rich in nitrogen and phosphorus) accumulate in waterways (rivers)

Question 34

how is eutrophication related to the phosphorus and nitrogen cycle?

Answer 34

since nitrogen and phosphorus originate from the run-off of fertilizer and pesticides and septic leaks and detergents containing phosphates and nitrogen-rich molecules | cuz its rich in those two things

Question 35

# 5 steps explain the process of eutrophication

Answer 35

1. algae feed on nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer run-off. This explosion of growth is called an algal bloom. 2. As the algae dies, it sinks to the bottom, where it is decomposed by microorganisms. (decomposers) 3. The microgoraganisms comsume lots of oxygen as they decompose the organic matter. Therefore, the amount dissolved O2 in the water significantly decreases. 4. Other aquatic organisms (fish,frogs,insects) do not have enough oxygen for respiration 5. Slowly, the ecosystem dies

Question 36

Algal bloom will also do what?

Answer 36

- Block sunlight from penetrating the water. - Underwater plants have difficulty doing photosynthesis and die. - This also increases the rate of decomposition and therefore contributes to the decrease in dissolved O2

Question 37

List exemples of hydrosphere contaminants

Answer 37

1. oil spills 2. fuels from boats 3. chemical discharged from industries 4. wastewater (sewage systems) 5. microplastics

Question 38

What are the 3 main steps of water filtration? and briefly explain them

Answer 38

1. Physical treatment (remove large pieces of debris, remove sand and grit, primary sedimentation) 2. Biological treatment(microorganisms digest fine organic matter, secondary sedimentation) 3. Disinfection (treatment of water with chemicals,radiation, chlorine compounds,ozone, or UV rays)

Question 39

what is the difference between surface currents and deep-water currents?

Answer 39

-surface water currentsmakes up about 10% of all the water in the ocean, it is the upper 400 meters of the ocean, it is affected by the Earths rotation and the wind WHILE -deep water currents make up the other 90% of the ocean, and they move around due to changes in density (affected by temperature and salinity)

Question 40

for surface currents, winds do what?

Answer 40

winds move warm water away from the equator and cool water away from the poles

Question 41

how is density affected by salinity?

Answer 41

- when ocean water is exposed to warm air (at lower latitudes) - density goes up, - because as water molecules evaporate, the concentration of salt (salinity) increases - THIS MAKES THE WATER DENSER

Question 42

# theres also the salt part how is density affected by temperature?

Answer 42

- when ocean water is exposed to cold air (at high latitudes) - density goes up - because as temperature decreases, water molecules move closer together - so the water contracts and becomes denser - this also cause it to sink - hot water = less dense (particles are seperated)takes up more space

Question 43

what is thermohaline circulation?

Answer 43

it is a slow conveyor belt that moves water around the Earth and it regulates climate

Question 44

break down the word thermohaline

Answer 44

thermo = temperature and haline = salt

Question 45

what is thermohaline circulation made of?

Answer 45

surface currents and deep water currents

Question 46

how does thermohaline circulation affect the climate?

Answer 46

since it regulates climate it influences the rate of sea ice formation near the poles

Question 47

what is the difference between glaciers and pack ice?

Answer 47

- glaciers is a mass of freshwater ice on land while pack ice is frozen seawater (brackish=freshwater and seawater) floating on oceans near the North and South poles - glaciers cause and increase in sea level while pack ice causes no change in sea level - glaciers are MELTING due to global warming while pack ice are currently WARMING due to global warming

Question 48

what happens when glaciers melt?

Answer 48

- freshwater from them flow down its watershed into the ocean, adding to the volume of ocean water - it also dilutes the saltwater, decreasing the salinity and therefore affecting the thermohaline circulation

Question 49

what happens when pack ice melts?

Answer 49

it does not add volume but does change salinity

Question 50

matter must be recycled due to what?

Answer 50

due to the law of conservation of matter, which states that matter cannot be created nor destroyed

Question 51

the carbon cycle is one of several...

Answer 51

biogeochemical cycles

Question 52

List the steps of the carbon cycle

Answer 52

1. photosynthesis 2. Respiration 3. decomposition 4. weathering of rocks 5. human caused increase of CO2 in the atmosphere

Question 53

what are the dangers of glaciers and pack ice melting

Answer 53

1. affects thermohaline circulation = climate 2. species displacement or extinction 3. decreases in albedo (reflecting sunlgiht)