Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the troposphere?
What is the troposphere?
What does the mesosphere extend from?
What does the mesosphere extend from?
In which layer does the Earth's ozone layer exist?
In which layer does the Earth's ozone layer exist?
What is the highest layer of the atmosphere?
What is the highest layer of the atmosphere?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the function of the E horizon?
What is the function of the E horizon?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the O horizon consist of?
What does the O horizon consist of?
Signup and view all the answers
What is bedrock?
What is bedrock?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the B horizon known for?
What is the B horizon known for?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the A horizon also known as?
What is the A horizon also known as?
Signup and view all the answers
The AIDS virus is transmitted through bodily fluids.
The AIDS virus is transmitted through bodily fluids.
Signup and view all the answers
Earthquakes can cause massive destruction.
Earthquakes can cause massive destruction.
Signup and view all the answers
Asbestosis is caused by exposure to mosquito bites.
Asbestosis is caused by exposure to mosquito bites.
Signup and view all the answers
Radon exposure is primarily linked to skin cancer.
Radon exposure is primarily linked to skin cancer.
Signup and view all the answers
Malaria is caused by bacteria carried by mosquitoes.
Malaria is caused by bacteria carried by mosquitoes.
Signup and view all the answers
What characterizes grassland soil?
What characterizes grassland soil?
Signup and view all the answers
How is desert soil characterized?
How is desert soil characterized?
Signup and view all the answers
What defines tropical rainforest soil?
What defines tropical rainforest soil?
Signup and view all the answers
What does deciduous forest soil contain?
What does deciduous forest soil contain?
Signup and view all the answers
What is nitrogen dioxide involved in?
What is nitrogen dioxide involved in?
Signup and view all the answers
What is suspended particulate matter?
What is suspended particulate matter?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a photochemical oxidant?
What is a photochemical oxidant?
Signup and view all the answers
Sulfur dioxide is involved in the formation of sulfuric acid.
Sulfur dioxide is involved in the formation of sulfuric acid.
Signup and view all the answers
What are the health effects of carbon monoxide?
What are the health effects of carbon monoxide?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the goal of the second stage of a septic treatment plant?
What is the goal of the second stage of a septic treatment plant?
Signup and view all the answers
Which animals are affected by thermal pollution in a stream?
Which animals are affected by thermal pollution in a stream?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the Superfund Program describe?
What does the Superfund Program describe?
Signup and view all the answers
What may indicate increased global temperature?
What may indicate increased global temperature?
Signup and view all the answers
In countries with high infant mortality rates, what is often a contributing factor?
In countries with high infant mortality rates, what is often a contributing factor?
Signup and view all the answers
What does composting produce?
What does composting produce?
Signup and view all the answers
Energy can be converted from one form to another.
Energy can be converted from one form to another.
Signup and view all the answers
Energy input always equals output.
Energy input always equals output.
Signup and view all the answers
The laws of thermodynamics can be applied to living systems.
The laws of thermodynamics can be applied to living systems.
Signup and view all the answers
At each step of an energy transformation, some energy is lost to heat.
At each step of an energy transformation, some energy is lost to heat.
Signup and view all the answers
Energy and matter can generally be converted into each other.
Energy and matter can generally be converted into each other.
Signup and view all the answers
What causes oxygen-depleted zones in oceans?
What causes oxygen-depleted zones in oceans?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a benefit of genetically modified foods?
What is a benefit of genetically modified foods?
Signup and view all the answers
What supplies a great amount of useful energy to humans?
What supplies a great amount of useful energy to humans?
Signup and view all the answers
Correct the geological eras in order:
Correct the geological eras in order:
Signup and view all the answers
What percent of the world's solid waste is produced by the US?
What percent of the world's solid waste is produced by the US?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a conservation easement?
What is a conservation easement?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the highest priority of the Clean Water Act?
What is the highest priority of the Clean Water Act?
Signup and view all the answers
What does evolution describe?
What does evolution describe?
Signup and view all the answers
What contributes to a woman having more or less healthy children?
What contributes to a woman having more or less healthy children?
Signup and view all the answers
What describes the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
What describes the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a consequence of ozone loss related to UV light?
What is a consequence of ozone loss related to UV light?
Signup and view all the answers
What effects can ozone in the troposphere cause?
What effects can ozone in the troposphere cause?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the net primary productivity (NPP) of an area indicate?
What does the net primary productivity (NPP) of an area indicate?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the second law of thermodynamics explain for living organisms?
What does the second law of thermodynamics explain for living organisms?
Signup and view all the answers
Why is acid deposition concerning for amphibians?
Why is acid deposition concerning for amphibians?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the internal costs of an automobile?
What are the internal costs of an automobile?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the purpose of scrubbers in smokestacks?
What is the purpose of scrubbers in smokestacks?
Signup and view all the answers
What are tailings?
What are tailings?
Signup and view all the answers
What are economic goods?
What are economic goods?
Signup and view all the answers
What fuel contains the greatest amount of sulfur?
What fuel contains the greatest amount of sulfur?
Signup and view all the answers
What aspects do economic resources include?
What aspects do economic resources include?
Signup and view all the answers
What do biological reserves allow countries to do?
What do biological reserves allow countries to do?
Signup and view all the answers
Which country has the largest population?
Which country has the largest population?
Signup and view all the answers
What phase of the hydrologic cycle requires solar energy?
What phase of the hydrologic cycle requires solar energy?
Signup and view all the answers
What is included in full cost pricing of a refrigerator?
What is included in full cost pricing of a refrigerator?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 10 ppm refer to?
What does 10 ppm refer to?
Signup and view all the answers
What type of birth control is primarily a chemical control?
What type of birth control is primarily a chemical control?
Signup and view all the answers
What are disadvantages of old style landfills?
What are disadvantages of old style landfills?
Signup and view all the answers
What has the international treaty concerning endangered species (CITES) tried to protect?
What has the international treaty concerning endangered species (CITES) tried to protect?
Signup and view all the answers
What are potential results of rising ocean levels due to global warming?
What are potential results of rising ocean levels due to global warming?
Signup and view all the answers
How is the chemical action that produces compost best described?
How is the chemical action that produces compost best described?
Signup and view all the answers
What produces non-point source pollution?
What produces non-point source pollution?
Signup and view all the answers
What does a nation's gross domestic product measure?
What does a nation's gross domestic product measure?
Signup and view all the answers
What does shaft sinking entail?
What does shaft sinking entail?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the total fertility rate best express?
What does the total fertility rate best express?
Signup and view all the answers
What contaminated the surrounding areas of Love Canal?
What contaminated the surrounding areas of Love Canal?
Signup and view all the answers
What are distinct building blocks of matter?
What are distinct building blocks of matter?
Signup and view all the answers
In seawater, where is carbon found?
In seawater, where is carbon found?
Signup and view all the answers
Why do acid rain and snow harm some areas more?
Why do acid rain and snow harm some areas more?
Signup and view all the answers
What are areas rich in phosphorus?
What are areas rich in phosphorus?
Signup and view all the answers
What process caused the addition of oxygen to the early Earth's atmosphere?
What process caused the addition of oxygen to the early Earth's atmosphere?
Signup and view all the answers
What caused the shrinking of the Aral Sea?
What caused the shrinking of the Aral Sea?
Signup and view all the answers
Why are riparian zones important parts of land?
Why are riparian zones important parts of land?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a disadvantage of fish farming?
What is a disadvantage of fish farming?
Signup and view all the answers
What is an advantage of fish farming?
What is an advantage of fish farming?
Signup and view all the answers
What does environmental wisdom suggest?
What does environmental wisdom suggest?
Signup and view all the answers
What form of nitrogen can plants use directly?
What form of nitrogen can plants use directly?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the effects of thermal inversion?
What are the effects of thermal inversion?
Signup and view all the answers
What can shifting taxes to tax pollution allow people to do?
What can shifting taxes to tax pollution allow people to do?
Signup and view all the answers
What is most damaging to stratospheric ozone?
What is most damaging to stratospheric ozone?
Signup and view all the answers
What is an example of exponential growth in numbers?
What is an example of exponential growth in numbers?
Signup and view all the answers
Where can samples of atmospheric gases from past eras be most easily obtained?
Where can samples of atmospheric gases from past eras be most easily obtained?
Signup and view all the answers
What is most affected by the loss of decomposers?
What is most affected by the loss of decomposers?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a trace element necessary for plant growth?
What is a trace element necessary for plant growth?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the environmental justice movement express concern about?
What does the environmental justice movement express concern about?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Atmosphere Layers
- Troposphere: Contains the Earth's daily weather and is heated by infrared radiation from the surface.
- Stratosphere: Home to the Earth's ozone layer.
- Mesosphere: Extends from 50 to 80 km above Earth.
- Thermosphere: The highest layer of the atmosphere, above 80 km.
Soil Horizons
- O Horizon: The litter layer with mostly undecayed materials.
- A Horizon: Known as topsoil, a mixture of soil loam and detritus.
- E Horizon: Contains concentrated silt and sand.
- B Horizon: Where leached minerals accumulate.
- Bedrock: The deep underlying non-soil materials.
Environmental and Health Concerns
- AIDS: Caused by a virus transmitted through bodily fluids.
- Asbestosis: Results from exposure to microscopic fibers of asbestos.
- Malaria: Caused by a bacterium carried by mosquitoes.
- Radon: A radiation source linked to lung cancer.
- Thermal Pollution: Affects aquatic life, particularly insect larvae.
Pollution and Waste Management
- Suspended Particulate Matter: Includes dust or soot affecting air quality.
- Scrubbers: Devices in smokestacks that reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.
- Excess Fertilizers: Cause algal blooms leading to hypoxic zones in oceans.
- Total Fertility Rate: Represents the average number of live births per woman.
Natural Resources and Conservation
- The Superfund Program: Addresses National Priorities and brownfield sites for cleanup.
- Conservation Easement: A binding agreement preserving land for tax benefits.
- Biological Reserves: Areas set aside to protect critical habitats.
- Economic Goods: Examples include a swing set, repair services, food, and game tickets.
Ozone and Climate Issues
- Stratospheric Ozone: Damaging agents like chlorofluorocarbons heavily impact this layer.
- Acid Deposition: Harms amphibians that inhabit both land and aquatic environments.
- Global Warming Effects: Rising ocean levels can lead to freshwater salt intrusion and disruption of fisheries.
Thermodynamics and Energy
- Second Law of Thermodynamics: Explains why living organisms need a constant energy supply.
- Lumens of Energy: Plants passing on energy to herbivores signify net primary productivity (NPP).
- Full Cost Pricing: Considers a product's total environmental impact.
Agriculture and Food Systems
- Genetically Modified Foods: Increased crop yield is a significant benefit.
- Fish Farming: Produces substantial food volumes but poses disease risks and genetic concerns.
Biodiversity and Ecosystems
- Environmental Justice Movement: Highlights inequities in pollution exposure among marginalized communities.
- Importance of Species: All species play crucial roles, underscoring the concept of environmental wisdom.
Atmospheric Chemistry
- Nitrates: The direct form of nitrogen usable by plants.
- Magnesium: A trace element necessary for various plant growth functions.
- Photosynthesis: The process responsible for the rise of oxygen in early Earth’s atmosphere.
Historical Context
- Love Canal: A case study of contamination due to waste leaching affects surrounding areas.
- Aral Sea Crisis: A significant environmental disaster caused by river diversion for agriculture.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge on the layers of the atmosphere with this AP Environmental Science practice exam. This quiz features key terms and definitions related to the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Prepare for your AP exam and solidify your understanding of atmospheric science.