SUPA Earth System Science chapter 8

what is the most abundant gas in our atmosphere

nitrogen which is 78%

what gases other than nitrogen make up our atmosphere

oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, water vapor, and other inert gases

gases move from areas of \----pressure to areas of \--- pressure

gases move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure

what part of the atmosphere do we live in

troposphere

what part of the atmosphere is above the troposphere

stratosphere

what is weather

state of the atmosphere for a given region at a specific time. “it’s what you get”

what is climate

long-term average of weather conditions for a given region “what you expect”

what is temperature

a measure of hotness or coldness (how fast particles move) of something using a thermometer

humidity

the amount of water in a given volume of air

relative humidity

the amount of water in the air as a percentage of the maximum amount of water that the air can hold at a given temperature

barometric pressure

a measure of the pressure exerted by earth’s atmosphere at any given point

air masses

large volumes of air that have relatively uniform temperature and humidity

high pressure systems

systems of cooling air that are becoming denser and heavier which then sink to form an area of high pressure and are usually associated with clear, dry, conditions

low pressure systems

system of air where warm rising air cools as it expands into higher and colder altitudes which can then cause the water vapor in the air mass to condense into clouds that may eventually produce precipitation

wind

wind in motion as it flows from high-pressure to low-pressure areas

cold front

cold air mass replacing warm air mass

warm front

warm air mass replacing cold air mass

fronts

they form at the boundaries between high-pressure systems (cold air masses) and low-pressure systems (warm air masses) bigger differences\=big storms

what does a base produce when it dissolves in water

OH- ions

what is the pressure and precipitation in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)

low pressure and wet conditions

what are volatile organics compounds (VOCs)

air pollutants resulting from fossil fuel burning or using carbon-based compounds like paint or solvents and can be found in higher concentrations indoors

what is a primary pollutant

a substance that is harmful in its directly emitted form

examples of primary pollutants

carbon monoxide, benzene, asbestos, particulate matter, VOCs, toxic metals

secondary pollutants

the product of reactions occurring in the atmosphere

how is smog created

it is a result of a reaction between sunlight and chemicals in the atmosphere (cars, power plants, etc.) VOC+ NOx+ Sunlight

in cities what does smog do

accumulates and forms low level ozone that contains toxins

stratospheric ozone

protects terrestrial life from UV radiation by preventing 99% of it from reaching earth

what happened with the ozone layer

there was a hole caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which resulted in skin cancer, cataracts, reduced phytoplankton and crops.

what was the response to the ozone hole

the adoption of the Montreal protocol to phase out CFCs which has resulted in the shrinking of the ozone hole

how acidic is normal rainwater

pH of 5.6

what causes acid rain and what is its pH

SO2 and NOx are released into the air, the pollutants transform into acid particles, they then fall to the earth as dust, rain, snow, or other, and they have harmful effects on soil, forests, streams, and lakes. The pH of acid rain is 4.4-4.2

what are the issues with acid rain

it changes the pH of lakes in Canada and New England which changes the ecology. It effects the developmental stages and physical development of certain insect and fish species. It effects soil pH which affects plant growth and mortality. Leaching out aluminum which coats gills. It wears away at human structures and artwork

what landscape does acid rain effect the most

New England because we have granite bedrock which can not neutralize acid deposition

what law in the United States responds to pollution in the atmosphere

the clean air act of 1970 which establishes air quality standards and regulations on the source of pollutants

An acid with a pH of 4 is how much stronger than something with a pH of 7?

1000x’s

ocean water naturally has a pH of about

8

when CO2 dissolves in water it combines with H2O to form

Carbonic acid

HCO3- is the chemical formula for

a Bicarbonate ion

of the 9.5 billion tons of CO2 released each year by humans what % ends up in the ocean

26%

which of the following is assimilated into the tests, shells, or exoskeletons of marine organisms

CaCO3

what is the correct equation for the precipitation of Calcium Carbonate

Ca^(2+) + CO3^(2-) → CaCO3

which statement is not correct a) the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased since 1950 b) the amount of CO2 in the ocean has increased since 1985 c) The pH of the ocean has increased since 1985 d) the pH of the ocean has decreased sine 1985

c) the pH of the ocean has increased since 1985

which organism at the bottom of the food chain is affected by lowering pH levels in the ocean

coccolithophores

what does an acid produce when dissolved in water

H+

what does buffering mean and what buffers what pH wise

buffering means neutralizes and bases buffer acids

CaCO3

Calcium Carbonate found in tests, shells, and coral skeletons

CO2

carbon dioxide- dissolves in and out of the ocean

CO3-

Carbonate ion

H2CO3

Carbonic acid

HCO3-

Bicarbonate ion