Environmental Science 2

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A sedimentary rock can become an igneous rock.

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1

A sedimentary rock can become an igneous rock.

true

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2

The San Andreas Fault is an example of a

a transform margin

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3

Silicates are chemically weathered through

hydrolosis

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4

The lithosphere contains

the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle

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5

The most brittle layer of the Earth is the _________, which includes the crust within it.

Lithosphere

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6

The solid layer in the Earth that is able to flow (slowly!) is called the

asthenosphere

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7

Where is the asthenosphere located?

the upper layer of the mantle

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8

Earth's core is

is composed of mainly iron

is under enormous pressure

produces the Earth's magnetic field

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9

Volcanoes form in subduction zones because...

Water is released from sediments lowering the melting point of the overlying mantle.

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10

The basic ingredients for soil are:

minerals, air, water, and living and dead organic material

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11

A soil layer enriched in partially decayed organic matter found in mature soils is an…

A horizon

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12

The best type of soil for agriculture is a

mollisol

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13

Photosynthesis

uses CO2 and produces oxygen

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14

Atmospheric Nitrogen…

must be converted into a more reactive form before it can be incorporated into plants

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15

Earth’s different biomes are determined by…

regional differences in average temperature and annual precipitation

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16

Tropical rainforests...

have very high species diversity

are underlain by oxisols

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17

Coal deposits

are originally organic sediments in shallow, wet terrestrial environments

take 10's of millions of years to form from heat and pressure

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18

Which of these nutrients contribute to eutrophication?

Nitrogen

Phosphorus

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19

Water has high surface tension because

it is a polar molecule.

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20

Ecological Succession involves

changing plant communities after a disturbance.

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21

Steps of Natural selection in Order

  1. genetic mutation produces new trait in offspring

  2. new trait allows organism to outcompete other individuals for resources

  3. individual passes new traits to future generations

  4. individuals with new trait stop mating with individuals without trait

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22

Annual net additions to atmospheric carbon are about half of the annual carbon emissions from human activities.

true

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23

geological repository of carbon in coal from

terrestrial plant matter

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24

geological repository of carbon in oil

marine organisms

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25

geological repository of carbon in limestone

marine shells and skeletons

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26

Phosphorus cycle has

no atmospheric component

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27

Nitrogen

has to be fixed by bacteria to be available for use in living things

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28

Carbon

main element in living things

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29

Which of the following are true about coral reefs?

they have high species diversity

they contain symbiotic algae

they are one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth

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30

Pollination is an example of

mutualism

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31

Outer core

semisolid, made of molten iron, produces magnetic field

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32

Inner core

solid

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33

uppermost mantle

rigid, contains lithosphere

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34

Asthenosphere

soft part of mantle, flows

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35

Pangaea

the ancient supercontinent of 200 million years ago. Single landmass of all continents

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36

subduction zones

associated with volcanic activity

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37

Oceanic crust goes down cause

it's more dense (but thinner)

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38

Continental Crust won’t go down into the earth

because it's less dense, (but thicker)

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39

Continental crust

35 km, density 2.7 g/cm3

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40

Oceanic crust

10km, density 3.08/cm3

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41

What depresses the melting point of the mantle?

water

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42

Igneous

formed from melting, crystallization, hot temp, high pressure

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43

Sedimentary

weathering, sedimentation, lithification, low temp/pressure

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44

Metamorphic

heat and pressure, recrystallization, med temp, med pressure

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45

What is the core made of?

metallic, iron

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46

What is the mantle made of?

silicates

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47

What is the crust made of?

mainly silicates, also carbonates (mostly as sediments) and sulfides (ores)

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48

Soil

made of parent material (rock) that is weathered, type depends on rock type as well as plant matter, the livivng membrane of the planet

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49

Soil recipe

minerals, air, water, organic material, organisms

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50

Physical Weathering

breaking up the rock

-ex. Wind, glaciers, freeze/thaw

-most intensive in mountainous areas

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51

Chemical Weathering

acids in water break down minerals in rock

-ex acid rain

-most intensive in tropical areas

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52

Hydrolysis

CARBON SINK acidic rain water converts minerals into ions bound to H+

-acidic rainwater: H2O (atm) + CO2 (atm) -> H2CO3

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53

dissolution

Acid rainwater dissolves limestone

Atmospheric co2 transferred to ocean deposited in sediments

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54

O Horizon contains surface litter:

fallen leaves and partially decomposed organic debris

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55

A Horizon contains topsoil:

organic matter (humus), living organisms, inorganic minerals, dark rich soil

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56

E Horizon contains zone of leaching:

dissolved or suspended materials move downward, pale stripe in soil profile

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57

B Horizon contains subsoil:

accumulation of iron, aluminum, humic compounds, and clay leached down from A and E horizons

soil is orange from iron

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58

C Horizon contains weathered parent material:

partially broken down inorganic minerals

chunks of rocks

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59

R horizon contains bedrock:

impermeable layer, solid rock

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60

Grassland soil: mollisol

large a horizon, B horizon, c horizon, annual plants, dark and thick, fastest moving

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61

Forest soil: podzol:

a horizon shallow, b horizon quite big, c is deeper

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62

Desert soil: aridisol

very shallow A horizon, shallow B horizon, huge C horizon, slowest moving

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63

Spodosols

(boreal forest) young, acidic soils of cool, moist conifer forests underlain by pale ash colored layer

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64

Alfisols

soils of deciduous forest, relatively fertile, medium brown, rich in aluminum and iron

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65

Mollisols

soft crumbly dark soils formed under grass

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66

Oxicodal

rain forest

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67

Lester series

deep well drained soils that formed in calcareous loamy glacial till plains and moraines

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68

Nutrient

elements used as building blocks in organic compounds needed to build living cells

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69

Photosynthesis elements and processes

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen

Respiration

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70

Biogeochemical cycles:

natural and anthropogenic

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71

Anthropogenic

human origin

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72

Coal takes

10 of millions of years to form

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73

Oil takes

minimum of 50 million years

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74

Natural sources of carbon

207 petagrams (10 to the 15th power)

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75

Natural Removals of carbon from the atmosphere

210 peragrams

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76

The natural carbon cycle has a

net negative balance

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77

The natural carbon cycle absorbs

half of anthropogenic atmospheric

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78

Main nitrogen reservoir

atmosphere

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79

How do plants “fix” nitrogen?

legumes have nitrogen fixing bacteria living in nodules of their root tissue that breaks the triple bond and turns it into a form plants can use

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80

Natural Nitrogen

196-733 teragrams (10 to the 12th power)

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81

Anthropogenic nitrogen

170-445 teragrams

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82

Eutrophication

the addition of excess nutrients to natural waters

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83

Nitrogen reservoirs

biota, crust, atmosphere, fertilizer production

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84

Phosphorus

necessary for nucleic acids, cell membranes, teeth, bones, energy

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85

Phosphorus reservoirs

biota and crust

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86

Anthropogenic phosphorus

12 teragrams

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87

Natural phosphorus

8 teragarms

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88

Sulfur

important for proteins, comes from minerals

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89

Sulfur reservoirs

seaspray, volcanos, coal plants

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90

Sulfuric acid

lowers ph very much, creates acid rain

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91

Coral

tropical water

nutrient poor water

-algae symbiotic with coral (corals are animals that grow their own gardens)

-nutrients are in organisms not in ground or water

-to many nutrients in water causes algae to grow in water, shading the coral reefs

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92

SeaGrass Meadows

more productive than coral reefs

-ecosystem services

-oxygen production

-sea bottom stabilization

-protects coats from erosion and storms

-Carbon fixation

-0.1% of ocean floor but 10% of carbon storage

-Fragile

-sensitive to eutrophication, overfishing, sediment pollution, climate change

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93

Upwelling zones

-winds cause surface water to move away from shore

-surface water movement causes water to upwell from below

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94

Tolerance limits

optimal range of temperature environment

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95

individual adaptation

acclimation

-adjustment to conditions

-ie. Acclimation, dogs growing out winter coat

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96

population adaptation

evolution

-though genetic mutations creating new traits

-natural selection

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97

What determines how long it will take a population to adapt?

The lifespan on the organism, as well as how often they breed

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98

species

small scale, adapted to microenvironment, small spatial scale

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99

ecosystem

-large scale. Adapted to macroenvironment, large spatial scale

-ecosystems include biota(communities of organisms)and their physical environment (crust/ocean)

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100

Primary Community Productivity

converting solar energy to chemical energy

-can be very productive, not necessarily efficient

-measured in kilocalories

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