2.1 - 3.5 enviromental science

What type of molecule is water?

Polar

Why is water called the “Universal Solvent”?

Dissolves more substances than any other liquid

Which property of water allows it to move up plant stems against gravity?

Capillary Action

Which of the following is true about ice?

Ice floats because it is less dense than liquid water

True or False

Water has a neutral pH of 7.

True

True or False

The boiling point of water is 0°C (32°F).

False

What is the bioling point of Water?

water boils at 100°C / 212°F

True or False

Water covers more than 70% of Earth’s surface.

True

True or False

Salinity in seawater is mainly from sodium and chloride ions.

True

Explain why water has a high specific heat and why this is important for Earth’s climate.

High specific heat: Water requires a lot of energy to change temperature because of hydrogen bonding. absorbs a lot of heat before changing temperature.

This stabilizes Earth’s climate (oceans absorb/store heat, preventing extreme swings). → Climate Moderator

What are the three factors that increase the density of seawater?

1. Lower temperature (cold water is denser),

2. Higher salinity,

3. Greater depth/pressure.

Which process in the water cycle is directly caused by plants releasing water vapor?

Transpiration

Which process describes water entering soil and rock layers?

Infiltration

Which of the following is NOT a type of fog?

Precipitation fog

Which reservoir contains the largest percentage of Earth’s freshwater?

Glaciers and ice caps

True or False

The water cycle is driven primarily by solar energy.

True

True or False

Runoff is the movement of water from soil into underground aquifers.

False ❌ Runoff = water flowing across land into rivers/oceans. Infiltration is what moves water into aquifers.

True or False

Clouds play an important role in Earth’s energy balance by reflecting solar and terrestrial radiation.

True

What do Clouds do that is important for the earth’s Energy Balance?

clouds reflect incoming solar + outgoing terrestrial radiation.

they both reflect incoming solar energy, creating a cooling effect, and trap outgoing heat radiated from the Earth's surface, leading to a warming effect

True or False

About 2.5% of all water on Earth is freshwater.

True

Explain the difference between evaporation and transpiration.

• Evaporation = water from oceans/lakes turns to vapor.

• Transpiration = plants release water vapor through their leaves.

Of the world’s freshwater, roughly what percentages are in glaciers, groundwater, and surface water?

• ~70% glaciers/ice caps

• ~30% groundwater

• ~1% surface water

What is the term for the top of the saturated zone in an aquifer?

Water table

Which type of aquifer is trapped between two impermeable layers of rock?

Confined aquifer

What is the zone of aeration?

above the water table, pores contain both air + water.

Which aquifer is Florida’s largest and stretches across multiple southeastern states?

Floridan aquifer

True or False

Overpumping groundwater in coastal areas can cause saltwater intrusion.

True

True or False

Recharge areas are regions where aquifers release water to the surface.

True

True or False

The Biscayne aquifer is shallow and provides water to southeast Florida.

True

Urbanization → pavement/canals reduce recharge by blocking infiltration.

Explain the difference between the zone of saturation and the zone of aeration.

• Zone of saturation = pores completely filled with water (below water table).

• Zone of aeration = pores partly filled with air + water (above water table).

How can canal construction in Florida threaten groundwater supplies?

• Canals divert rainwater out to sea before it can infiltrate into aquifers.

• This reduces groundwater recharge, threatening long-term water supplies.

Which of the following is not a type of freshwater ecosystem?

Estuaries

What makes estuaries highly productive ecosystems?

High nutrient input from mixing salt and freshwater.

Which coastal ecosystem helps buffer storm surges, reduce erosion, and store carbon?

Mangrove forests

Coral bleaching occurs mainly because of:

Warmer ocean temperatures stressing corals

True or False

Wetlands act as natural water filters and help control floods.

True

True or False

Coral reefs are sometimes called the “rainforests of the sea.”

True

True or False

Overfishing and pollution have little effect on saltwater ecosystems.

False

True or False

Mangroves are only found in cold, temperate climates.

False

List two ecosystem services that freshwater ecosystems provide.

• Drinking water supply.

• Irrigation for farming.

• Habitat for biodiversity.

• Nutrient cycling.

• Flood control.

Give two human activities that threaten saltwater ecosystems.

• Pollution (oil, plastics, agricultural runoff).

• Overfishing.

• Habitat destruction (draining wetlands, coral mining, coastal development).

• Climate change (warming, sea-level rise, ocean acidification).

Which gas makes up about 78% of Earth’s atmosphere?

Nitrogen

Which layer of the atmosphere contains all weather events?

Trososphere

Which layer contains the ozone layer?

Stratosphere

In which layer do meteors usually burn up?

Mesosphere

The Montreal Protocol was created to address:

Ozon depletion

Which atmospheric circulation cell dominates the tropics?

Hadley Cell

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis Effect causes winds to:

Bend right, clockwise

Which type of front is formed when cold air forces warm air upward, often creating

Cold Front

Which scale is used to measure hurricane strength by wind speed?

Saffir-Simpson Scale

Why don’t hurricanes form at the equator?

Coriolis Effect is absent

Which is NOT one of the five major pollutants measured by the Air Quality Index (AQI)?

Oxygen

Pre-industrial CO₂ levels were ~278 ppm. By 2016 they had risen to:

400+ ppm

Which property of water allows insects like water striders to walk on its surface?

Cohesion

Which process describes water vapor released from plants?

Transpiration

Which process moves water into aquifers and groundwater systems?

Infiltration

The largest percentage of Earth’s freshwater is found in:

Glaciers and ice caps

Which Florida aquifer is shallow and supplies water to SE Florida?

Biscayne aquifer

What causes saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers?

Overpumping groundwater in coastal areas

Which ecosystem is called the “rainforest of the sea”?

Coral reefs

Which coastal ecosystem protects shorelines from erosion and storm surges while storing carbon?

Mangroves

Which type of fog forms when warm, moist air moves over a cooler surface?

Advection fog

What is the average salinity of seawater?

35 ppt

Which process brings nutrient-rich deep water to the surface?

Upwellling

True or False

The troposphere contains about 75–80% of Earth’s atmospheric mass.

True

True or False

Air pressure increases with altitude.

False

True or False

High-pressure bands (around 30° latitude) are usually associated with deserts and dry weather.

True

True or False

Hurricanes often weaken when they move over land due to loss of warm water fuel.

True

True or False

The Saffir-Simpson Scale measures both wind speed and rainfall.

False

True or False

The greenhouse effect is entirely harmful to life on Earth.

False

True or False

The IPCC concluded with high certainty that human activity causes climate change.

True

True or False

Cohesion is when water molecules stick to other substances.

False

True or False

Capillary action results from both adhesion and cohesion.

True

True or False

Groundwater recharge areas are where water enters an aquifer.

True

True or False

The Biscayne aquifer is deeper and larger than the Floridan aquifer.

False

True or False

Wetlands help filter pollutants and control flooding

True

True or False

Coral bleaching is caused primarily by nutrient pollution from farms.

False

What are Estuaries?

nutrient-rich ecosystems where freshwater mixes with saltwater.

What is Radiation Fog?

ground cools overnight, air above cools.

Earth's surface rapidly cools by radiating heat into space, causing the air near the ground to cool to its dew point and condense into fog

What is Advection fog?

warm moist air moves over cold surface.

forms when warm, moist air moves horizontally across a cold surface, such as a cold body of water or land, cooling the air to its dew point and causing water vapor to condense into fog.

What is Upslope fog?

moist air pushed up mountains → cools → fog.

forms when moist air is forced up a hill or mountain slope by the wind, cooling as it rises and causing the water vapor to condense into fog.

Why does temperature decrease with altitude in the troposphere?

It’s farther from Earth’s surface heat source

Which process forms ozone (O₃) naturally in the stratosphere?

UV radiation splitting O₂ molecules and recombining

Which layer of the atmosphere has the highest temperatures due to absorption of solar radiation by nitrogen and oxygen?

Thermosphere

Around 30° latitude, descending air leads to deserts. Which global circulation cell is responsible?

Hadley Cell

Hurricanes weaken when they:

Move into colder water or over land

Which pollutant is a primary contributor to photochemical smog?

Nitrogen oxides

The main greenhouse gas responsible for long-term climate change is:

Carbon dioxide

The Coriolis Effect occurs because:

Earth rotates on its axis

Land subsidence due to overdrawing can cause:

Sinkholes, reduced recharge, and infrastructure damage.

Ecosystem with least vegetation:

Mud flats

The ocean Floor can be chracterized by which of the following conditions?

High pressure

How is salinity expressed?

in parts per thousand

Water is highly adhesive, which means that

water molecules stick to the molecules of other substances.

What would be an example of non-point source pollution?

a pollutant being carried by sediment laden river that flows through many farms

Which of the following species is invasive in the Florida Coral Reef Tract?

Lion fish

Life on Earth is dependent on all the properties of water as well as the abundance of water. Which property of water is probably most important for the functioning of organisms at the molecular level?

versatility as a solvent

Which of the following is NOT an example of agricultural pollution?

runoff of toxic chemicals from a mining operation

As a wave begins to feel bottom when it approaches shorelines, what happens to the wave?

Wavelength increases, and wave height decreases.

True or False

A riverbed with a shallow slope will yield high velocity streamflow.

False