Environmental science unit 6

environmental science review

A fossil fuel is a

hydrocarbon containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms.

What are fossil fuels?

Hydrocarbons store energy, which is released when they are burned, making them an important source of energy for things like cars, heating, and electricity.

In 2024 U.S primary energy consumption comes from fossil fuels, whats the percent for U.S and global consumption

60% in U.S and 82% in global

what are the most consumed fossil fuels?

Natural gas, coal, and oil

Oil and Natural gas formation is from…

Plants and animals that have lived in the OCEAN million of years ago

When the marine life dies, the sink into the seafloor and were buried by mud and sand, what does the mud and sand sediment do to the organic matter?

It prevents the organic remains from oxidizing.

Water,petroleum(oil), and gas seperate due to what?

Due to densitity the layers seperate.

Where does coal form?

From plants that lived millions of years ago in swampy areas.

What is the 2nd step of coal formation?

When plants die they form thick layers of plant material which were then buried by soil&rock.

whats the 3rd step of coal formation?

Heat and pressure transform the plant material into peat, then into lignite, and eventually into bituminous coal.

coal forms in what type of enviornment?

anaerobic environment because the plant material that becomes coal needs to be buried and decomposed without the precense of oxygen.

what are the stages of cal development

peat,lignite,bitunimous,anthracite

Oil shale is a ..

its a rock that contains a substance called kerogenthat can be converted into oil through heating. The kerogen breaks down and releases oil and gas.

what is an oil trap?

a natural underground structure where oil and gas get trapped allowing for large accumulation.

what are the two features of an oil trap?

1- a permable reservoir rock that allows gas and petroleum to collect.

2- a cap rock, impenetrable rock that keeps the gas and petroleum from coming to the surface.

what happens when an oil trap is drilled?

the pressure is released, gas and petroleum move toward the hole and pumps lift the products out.

what are tar sands?

also called oil sands, are a mixture of sand, clay, water, and a thick, sticky form of oil called bitumen.

the process of extracting bitumen from tar sands causes substantial disturbances tp the land and increases potential for releasing toxins and contaminating water.

bitumen is…

to thick to flow like regular oil so it needs to be mined and or heated to extract it.

tar sands are processed to..

remove impurities, add hydrogen, and refine oil

ways to extract oil include…

oil shale, oil trap, and tar sands

extracting and burning fossil fuels can cause serval problems such as..

air pollution, resource depletion, enviornmental damage, oil spills, climate change

the top fossil fuel consuming countries are…

china, U.S, and india

togheter these 3 countries consume 54% of teh worldds fossil fuels by weight

china is the worlds largest emitter of..

carbon dioxide from burning coal

alternative energy examples include..

solar energy, wind energy, and hydropower energy, and geothermal energy, biomass energy, tidal energy and wave energy, and nuclear energy.

nuclear energy is..

NONRENEWABLE.. atoms or URANIUM are split apart in a nuclear reactor, this is the process called nuclear fission

nuclear fission process releases…

large amount of heat energy

heat—>stem—>electricity!

Nuclear energy is a powerful and efficent energy source BUT..

requies careful handling to ensure safety and proper disposal of radioactive waste

in North Carolina the state has..

made significant strides in diversifying its energy portfolio with a strong focus on renewables. A leader in alternative energy usage.

Ranked 3rd in teh nation after california and texas for growth in solar electricity

Freshwater is..

NONREWNABLE

more than ___ % of the earth is covered in water

70%

roughly __ % in glaciers/frozen

roughly __ % in groundwater

roughly __ % in rivers

2%, 0.6%,0.1%

only __ of the 3% of freshwater is usable for living things

15%

sources of freshwater include..

frozen,running,standing

the 3 types of frozen water are..

• VALLEY GLACIERS - travel downhill and take the shape of the land 

• CONTINENTAL GLACIERS - cover millions of square miles

  • EXAMPLES: Greenland & Iceland 

• ICEBERGS

frozen water

the 3 types of RUNNING water are..

• SURFACE RUNOFF - water that enters rivers and streams due to rain or thawing snow & ice 

• WATERSHED - land area in which surface runoff drains into a river

• RIVERS

running water

running water

• There are 3 types of STANDING water

• LAKES 

• PONDS

• RESERVOIRS - man-made by damming streams and rivers, most frequently used for water supply

  • EXAMPLES: Lake Norman & Lake Wylie

standing water, reservoir

Hydrologic water cycle-

• Continuous renewal of Earth’s Fresh Water

•  Sources 

  • Ocean – the largest 

  • All other bodies of water

Ground water is..

• water that seeps into the ground!

• Groundwater exists beneath the Earth's surface in the spaces between soil particles and in rock formations. It originates from precipitation (rain, snow, etc.) that infiltrates the ground and moves downward due to gravity.

• 

After water seeps into the GROUND… what happens?

• Water moves downward until the water hits an impermeable (not allowing fluid to pass through) layer of rock 

• Water then fills the pores of permeable rock and soil creating the zone of saturation 

• The zone that is filled with air is called the zone of aeration

• Water collects in underground reservoirs which can store large quantities of water. 

• The storage and movement of water through rock and soil is called an…..

Aquifer

the water table is..

the minimum depth to which a well must be drilled in order to be succesgul

the water table can change due too..

heavy precipitation or excessive dry periods, follows shape of the land where the water table meets springs,ponds,swamps are formed

Aquifer, vulurnable to pollutuon because the water moves great distances throught the aquifer.

what is the difference between a water table and aquifer?

the water table marks the top of the saturated zone, and aquifers are the water-bearing layers within that zone. 

Karst topography is..

• A type of landscape that forms in areas where the bedrock is made of limestone or similar rocks that dissolve easily in water. 

Karst topograpgy , groundwater formations

• Over time, rainwater, which is slightly acidic, wears away the rock, creating unique features like… 

  • Caves, sinkholes, & springs

Caverns and caves are due to..

carbonic acid, a type of chemical weathering.

Stalactites grow..

down from the celling of a cave, they are formed by water dripping from the celling and depositing minerals

Stalagmites grow..

the floor of the cave. formed from water dripping from a stalacite & depositing materials

Land subsidence is when..

teh ground slowly sinks or lowers because of overpumping of GW or natural causies such as earthquakes.

differnce between climate and weather is..

weather is temporary, climate is more long-term.

climate change is influenced by..

natural processes that affect earths energy balance.

Volcanic activity causes…

release ash and gases into the atmosphere.
● The ash can block sunlight and cause short-term cooling, while gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂) contribute to warming over the long term.

Solar variations..

The Sunʼs energy output changes over time.
● More energy from the Sun leads to warming, while less energy causes cooling.

Earth’s orbit and tilt..

Changes in Earthʼs orbit, tilt, and wobble over thousands of years affect how sunlight is distributed on the planet.
● This can lead to periods of warming (interglacials) and cooling (ice ages).

Ocean circulation

move heat around the planet.Changes in these currents,
like El Niño and La Niña, can temporarily alter weather patterns and global temperatures.

Greenhosue effect is when..

Gases like CO2,methane(CH4), and water vapor trao heat in the atmosphere.

The greenhosue effects works by..

1- sun sends energy to the earth as SUNLIGHT

2- some of the energy is absorbed by earths surface, which warms the planet

3- the rest is sent back into space as heat

4- gases trap this heat keeping it closee to earths surface.

the most common greenhouse gasses are..

Carbon dioxide (CO2), Nitrous oxide(N20), Methane(CH4), Water vapor(H20)

Paleoclimate is..

a climate prevalent at a particular time in the geological past

types of pollution include..

air,land,noise,water,light

the ___ is a tool that measures air pollution lvls and the associated health risks

Air Quality Index (AQI)

common air pollutants include..

◆Particulate Matter (PM)
◆ Ground-Level Ozone (O3)
◆ Nitrogen Oxides
◆ Sulfur Dioxides
◆ Carbon Monoxide
◆ Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
◆ Greenhouse Gases

bad ozone is..

formed near the ground when sunlight reacts with pollutants.

causes of water pollution include..

➔Industrial Waste
➔ Sewage &
Wastewater
➔ Agricultural
Runoff
➔ Oil Spills
➔ Plastic Waste

What is eutrophication?

happens when a body of water (a lake or river) gets too many nutrients, like nitrogen & phosphorus which cause excessive growth of algae (algal blooms)

dangers od eutrophication include..

blocking sunlight which harms underwater plants and animals, when algae die they decompose and use up the oxygen in the water and low oxygenn lvls make is hard for aquatic life to survive.

eutrophication can be..

amplified by human acitivites

pollution related health concerns include

headaches,inflammation,coughing,irritation

-asthma

-bronchitis

-)COPD)

-lung cancer

OTHER POLLUTION-RELATED HEALTH
CONCERNS

● Other types of Cancer
● Nervous System Disorders
● GENERAL:
○ Headaches
○ Dizziness
○ Fatigue

greenhouse gases& sources are..

-Water Vapor (H 2 O): Water Cycle
Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ): burning of
fossil fuels, solid waste, trees
and wood products, etc. Sinks:
plants and oceans
-Methane (CH 4 ): fossil fuels,
livestock, decay of waste in
landfills.
-Nitrous Oxide (N 2 O): agriculture,
industries, fossil fuels, and solid
waste.

Industrialization

process of developing
industries in a country or
region on a large scale. It
involves moving from an
economy based on
agriculture and manual labor
to one based on
manufacturing and
machines.

Deforestation

is the clearing
or removal of forests to
make way for agriculture,
urban development, or other
uses. It often involves
cutting down trees and
destroying natural habitats.

Urbanization

process where poeople move from rural areas to cities

Heat islands

urban areas that are significantly WARMER than surrounding rural areas due to human activities.

__% of the worlds urban population lives near sea lvl

13

contributions to sea lvl rise include

melting ice, thermal expansion,and humans

Global climate change is hard to stop because..

longterm,uneven resources,impact to economy and lifestyles,political

The oceans can absorb large amounts of CO2 however..

the warmer water is the less CO2 it can hold and CO2 lvls increace ocean acidity

Ocean acidification includes..

effect on coral reefs, dissolves the calcium carbonate.

climate change will threaten teh health of many ppl..

-heat stroke

-flooding

-malnutrition

-diseases

-insecsrs

-more ozzone

-decreased amnt of vital resources

-increased # of refugees

-increase poverty

MIGATAION IS…

reducing greenhouse gases,improving energy efficiency, renewable enrgy, reduce reuse and recycle, reduce ur carbon footprint