UGS303 Exam Practice Questions

Biodiversity loss

A significant decrease in the variety of life in a given ecosystem, primarily driven by factors such as overfishing, deforestation, and habitat destruction.

Gulf of Mexico dead zone

An area in the Gulf of Mexico where low oxygen levels, caused by agricultural nutrient runoff leading to algal blooms, result in a significant decline in marine life.

Sustainability

The practice of meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Scientific Method

A systematic approach to inquiry characterized by testable hypotheses, peer review, and systematic documentation.

Astrology

A belief system claiming to determine human affairs and terrestrial events through celestial objects, categorized as pseudoscience.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain without degrading.

Rachel Carson

The author of 'Silent Spring,' who raised public awareness about the environmental impacts of pesticides.

I=PAT equation

A formula that expresses environmental impact (I) as the product of population (P), affluence (A), and technology (T).

Plate Tectonics

The theory that explains the structure and motion of the Earth's lithosphere, including the formation of mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes.

Igneous Rock

Type of rock that is formed by the cooling and solidification of magma.

Convergent Plate Boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where plates move toward each other, leading to earthquakes and the formation of subduction zones.

Stratosphere

The atmospheric layer above the troposphere, which contains the ozone layer.

Greenhouse Gas

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, including CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O, while argon is NOT a greenhouse gas.

Positive Feedback

A process in climate systems where an initial effect is enhanced by the consequences of that effect, such as ice melting leading to more warming.

Coriolis Effect

The phenomenon resulting in the deflection of moving objects, such as winds, to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere due to Earth's rotation.

Deserts at 30° Latitude

Deserts are commonly found near this latitude due to descending dry air that suppresses rainfall.

Seasons and Earth's Tilt

True statement indicating that the tilt of the Earth's axis causes the seasons by changing the insolation footprint.

Hurricanes

Storms fueled by latent heat released from evaporated water, leading to their formation over warm ocean waters.