ENVS TEST 1

Purpose of science + human survival strategy

understand the natural world so that we can predict the course of the future

For most of human time, our understanding of the natural world was limited by…

“inaccurate” spiritual/animalistic interpretation of events, and limited ability to accumulate and preserve knowledge

Science is a systematic approach to understanding the natural world, based on the premises that

1.      The natural world is rationally organized, and is hence knowable.  (Rationalism)

2.      Our sensory perceptions of the natural world are accurate, to the degree that they can be consensually validated by others. (Empiricism)

3.      The course of future events is predictable from the physical conditions of the present.

Science is the process of

1.      making observations mathematics,

2.      discover the functional relationships which exist within those observations.

3.      Using the powers of logic to make broader deductionss

Science relies on the following to assure the validity of those observations

1.      A logical, uniform format for conducting research (scientific method)

2.      A requirement that all research must be reproducible

3.      A rigorous peer-review process, including the publication of all research

4.      A continuing course of review, in the light of on-going discoveries

Science describes the natural world in

1.      Observations, on functional relationships in the natural world

2.      Theories, which are higher-order descriptions encompassing a large number of observations

3.      Laws, which are theories which have universal application.

When did science “commence”?

about 300 years ago (yr 1700)

Effects of science started to show at about (year)?

1800

How quickly has our understanding of the natural world grown?

An exponential rate, which has “changed” the human condition

What is the underlying cause of most of our modern environmental problems?

Science, modern advancements, body of knowledge of the natural world

Our planet has a rich sense of…

chemistry, since its a second or third generation stellar system

Our moon…

Was leftover from a major collision event that decimated Earth early in its formation.

Our moon benefits the evolution of life by…

stabilizing the rotation (seasons, weather…) of our planet

The most unique thing about Earth is…

Water~ in 3 phases too

Our water (solid, liquid, gas) is critical for

heat transfer, plate tectonics, global chemistry, life

(and other fundamental characteristics of our planet)

Other than water, our planet is unique in that…

high proportion of free oxygen (due to photosynthesis). Drives much of our surface chemistry. MOST IMPORTANT EXAMPLE OF HOW LIFE HAS CHANGED THE CHEMISTRY OF THE PLANET

What is plate tectonics?

“plates” that pattern the surface of our planet are always in motion. This is driven by convection cycles, which transfer heat from the core tot he surface as magma (liquid rock)

Convection cycles are driven by…

density differences

The materials of our planet (rocks)…

exist in a cycle which includes varieties produced from the crystallization of magma, those produced from the accumulation of sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks.

Sedimentary rocks

rock processed from the accumulation of sediments

Metamorphic rocks

those who have undergone recrystallization

Igneous rocks

rock variety produced from crystallization of magma

Most volcanoes on our planet are here thanks to…

Water

Volcanoes create significant environmental factors such as…

short-term weather changes, extinction events

Volcanoes also formed….

Continents! We wouldn’t have land without water

significant portions of the Earth’s varied chemistry are produced through

geologic heat

Positions of the continents affect…

climate and other environmental aspects over long periods of time

The atmosphere is divided in layers, based on…

temperature gradients

Earth has ___ major stmospheric layers

5 major, plus several secondary layers

The lowest, and most dynamic layer is…

the Troposphere

Greenhouse gases

Carbon Dioxide (CO2), methane, plus a small percentage of nitrogren, water vapor

Greenhouse gases cause…

absorb heat energy emitted from the planet's surface. prevent heat from escaping earth through the atmosphere

3 atmospheric convection cells are…

Hadley, Ferrell, Polar

the 3 atmospheric convection cells (hadley, ferrell, polar) relate to local weather how?

large-scale movement of air that redistributes heat across the Earth's surface, primarily from tropical to polar regions

transports heat over the surface of the Earth that affects the water cycle, including the formation of clouds and precipitation events

Atmospheric convection is the vertical transport of heat and moisture in the atmosphere. It occurs when warmer, less dense air rises, while cooler, denser air sinks.

30 degrees above and below the equator are most of the worlds deserts. Jetstream, between the polar and ferrell cells. This jet stream moves, goes south in the winter and north in summer. Seattle is right below the ferrell cell. Tropical environments…

How are the cells affected by the coriolis effect?

producing trade winds and westerlies

Major patterns of the ocean circulation are driven by…

wind currents

Hydrologic cycles are powered by…

solar energy to put water in the atmosphere, and the rest is gravity

Hyrologic cycle

Reservoirs:

1. clouds

2. surface water

3. ground water

4. glacier (long term residence)

5. snowpack

6. life

7. ocean -longest term residence

The most important reservoir in the Pacific Northwest is…

????

Energy flow

Carbon cycle

Biological pump

Positive feedback loop is…

a process accelerates the process. greenhouse gases melting ice caps, which make more dark spots, which make it warmer, which melts more ice…

Negative feedback loop is…

not accelerated process

Our worlds aquifers are…

Overdrawn!

Albedo is…

reflectiveness of raditation. surface reflectiveness

1 albedo = white. 0 albedo = black

Biological Pump

The sum of a suite of biologically-mediated processes that transport carbon from the surface euphotic zone (the depth of the water that is exposed to sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis to occur) to the ocean's interior

Carbon cycle

Life absorbs CO2 to make simple sugars into the atmosphere

he carbon cycle can be viewed as a set of reservoirs or compartments, each of which holds a form

of carbon (such as calcium carbonate in rocks or CO2 and methane in the atmosphere)

in hyrdologic cycle, water moves in the atmosphere by ___ and down because of___

solar energy, gravity

the most usable freshwater is found in…

ground water. theres many times more ground water than there is surface water.

The leading use of water is for …

agriculture

Water table

Water flows through the ground from a … to a … area, under the power of …

from a recharge area to a discharge area, under the power of gravity

if you overdraw groundwater systems, the water table will…

fall/lower.

the water table is at the…

top of the level of zone of infiltration and level of saturation zone

most of the biogeochemical cycles on our planet are tied into…

the hydrologic cyle

The carbon cycle:

Life forms oxidize carbon to produce carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, much of which ends up in the oceans, where it is put back into the atmosphere by marine organisms (the “biological pump”), where it is used by plants to produce food for terrestrial life.

Which part of carbon cycle doesn’t involve oxidizing carbon

This is an anerobic (without oxygen) process which produces methane (CH₄ natural gas).

small amounts of carbon are removed from the cycle (sequestered) in the forms of

coal (from plant material) oil (from marine organisms) and natural gas (from either).

basic phosphate and nitrate cycles, which is essential for plant health

a variety of elements and compounds exist in biogeochemical cycles, such as?

calcium, potassium, iron, sulfur, etc.

Is energy a cycle or through-put?

through-put. It enters in highly concentrated form (sunlight, short-wave energy) and leaves as in a dispersed form (heat, long wave energy).

Much of the energy transfer on this planet is mediate through…

water

a significant portion of the energy received by the planet…

flows through life!