aice environmental: topic 1

Identify the seven continents and five oceans.

North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania

Atlantic, Pacific, Southern, Indian, Arctic

Define the term ‘sustainable’.

the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ablility of future generations to meet their own needs

Explain why sustainability is so important

Because the population needs to be able to conserve resources productively for themselves while also promoting usage in a way that does not compromise or jeopardize the needs of the future, to ensure the safety and possibility of growth in the future

Compare and contrast open and closed water systems

Open: Resources are brought in and out of the system

• Ex. Rivers or ponds, water goes in and out, wood, plants, animals, etc.

Closed: Resources are consistently kept within the system; nothing new is created or destroyed.

• The earth on an entire scale is a closed system.

State three example of greenhouse gases.

All listed in book:

Water Vapour , Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxides (NOx), Ozone (O3), and CFC’s

Define the terms ‘variable gases’ and natural greenhouse effect’.

The concentration of the gas can differ either spatially or over time.

The warming of the atmosphere by gases found naturally in the atmosphere, trapping the heat from the sun

Discuss the changes in temperature with altitude in the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere.

Explain the natural greenhouse effect.

The warming of the atmosphere, done by gases found naturally on the earth and within the atmosphere that contribute to traping heat from the sun.

Briefly explain the importance of photosynthesis in the carbon cycle.

The more photosynthesis completed in an ecosystem = the more oxygen produced and more carbon being taken in

Define ‘transpiration.’

water lost through leaves of plants

Define ‘interception.’

the blocking of rainfall by vegetation, preventing it from reaching soil levels

Define ‘through-fall.’

rain falling through leaves and branches of plants

Define ‘infiltration.’

the movement of water into the soil from the surface

Define ‘through-fall.’

The lateral transfer of water down through and into the soil

What defines an MIC? Give examples of MIC’s.

1,086 < GNI (Gross National Income) <13,205

• Russia, China, Brazil

What defines an LIC? Give examples of LIC’s.

GNI (Gross National Income) < 1,086

• Chad, Afghanistan, Ethiopia

What defines an HIC? Give examples of HICs.

13,205 < GNI (Gross National Income)

• USA, Canada, Japan

Describe the layers (in order of closest to earth to furthest) and their importance in the atmosphere.

Troposphere

• hottest layer, closest to the surface, where clouds and weather occur

Stratosphere

• contains the ozone layer; responsible for absorbing UV rays from the sun. Also, where some birds fly, making it a part of the biosphere

Mesosphere

• The temperature starts to decrease with altitude

Thermosphere

• The tempurature increases with altitude

Describe the enhanced greenhouse effect.

Like the natural, however,

• Must include the fact that the overproduction of excess greenhouse gases causes more heat to be trapped under the atmosphere from the suns reflection