Studied by 8 people
Air quality today is highly regulated. NAAQS have been set for major criteria air pollutants including
particulate matter, lead, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur, dioxide. and carbon monoxide
HennCo residents generate ____ waste per year
1 million tons
How much garbage per person per day?
2.7 pounds
T or F: ocean currents act as the circulatory system of the ocean bodies, carrying warmer water to colder areas anf returning cool water to warm ocean environs
true
Americans use on average 4500 KWH of electricity a year… this is over two times more than
the Chinese and the europeans
The depth of the troposphere ranges from ____ km over the equator to 8 km over the poles
18
it is in the troposphere that
most of our weather occurs
The most prevelant greenhouse gas in our atmosphere is
water vapor in the clouds
What do both the London Fog and discovery of a hole in the ozone layer have in common?
both resulted in increased regulation of air emissions
The Milankovitch cycles are associated with all the following except
Increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere
Climate varies naturally according to
El nino and the Milankovitch cycles
Anthropogenic changes are changed causes by
Humans
T or F: Cumulonimbus clouds are most frequently associated with cold fronts and dramatic storm events
true
T or F: Climate variation over the long term is natural and is driven in party by phenomenon apart that occur on regular cycles
True
T or F: El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon occurring on a 3 to 5 year cycle of shifts in the atmospheric circulation and ocean events
True
When discussing conventional energy, there are more reserves than resources
false
T or F: energy is the capacity to do work and it is measuring in joules
true
T or F: in the next 10 years the US is planning to permit and construct new coal fired power plants that will double our capacity to generate electricity from coal
False
T or F: China uses more coal than the US and India combined
true
T or F: Coal is the least-abundant of fossil fuels
false
T or F: Coal power is efficiently generated by power plants located near coal mines and access to the electrical grid. If coal is exported, it must be transported to the destination of use, usually by rail, then by ocean vessel. This decreases the efficiency of the resources for a global perspective
true
T or F: oil provides over one third of our energy in the US and over one half of our energy worldwide
true
T or F: Natural gas is transported by a dedicated pipeline or as Liquified Nation Gas (LNG). LNG is 1/600th the volume of natural gas and one ocean vessel transporting it for export carries the explosive equivalent of a small atomic bomb
true
T or F: The three nuclear power plants in MN each generate over 1200MW of power
Solar Energy
converts 15-20% of sunlight to usable electricity
diffuse, low-intensity
What does the energy chart look like?
Do EVs really run “clean” on “clean electricity”?
Conservation –use less
Transportation –IC engines are inefficient
T or F: Low albedo is exhibited by snow, ice, white pain and white sand
False
T or F: acid rain is much more of an issue now than it was in 1986
False
T or F: the earth is one of only two planets in our solar system that has an atmosphere that can sustain life
false
T or F: one watt of power is equal to one joule per second
True
T or F: CO2 and other green house gases make up less than 1% of the atmosphere
true
T or F: the london fog of 1952 killed over 4000 people in 5 days and eventually resulted in another 12000 deaths due to residual effects
true
T or F: the hole in the ozone occurs in the stratoshpere
true
Solar options
Passive vs Active
Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems, piping and liquid flow
Power Tower (left) with mirrors
Photo voltaic (PV) cells
Positives of Solar
Solar works at household and community scales
Solar allows for “feed-in tariffs”
The cost of PV cells has dropped significantly
Negatives of Solar
Solar panels require cobalt and other rare earth metals to manufacture
Inconsistent power generation
Large footprint and habitat impact
Difficult to recycle and dispose
Wind turbines
Wind turbines currently provide twice the energy solar does
Wind turbines can operate day and night, while solar arrays can only operate during daylight
China now has over 200 GW of installed wind capacity
The U.S. has over 100 GW
Germany has over 60 GW
But this is still only 1/3 of what we produce in hydropower and the turbines are EXPENSIVE
Wind Turbine options/poteintial
The wind is FREE!
Offshore wind farms (below)
Vertical Axis wind turbines (right)
An extra source of rural income
There is significant potential for wind to supply “all our electricity and global energy needs” (Global Wind Energy Council)
Aquifer
a geological formation of porous rock or sand with interinterstitialstital spaces or voids filled with water
T/F? the depth of the troposphere ranged from 8-18 km over the equator to the poles
true
The Milankovitch Cycles
orbital eccentricity: 1000,000 year cycle
variation of tilt: 40,000 year cycle
axial wobble: 26,000 year cycle
axis is wobbling
The El Nino
pushes warmer water and trade winds over to Australia normally, but every 3-5 years it goes the wrong way and ends up in California.
power plants define thier power in
watts
#1 GHG
water vapor
T or F: Acid rain is much more of ani issue now than it was in 1986
false
there are more resources than
reserves
how many nuclear power plants do we have in MN?
2
Confined Aquifer
Confined aquifers contain water under pressure due to their position beneath a confining layer.
Unconfined aquifer
Unconfined aquifers reside over an impermeable layer and are represented by a water table at their upper limit
results in a water table and well -- water must be pumped out
Anthropogenic
caused by humans
our use of fossil fuels which pumps CO2 into the air
CO2 increases
in the winter --- due to vegetation
How much of our energy is produced by nuclear?
19-22%
92 nuclear power plants are currently in operation in the U.S. today
Xcel’s Prairie Island nuclear power plants is working with Bloom Energy to convert the plants to production of
Clean hydrogen -- by a process of high temperature electrolysis
Warm front
cirrus clouds
Often produces violent thunderstorms
Advancing warm front air is warmer than the surrounding air
Because warm air is less dense than cool air, the warm front slides up over the cooler air masses
Forms a wide band of cloud formation up to 1,000 km (600 miles) ahead of warmer weather
Often presents with high wispy cirrus clouds a day or two before the front itself arrives
A moist warm front can bring days of drizzle and cloudy skies (London in 1957)
Cold front
Cold air hugs the ground and pushes warm air up as it advances
Water vapor in the warm air condenses into ice crystals or water droplets
Often produces violent thunderstorms
Narrow band of cloud formation
Warm air in the stratosphere moves ahead of the cold front
Leaves fluffy cumulus clouds after the storm
Cumulonimbus cloud formations (drama)
Who uses this POWER as electricity or directly?
Residences
Commercial
Industrial
Transportation
Coal emissions and by products
Managing overburden removal and disposition
Air emissions are controlled by a variety of technologies and heavily regulated under the Clean Air Act.
What are the contaminants associated with energy generation from coal?
CO2, mercury, arsenic, chromium, lead, uranium, SO2, NOx, particulate
Coal ash (CCR) are usually landfilled or impounded
Coal ash can be recycled into
concrete or wallboard
What waste is generated with coal?
Fly Ash, a very fine, powdery material composed mostly of silica made from the burning of finely ground coal in a boiler.
Bottom Ash, a coarse, angular ash particle that is too large to be carried up into the smoke stacks so it forms in the bottom of the coal furnace.
Boiler Slag, molten bottom ash from slag tap and cyclone type furnaces that turns into pellets that have a smooth glassy appearance.
Flue Gas Desulfurization Material, a material leftover from the process of reducing sulfur dioxide emissions from a coal-fired boiler.
Air Emissions, including SO2, NOx, CO2, heavy metals (including mercury)
Water Discharged under NPDES Permit, including impacted cooling water and treated water from the combustion process
MN Waste
Waste is often managed on the County level
More than 1 Million tons of waste per year
Combusting the waste to produce energy reduces the waste to ash with 10% of the volume of the parent material.
HERC recovers 11,000 tons of scrap metal annually, more than double the rate collected through curbside recycling
Minnesota has 9 Waste-to-Energy incinerators
low power objective (blue)
objective magnification: 4x
eyepiece magnification: 10x
total magnification: 40x
medium power objective (green) medium
objective magnification: 10x
eyepiece magnification: 10x
total magnification: 100x
high-dry (yellow)
objective magnification: 40x
eyepiece magnification: 10x
total magnification: 400x
oil immersion (red)
objective magnification: 100x
eyepiece magnification: 10x
total magnification: 1000x
how many objective are on the microscopes we use in lab?
4
compost is composted in
windrows
how are aquafers recharged?
the water/hydrologic cycle
respiration, transpiration, and precipitation
renewable resource
things that can be renewed (and fast)
bamboo, water
Recycling Rate
Recycling rate is stagnating, though the tons recycled is continuing to grow
As of 2020
WE ONLY RECYCLE ABOUT 5% OF OUR PLASTIC
Minnesota-style
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The Genetically Modified seed ownership issue
GM crops must be purchased annually and the largest pesticide producers these seed producers
North Star Solar
North Branch, MN
100 MW facility on 626 acres
Serves 20,000 homes
Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant
Xcel Energy's Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant
Permitted to operate until September 8, 2030.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Landfills are regulated under this act
RCRA Subtitle D Landfills
solid waste
RCRA Subtitle C landfills
hazardous waste that needs immediate attention
Comprehensive Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
AKA superfund legislation (1980)
• Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York
Bioreactor Landfill
municipal solid waste landfill (MSWLF) in which liquids are added to help bacteria break down the waste
what does MSW stand for?
Municipal Solid Waste
1950-1975
It is estimated that 5 Billion tons of hazardous chemicals were improperly disposed of in the U.S.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s
Minnesota was the site of several contentious legal battles over landfills that had not been regulated prior to 1976, when RCRA was initiated.
The State of Minnesota’s Closed Landfill Program
(In 1994) To remediate and close contentious landfill sites across the state
# of closed landfill sites in MN
114
CLP sites where PFAS has been detected
On Feb. 20, 2018, the state of Minnesota settled its lawsuit against the 3M Company in return for a settlement of $850 million.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are co-trustees of these funds.
3M involvement in the CLP
Washington County Landfill Reconstruction
3M contributed $8 million to the $18.5 million cost of reconstruction
Work began with design investigation and design in 2007
Construction was initiated in 2009 and completed in 2012
Solar was installed in 2015
closure and post-closure care
takes at least a year and includes placement of the final cover and establishment of vegetation
Post-Closure Care: regulatory requirements consider 30 years
3 types of rocks
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
Most fossils are found in
in sedimentary rocks
lake beds and underwater
Mechanical weathering
wind, glaciers, “river rock”
Chemical weathering:
oxidation and subsequent mechanical weathering
Ex: acid rain and the karst topography in southeastern Minnesota
Geological Hazards
earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, landslides, floods, and beach erosion
Ex: Elkhorn Escarpment which shows where the San Andreas fault is
How many minerals are there?
Over 4,400 different minerals identified
Metals
most valuable and rare
Non-metals
sands/gravel, aggregate mines
most common and mega volume
Gemstones
also Non-metals
much more rare and often more valuable
8 most common chemical elements
Iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, nickel, calcium, aluminum, sodium
No nitrogen in the magma or core of earth because 80% of in the air
nitrogen cycling
1- nitrogen fixation
2- nitrification
3- assimilation
4- ammonification
5- denitrification
Healthy soil aggregates (top) look like
cottage cheese
looks healthy because of nematodes, bacteria, earthworms
Note 
Flashcard (22)