FNR/AGRY/EAPS/NRES 125 Final

factors that shape atmospheric structure

temperature, altitude, density, composition

troposhphere

5-10 miles above sea level, air we breathe, thin over poles and thick at equator, most weather occurs here

stratosphere

30 miles above sea level, higher elevation

coriolis effect

Earth’s eastward rotation causes air to curve as it moves to/from poles, curves right in Northern hemisphere and left in Southern hemisphere

impact of precipitation on air

more precipitation = air rising (60 degrees N&S + equator), less precipitation = air descending (30 degrees, N&S + poles)

composition of the atmosphere

78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon, 0.04% CO2, ozone, water vapor (variable)

point source pollutants

concentrated pollutant sources (ex- smokestack)

non point source pollutants

fugitive emissions, not smokestack (ex - leaky valves, pipe joints, dust, etc)

primary pollutant

harmful immediately upon release (ex- CO2, nitrogen, oxides)

secondary pollutant

becomes harmful after reaction with other atmospheric components (ex- ozone, acid gasses)

common air pollutants

CO2, CO, methane, ozone, NOx, SOx, non-methane hydrocarbons

aerosols

minute liquid or solid particles suspended in the atmosphere, volcanic desert dust, anthropogenic

urban temp inversions

pollutants concentrate near ground, most extreme urban pollution, cold air trapped by warm layers above, capped by cooler layers

heat islands

concrete and brick surfaces absorb large amounts of solar energy, causes urban areas to be warmer than rural areas

dust dome

tall buildings create updrafts, sweeping pollutants upward, concentrate pollutants

1963 Clean Air Act

authorized research into monitoring and controlling air pollution

1970 Amendment to Clean Air Act

EPA establishes air quality standards, implementation plants for states, emission standards set

volatile organic compounds

interact with ozone to produce smog, produced by transport and industrial processes, dangerous and common

1990 amendments to Clean Air Act

further strengthened law, address acid rain, ozone depletion, toxic air pollution, etc

acid deposition

caused by SOx and NOx emissions, destroys crops and ecosystems

cap and trade

set max emission levels, gradually reduce overall cap, allow companies to purchase and trade caps

ozone

necessary for life on Earth in stratosphere, pollutant in troposphere, smog component

hydrologic cycle

the natural process by which water is purified and made fresh through evaporation and precipitation, provides fresh water available for life

freshwater use in US

39.6% irrigation, 39.3% thermoelectric power, 13.5% public/domestic use, 5% industrial use

drainage basin

an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point

aquifer

large body of permeable, saturated material through which gound water can flow well enough to yield significant volumes of water to wells/springs

porosity of aquifer

proportion of open space that stores water (high in clay, low in granite)

permeability of aquifer

connection of pores, fluid flow (high in gravel, low in volcanic rock)

ground subsidence

water table drops, aquifer compacts, land sinks, impacted by pumping

clean water act

only 10% of water pollution from point sources, sewage treatment nearly ubiquitous in urban areas

mineral

a solid, natural, norganic rock with ordered internal structure and specific chemical composition

components of earths crust

oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, metals

crystalline rocks

more than one mineral of different sizes, interlocking and grown together

clastic

more than one mineral of different sizes/shapes, grains of other rocks cemented together

rock cycle

transitions of rocks among three main rocks types (sedimentary + metamorphic + igneous)

lithosphere

0-100 mm depth, mechanically strong + rigid

asthenosphere

100-200 mm depth, mechanically weak, partially molten

tectonic plates

sheets of lithosphere that move around, divergent + convergent + transform, move to escape heat

earthquake

sudden release of energy stored in rocks, usually occurs at faults along tectonic plate boundaries

magma

molten rock below surface

lava

molten rock above surface

top down regulation

control of population size by factors that reduce growth/survival

bottom up regulation

control of population size by factors that enhance growth and survival

biotic potential

maximum rate population can grow due to births

carrying capacity

the maximum population size that a particular environment can support indefinitely

ecological footprint

measure of how fast humans consume resources and generate waste expressed into land equivalent (I=PAT)

biomes

specific portions of the biosphere determined by climate and identified by predominant vegetation and organisms adapted to live there, determined by precipitation and temp

producers

photosynthetic organisms that capture suns energy

consumers

organisms that eat producers, pass on energy

density dependent resistance factor

impact on a population increases as population size increases (ex- disease)

density independent resistance factor

impact on population not related to population size (ex- natural disaster)

clear cutting

the cutting of every tree in a given area regardless of size/species

strip cutting

harvesting trees in strips narrow enough to minimize edge effects and allow for natural regeneration

shelterwood cutting

harvesting only mature trees of a certain species/size

desertification

degradation of once fertile land, initiation a positive feedback loop causing long term damage

biodiversity

the genetic, species, and ecological diversity of organisms in a given area, increases resistance to disease, limits invasive species, quicker recovery, economic value

founder effect

small group that is a subset of the larger populations genetic diversity which becomes isolated

bottleneck effect

when a population size is drastically reduced leading to a loss of genetic diversity

HIPPO

habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, population of humans, overharvesting, climate change

fragmentation

the destruction of part of an area that creates a patchwork of suitable/unsuitable habitat areas

edge effect

the different physical makeup of an ecotone that creates different conditions that either attract or repel certain species

endangered species act

primary federal law protecting biodiversity in the US, requires all federal departments to protect and restore endangered species

global warming

increases in earths average temperature

climate change

change in long term weather patterns in response to warmer temperatures

greenhouse gasses

absorb infrared radiation emitted by the earth, allow solar radiation to pass through

milankovitch cycles

small changes in Earths orbit/tilt causes temperature swings over 100,000 year cycles

climate sensitivity

benchmarks severity of climate change

feedbacks

amplify or dampen warming for given greenhouse gas forcing

4 factors impacting future emissions

population, economic activity, energy efficiency, carbon efficiency

causes of sea level rise

rising temps cause land ie melt and thermal expansion

influence of climate change on precipitation

increases over high latitudes and some monsoon regions, decreases over parts of subtropics, drier soils in many regions

impact of climate change on extreme weather events

increases frequency and severity of weather events

ocean acidification

increased CO2 concentration leads to more CO2 dissolved in ocean which consumes carbonate ions, ocean becomes more acidic, negatively impacts calcifying organisms (corals, shellfish)

mitigation

reduces climate change by reducing emissions (renewable energy, etc)

adaptation

reduce harm from climate change by reducing risk (flood protection)

Kaya Identity

shows decoupling of economic growth from CO2 emissions is driven by improved energy efficiency and carbon intensity of energy.

Paris Agreement (2015)

international climate mitigation/adaptation agreement in which each nation set own individualized goals, aimed for zero carbon emissions globally, goals and progress must be publicly visible, plans must be revised every 5 years,

action gap

the difference between what we need to do to keep warming below 1.5 degrees C and what countries have pledged to do or done, on track for 2.7 degrees C warming

which country is the largest emitter of total greenhouse gases per year in the last decade

Chna

which country has the highest per capita (per person) greenhouse gas emissions?

USA

what is the largest and top 3 sectors emitting greenhouse gas emissions globally

electricity and heat, industry, transport

oil

provides the most energy globally, 33% total energy supply

hydraulic fracturing (fracking)

wells leak methane into atmosphere and groundwater, chemicals used in fracking process produce radioactive brine, cause earthquakes