ES Midterm 2
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- What is the Chapman model, and what are the formulas for it?
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It estimates the formation and destruction of ozone in the stratosphere.
Formation:
O2 + hv --> O + O
O + O2 + M --> O3 + M
Destruction:
O3 + hv --> O2 + O
O3 + O --> 2O2 - Write formula for catalytic ozone loss.
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N2O + O --> 2NO
NO + O3 --> NO2 + O2
NO2 + O --> NO + O2
Cyclical, constantly destroying O3 - Ozone hole
- Antarctica in springtime: when/where polar stratospheric clouds form, dude to temperatures, out of substances that are hospitable to the reactions that cause ozone depletion.
- What are primary and secondary pollutants, and when do they peak?
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Primary pollutants are emitted directly from a source, such as NO, CO, or SO2, and they peak on cold, stagnant winter nights.
Secondary pollutants are created when two pollutants react with each other, like smog and O3, and they peak on hot, stagnant summer days. - what are the three major fossil fuels?
- Natural gas, petroleum, and coal.
- What are the good, bad, and ugly of coal and petroleum?
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Coal: good: portable climate; bad: killer smog; ugly: strip-mining, acid deposition, and acid mine drainage.
Petroleum: good: automobility; bad: increased use of cars; ugly: traffic accidents, smog, obesity, urban sprawl. - List and describe alternative energy sources.
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Hydroelectric: movement of water propels engine.
Biomass: energy from plants, such as corn or sugarcane.
Solar photovoltaic/hot water/thermal electric: energy from the sun is taken into receptors.
Wind: air turns turbines, which propel an engine. - List advantages and disadvantages of both wind and solar energy.
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Wind: advantages: renewable resource, inexpensive; disadvantages: would need a lot of turbines to make enough energy.
Solar: advantages: renewable, can use it anywhere; disadvantages: expensive. - Draw a diagram of the nitrogen cycle.
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N2 N2O
[fixation]
living
orgs. [denitrif.]
NH4+ - What is the process of eutrophication?
- Chemicals from fertilizers on farms get into runoff water, travel down rivers to eutrophication site, increase algae growth, algae dies, begins to decompose, those consuming the algae consume all of the O2, all other organisms either leave or die.
- List the biotic components of an ecosystem.
- Primary producers (autotrophs), consumers (heterotrophs), and deocmposers.
- Draw a simple food web, including the biotic components of an ecosystem.
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PP
Consumers Abiotic Chemicals
Decomposers - Draw a plant-based system versus a detritus-based system.
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Plant:
C --> R
H --> R
Plants
Detritus:
C --> R
Mesophiles --> R
Bacteria & fungi --> R
Soil/organic matter - What is an ecotone and why are they useful?
- An area where two ecosystems meet and blend. They can help predict future climate change.
- What are the three local controllers on biomes?
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Altitude: mountains; air cools with increased altitude.
Rain shadow: deserts; cooler air holds less moisture.
Aspect: hills/mountains; north- and south-facing slopes get differing radiation. - Which environments have larger/smaller trees/plants, and why?
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Larger: warm, moist areas, because they are more nutrient-rich and suitable for growth.
Smaller: cold, dry areas, because there are less nutrients and it is harder or plants to survive in cold weather. - Tundra.
- Coldest biome, low rainfall, Arctic: high latitude, alpine: high altitude, frost, poor nutrients, and short growing season.
- Taiga.
- Cold winters, warmer and rainier summers, not very diverse (spruce, firs, aspen, pine), trees small in stature (
- Temperate forest.
- Warmer, taller trees than taiga, highly impacted by humans.
- What is permafrost?
- Frozen soil.
- How does an ice wedge form?
- Water seeps into a crack in the permafrost, then freezes during winter, expanding, then melts in summer, and the process is repeated. The wedge grows because the ice expands every year, so more water comes in, expanding it further.
- What are three particle size classes of soils? Which has the largest surface area, and why is this important?
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Sand, silt, and clay.
Clay has the largest surface area, which is important because more surface area means more water retention.