Environmental Science Chapter 13 – Flashcards

Troposphere. This bottom layer of the atmosphere provides us with the air we breathe and also drives the planet's weather.

N2—nitrogen

thermosphere. Temperatures in the thermosphere climb steadily with height and can reach far past the boiling point of water!

convective circulation. Temperatures in the thermosphere climb steadily with height and can reach far past the boiling point of water!

Temperature inversions can trap air pollution in one place for many days. An inversion can work like a cap on the atmosphere. Air pollution is increased in concentration below the cap. Normally denser cold air falls to the surface, forcing the polluted air up and mixing it. A layer of warm air over a layer of colder air prevents mixing.

climate. Climate is a typical pattern of atmospheric conditions over a larger area; weather specifies atmospheric conditions over shorter time periods within small geographic areas.

thermal inversions. Thermal inversions can trap pollutants at ground level, causing dangerous levels of pollution in the air that we breathe.

convective air currents. These air currents are largely driven by heat.

specific spots--such as a factory's smokestacks--where large quantities of pollution are discharged. The exact location of the point pollution release is known.

a pollutant that develops after a chemical reaction with chemicals normally present in the atmosphere. Acid precipitation is a secondary pollutant because the emitted chemical is SO2, which reacts with water to produce sulfuric acid.

primary; secondary. Primary pollutants cause harm directly, but they may also interact with other substances in the atmosphere, forming secondary pollutants.

the Clean Air Act. This law set strict standards for air quality, imposed limits on emissions, and provided money for research.

carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a very dangerous, colorless, odorless gas

Total emissions of the six have declined by over 50% since 1970. Lead is down over 99%, and the other five are down between 33% and 85%.

suffocation in mammals. Carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin irreversibly and prevents oxygen uptake by mammals.

mercury. While mercury is a neurotoxin, it is not produced in quantity by many sources, so the EPA does not track it nationally (it is not a criteria air pollutant). There is a concern about the mercury emissions from the combustion of coal, and these sources are monitored and regulated.

smog. Smog forms over cities as a result of burning fossil fuels.

carbon monoxide. A VOC (volatile organic compound) contains carbon and hydrogen.

vehicle exhaust. The morning, during heavy traffic, is when this occurs.

scrubbers. Scrubbers chemically convert or physically remove airborne pollutants before they are emitted from smokestacks.

through fossil fuel combustion by cars, electric utilities, and industrial facilities. These activities burn fossil fuels, releasing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which react with water, oxygen, and oxides in the air to produce acids.

water, oxygen, and oxidants. These chemical constituents form compounds of low pH with atmospheric pollutants.

Objects made of stone, like marble headstones, are worn away. Ancient cathedrals, monuments, temples, and statues are experiencing billions of dollars in damage as their features erode away as a result of acid deposition.

Plants and soil organisms are harmed. Acids leach nutrients such as calcium and potassium ions from topsoil.

Economic incentives have encouraged polluters to invest in technologies such as scrubbers. Cleaner, more efficient technologies have decreased acid deposition in the United States.