Geology 105 Test 3 Ole Miss
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
What is the trend in the U.S. of energy consumption between the mid-70s and the mid-90s?
answer
We kept using more and more, even after the peak of the discovery
question
What is the ultimate source of energy in fossil fuel?
answer
Oil
question
How do we classify coal types?
answer
Based on carbon content and caloric value
question
Why is it likely that coal use is going to increase in the future?
answer
Because we have such a large reserve of coal
question
What is the geology associated with oil and gas deposits?
answer
Hydrocarbons
question
What ages are connected with what type of resources?
answer
in the early 1800's, we used wood in the mid 1800's we used coal in the 1900's we used oil in the mid 1900's we used natural gas and alternative energy
question
Why are methane hydrates a viable energy source?
answer
Because they have twice the carbon of any other known natural gas, oil, and coal deposits on earth.
question
Is peak oil important to future oil sources?
answer
Yes
question
Why do we get acid rain when we burn fossil fuels?
answer
Because it releases nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide into the atmosphere, which then is transformed into sulfate or nitrate that combines with water vapor and then forms these acids which will form acid rain
question
What is nuclear fission?
answer
The splitting of atomic nuclei by neutron bombardment
question
What is nuclear fusion?
answer
The combination of nuclei of lighter elements to produce heavier ones
question
What is the ultimate source of geothermal activity?
answer
The sun
question
Is future use of photovoltaics going to go up or down?
answer
Up
question
What is the main difference between hard and soft energy policy?
answer
Hard: Continuing business as usual Soft: Emphasis on energy alternatives
question
How is the sulfur content of coal used in its classification?
answer
Low is less than 1 percent sulfur content Medium is 1-3 percent sulfur content High is more than 3 percent sulfur content
question
Which type of coal has the highest heat content?
answer
Anthracite
question
What is a cap rock?
answer
A layer of hard, impervious rock overlying and often sealing in a deposit of oil, gas, or coal
question
What are hydrothermal convection systems?
answer
a geothermal basin in which a variable amount of hot water circulates
question
What is the difference in passive solar and active solar energy?
answer
Passive: involve architectural design that enhances absorption of solar energy and takes advantage of the natural changes in solar energy that occur throughout the year without mechanical power Active: Require mechanical power, like pumps, to circulate
question
What is biomass electrical generation?
answer
using organic matters to produce electricity
question
What is cogeneration?
answer
capture and use some of the waste heat, rather than direct release to the atmosphere
question
What is peak oil?
answer
The time when half of Earth's oil is extracted and used
question
What does a photovoltaic cell do?
answer
It is a device that converts energy from light into electricity
question
How do engineers define soil?
answer
solid Earth material that can be removed without blasting
question
What is residual soil?
answer
Residual soils are soils that develop from their underlying parent rocks and have the same general chemistry as those rocks.
question
What is the zone of accumulation?
answer
The B horizon of the soil profile
question
How do soils become fertile?
answer
Applying fertilizers or mixing materials to improve soil texture
question
What is soil taxonomy?
answer
Soil classification based on physical and chemical properties of the soil profile
question
What will make soil stick together better?
answer
tree roots or water
question
What is hydraulic conductivity?
answer
The ease of soil to allow water to move through
question
What will determine the shrink swell potential of soil?
answer
The tendency to gain or lose water Topography and drainage important as well as changes in moisture
question
How does urbanization influence soil erosion?
answer
Soil may be scraped off and lost, materials may be brought in to fill a depression before construction which will effect the other soil, draining soils to remove water may cause drying out, and soils in urban areas are more susceptible to soil pollution
question
How do off-road vehicles cause problems for soil?
answer
They cause soil erosion, changes in hydrology, and damage to plants and animals. It causes direct mechanical erosion and facilitate wind and water erosion of materials.
question
How are soil surveys useful for land-use planning?
answer
Because the best use of land is greatly determined by its soils
question
Are expansive soils a problem?
answer
They are a huge, major problem
question
What is weathering?
answer
The physical and chemical breakdown of minerals and rocks and the first step in soil development
question
What is soil strength?
answer
The ability of a soil to resist deformation
question
How does contour plowing help when we are working with natural topography?
answer
Furrows are plowed perpendicular to the slope of the land rather than in the downslope direction, it is one of the most effective ways to reduce erosion by running water and is widely used
question
What is cohesion?
answer
A measure of the ability of very small silt and clay soil particles to stick together
question
What is soil erodibility?
answer
The ease with which soil materials can be removed by wind or water
question
Why was Eric the Red able to explore Greenland when he did?
answer
Because it was during the medieval warming period
question
How has glacial ice helped us study climate change?
answer
it contains trapped air bubbles that may be analyzed to provide information
question
Why are mathematical models important in studies of climate change?
answer
because they can predict the flow of surface water and groundwater, erosion and deposition of sediment in river systems, ocean circulation, and atmospheric circulation
question
What is an interglacial?
answer
a geological interval of warmer global average temperature lasting thousands of years that separates consecutive glacial periods within an ice age
question
How much is planet covered by glacial ice?
answer
10 percent
question
What is Loess?
answer
windblown silt
question
What is the greenhouse effect?
answer
The earth is warmer than it would be if its radiation escaped into space without absorption and warming and is analogous to the trapping of heat by a greenhouse
question
What do the air bubbles in glacial ice tell us?
answer
information concerning atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane concentrations when the ice formed
question
What was the ocean coveyor belt responsible for?
answer
Moderating the northern Europe climate
question
What does the effect does a large volcanic eruption have on the atmosphere?
answer
volcanoes hurl vast amounts of particulate matter high into the atmosphere which are then transported around Earth by strong winds. They then produce a cooling that may offset global warming.
question
What is the difference between climate and weather?
answer
climate: the atmospheric conditions at a particular place or region over time periods weather: the conditions at the certain time
question
How do glaciers form?
answer
as snow accumulates over a period of years and is compressed from he weight of overlying snow, and recrystallizes as a granular ice
question
Did a continental ice sheet cover most of Canada once?
answer
Yes
question
What are climate models?
answer
computer programs that simulate how the climate has changed in the past and how it will change in the future
question
What is ocean conveyor belt?
answer
a global-scale circulation of ocean waters characterized by strong northward movement
question
Did the Medieval Warming period occur during an increase of solar radiation?
answer
Yes
question
What followed the Medieval Warm Period?
answer
The Little Ice Age
question
What is the dominant form of anthropogenic climate forcing?
answer
The emission of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels
