Deck 17: Atmospheric Science,air Quality,and Pollution Control

Question 1

The Coriolis effect contributes to ________________

A)increased acidic deposition
B)a reduction in eutrophication
C)global wind patterns
D)an increase in eutrophication
E)global warming

Answer 1

global wind patterns

Question 2

The relative humidity is the ________________

A)difference in available water vapor at midnight and at noon
B)amount of oxygen a given volume of air holds relative to the maximum amount it could hold at a given temperature
C)amount of water vapor in the atmosphere
D)amount of oxygen in the atmosphere
E)amount of water vapor a given volume of air holds compared to the maximum amount it could hold at a given temperature

Answer 2

amount of water vapor a given volume of air holds compared to the maximum amount it could hold at a given temperature

Question 3

The huge dust storms that took place in the United States in the 1930s ________________

A)were the result of poor farming techniques
B)were the result of ozone depletion
C)were triggered by tornados,worsened by global climate change
D)were the result of glacier melt
E)were the result of polar cells

Answer 3

were the result of poor farming techniques

Question 4

What gas comprises the largest portion of Earth's atmosphere?

A)nitrogen
B)ozone
C)argon
D)sulfur
E)oxygen

Question 5

The Coriolis effect ________________

A)keeps the wind circulating at constant speed around the planet
B)is caused by the moon
C)keeps Earth from spinning too fast
D)is caused by earth's rotation
E)results in seasonal periods of 24 -hour darkness at the poles in winter

Question 6

Residence time is the ________________

A)length of time it takes for chemicals to be stored in the tissues of living organisms
B)length of time a pollutant spends in the environment
C)chemical change that occurs with time,when substances are altered by the sun or metabolized by microorganisms
D)length of time it takes to produce toxic chemicals in the environment
E)chemical change that occurs with time,when substances alter the growth and development of humans

Question 7

Which of the following is a secondary air pollutant?

A)radon
B)carbon monoxide
C)ozone
D)nitrogen oxide
E)sulfur dioxide

Question 8

________________ is a device designed to remove airborne pollutants from smokestack emissions.

A)A tall stack
B)A coal washer
C)An air filter
D)A boiler
E)A scrubber

Question 9

In industrialized nations,the two most deadly sources of indoor pollution are ________________

A)synthetic furniture materials and radiation from electronic equipment
B)pesticides and cleaning agents
C)pesticides and cigarette smoke
D)radon and cigarette smoke
E)radiation from electronic equipment and pesticides

Question 10

One consequence of CFC pollution is ________________

A)increased rates of skin cancer in humans
B)increased rates of respiratory irritation and lung cancer
C)the movement of toxins into lakes and rivers,poisoning fish
D)the eutrophication of waterways
E)accelerated damage to human red blood cells

Question 11

Half of U.S.emissions of this pollutant is from natural sources such as vegetation.

A)VOCs
B)nitrogen oxides
C)lead
D)carbon monoxide
E)sulfur dioxide

Question 12

Which of the following is a consequence of acid deposition?

A)It is increasing the rate of global warming.
B)It leaches important minerals from soils.
C)It increases the likelihood of low -lying ground fogs.
D)It results in offshore eutrophication,damaging coral reefs.
E)It creates rainwater that can damage skin cells or cause cancers.

Question 13

Lead pollution is a problem because lead ________________.

A)causes central nervous system damage in humans
B)is a precious metal,and it is being lost to the atmosphere
C)causes excess nutrification of waterways,resulting in eutrophication
D)can become attached to radon
E)will cause the ozone hole to increase

Question 14

Carbon monoxide ________________

A)blocks oxygen transport in human blood
B)is produced by plants during photosynthesis
C)is consumed by plants for photosynthesis
D)is a major component of the atmosphere
E)causes ozone depletion

Question 15

Near the equator,the patterns of convection currents are called ________________

A)Coriolis cells
B)Ferrel cells
C)El Niño events
D)polar cells
E)Hadley cells

Question 16

Which of the following pollutants has the longest residence time?

A)NO
B)SO₂
C)CO
D)Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
E)NO₂

Question 17

Bacteria and fungal spores are potential ________________

A)causes of high pesticide use in the home
B)volatile organic compounds (VOCs)and persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
C)causes of "sick building syndrome"
D)sources of radon in the home
E)problems in degrading the ozone layer

Question 18

________________ is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that may cause lung cancer.

A)Helium
B)Hydrogen sulfide
C)Radon
D)Carbon monoxide
E)Secondhand smoke

Question 19

Seasons are a result of ________________

A)the phases of the moon
B)differences in the amount and intensity of sunlight brought about by the tilt of Earth's axis
C)changes in day length
D)differences in the distance between Earth and the sun
E)alterations in Hadley cells

Question 20

Photochemical smog differs from industrial smog in that it ________________

A)consists of primary pollutants
B)has large quantities of soot
C)is formed only in the presence of sunlight
D)is primarily composed of carbon monoxide
E)is an unhealthy mixture of pollutants

Question 21

How do interacting masses of warm and cool air generate weather patterns?

Question 22

Why is indoor pollution still such a large problem in developed nations? What are the most dangerous indoor pollutants in developing and developed nations?

Question 23

Using the examples of Mexico City and Los Angeles,discuss the special problems that vehicles create for urban outdoor air pollution.

Question 24

In 1970,the source of most of the airborne lead emissions in the U.S.was ________________

A)coal -burning power plants
B)water pipes
C)paint
D)gasoline
E)pencil factories

Question 25

In the U.S.,which of the following has decreased since 1980?

A)population
B)energy consumption
C)air pollution emissions
D)gross domestic product (GDP)
E)vehicle miles traveled

Question 26

Temperature increases with altitude through most of the stratosphere because ________________

A)greenhouse gases warm the air
B)heat is released when oxygen and ozone absorb the sun's UV radiation
C)water vapor levels are high and store heat
D)jet stream winds produce frictional heat
E)sunlight is more intense in the stratosphere

Question 27

Stratospheric ozone is important to ecosystems because it ________________

A)provides the air we breathe
B)ensures lakes and oceans do not lose water
C)keeps the temperature of Earth stable
D)absorbs and scatters UV light
E)keeps atmospheric gases balanced

Question 28

Discuss the objective,and the success,of the 1987 Montreal Protocol.To what factors do scientists attribute its success?

Question 29

The decrease in NO_x emissions in the U.S.from 1970 to 2014 can be partially attributed to which of the following?

A)a decrease in the amount of energy consumed
B)a decrease in the amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere
C)the use of catalytic converters in motor vehicles
D)a decrease in vehicle miles traveled
E)the use of scrubbers in motor vehicles

Question 30

The Earth's atmosphere is composed mostly of ________________

A)water and oxygen
B)nitrogen and carbon dioxide
C)water and carbon dioxide
D)nitrogen and oxygen
E)oxygen and carbon dioxide

Question 31

What determines the amount of solar radiation that strikes Earth's surface? What is the role of solar energy in creating seasons?

Question 32

You have been hired by a rapidly growing small city to improve the air quality,which has deteriorated in the past 10 years.What would be a logical action to take?

A)improve transportation options,including carpool lanes,buses,and light rail
B)try to negotiate with the large city downwind whose factories produce large amounts of pollution
C)move or close the cattle feedlots located along the nearby river
D)decrease the amount of CFCs used locally
E)remove the hydroelectric dam on the nearby river

Question 33

The Montreal Protocol ________________

A)developed the international treaty for eliminating sulfur emissions from nuclear power plants
B)is an example of a failed attempt to reduce international air pollution
C)developed the framework for reduction of carbon dioxide in the United States and Canada
D)resulted in significant reduction in the production of CFCs by signatory nations
E)addressed transnational movement of acid -forming pollutants

Question 34

In the 1970s,sources of CFC pollution in the U.S.included all of the following EXCEPT ________________

A)coal -burning power plants
B)refrigerators
C)aerosol spray cans
D)air conditioners
E)polystyrene manufacturing plants

Question 35

Define acid deposition,and explain its causes and effects.