What is the basic mechanism that naturally creates freshwater within the hydrologic cycle?
Evaporation
Where is the majority of Earth's freshwater being stored?
Glacial ice
Which of the following activities use the greatest amount of water in the United States?
irrigation and electrical generation
Due to geology, some regions have to rely entirely on surface water. Which of the following is a common technique used to expand surface water supplies?
water diversions
In terms of supplying sufficient quantities of drinking water, which of the following is the most important property of an aquifer?
high permeability (conductivity)
Which of the following earth materials would NOT make for a good AQUIFER?
Shale
Which of the following statements regarding streams and groundwater is NOT true?
when a stream goes dry it means the adjoining aquifer will also go dry.
What best explains why confined aquifers make for a safer water supply compared to unconfined aquifers?
unconfined aquifers are open to the surface environment.
What best describes the direction that groundwater flows in the subsurface?
from areas of high hydraulic head to low hydraulic head
What is the basic difference between modern water wells and older hand dug wells?
older wells are much larger in diameter
When water is pumped from a well it creates a cone-of-depression. What is the basic reason this sometimes causes problems?
it reverses the natural direction of groundwater flow
Which of the following describes the problem known as groundwater mining?
falling groundwater levels due to excessive pumping
What best describes the problem known as saltwater intrusion?
heavy pumping allows saline water to migrate into freshwater aquifers
Which of the following are common water desalinization techniques?
distillation and reverse osmosis
Which of the following best describes the environmental problem associated with desalinization?
disposing of the concentrated saltwater
Xeriscaping is a water conservation technique commonly used in landscaping. What best describes xeriscaping?
use of native vegetation
Groundwater recharge occurs every time it rains.
False
Solar energy drives the hydrologic cycle.
True
Desalinization is desirable because it is an energy-efficient process.
False
When groundwater recharge is less than discharge it can cause land subsidence to occur.
True
If energy is the capacity to perform work or transfer heat, what is work?
when an object is moved a given distance against some force.
Which of the following is true regarding chemical energy?
is stored in chemical bonds
Which of the following best defines energy efficiency?
measures how much of the original energy goes to its intended purpose.
Which of the following statements regarding coal is NOT true?
carbon content decreases as depth of burial increases
Which of the following is an environmental problem associated with society's use of coal?
land subsidence
greenhouse gas emissions and climate change
acid mine drainage
ALL OF THE ANSWERS LISTED HERE
acid rain
What best describes how petroleum is different than coal?
contains considerable amounts of hydrogen
What best explains how crude oil is different from natural gas?
consists of longer chains of hydrocarbon molecules
Which of the following is essential in order for petroleum to accumulate in a trap?
the source rock must generate hydrocarbon molecules.
ALL OF THE ANSWERS LISTED HERE
a low permeability cap rock that prevents the escape of hydrocarbons.
a porous rock to store the hydrocarbon molecules.
hydrocarbons must migrate from a source rock.
Which of the following statements best describes the oil window?
depth interval where temperatures allow oil to form in a source rock.
Approximately how much of the U.S. energy supply consists of fossil fuels?
90%
Which of the following energy sources makes up the largest percentage of the electricity produced in the U.S.?
coal
Which of the following statements regarding the peak oil theory is NOT true?
has yet to be shown to be true for a single nation.
What is the basic problem or issue with respect to expanding the world's oil supply in the future?
ALL OF THE ANSWERS LISTED HERE
numerous smaller fields must be found to offset production declines in older fields
discoveries of new fields peaked in the 1970s
remaining deposits are more expensive and difficult to extract
fewer giant fields are being fo
What represents the most effective strategy for ultimately addressing the problem of peak oil?
reduce demand for conventional oil and increase supply of alternatives
Which of the following is NOT a replacement for conventional oil?
eletricity
Nuclear energy is often called radiant energy.
False
Economical petroleum traps are geologically rare.
true
China, with its large population, has the highest per capita energy consumption in the world.
False
Fossil fuels are distributed fairly evenly around the globe.
False
With respect to conventional oil, the U.S. reached peak production in the 1970s.
True
Synthetic crude oil can be made through a process of liquefying coal. What is the primary problem with using coal to help meet the growing demand for oil?
higher carbon dioxide emissions
In comparison to light crude oil, which of the following statements is NOT true with respect to heavy crude oil?
oil companies prefer heavy crude oil because it is more profitable.
Which of the following best explains why carbon dioxide emissions are so much higher using tar sands compared to conventional crude oil?
tar sands require additional energy to produce.
Which of the following best describes oil shale deposits?
organic-rich source rock that has never been buried deep enough to produce oil.
The original method of processing oil shale involved crushing the rock and then heating it. What environmental problem did this create that the new method (heating the rock in place) seeks to avoid?
disposing of large volumes of waste rock
Gas hydrates represent a potential source of natural gas. Which of the following is the primary reason commercial production is not yet taking place?
high potential for the uncontrolled release of gas
Which of the following is NOT true regarding the production of corn-based ethanol as an alternative to gasoline in the United States?
provides a long-term solution to our energy needs
A pumped-storage system is where water is pumped up into an elevated reservoir, and then allowed to fall to produce electricity. What is the basic reason this system is economical?
surplus electricity at night is being used to pump water into reservoir.
Which of the following best describes the major advantages of generating electricity with nuclear power plants?
generates electricity on a large scale and does not emit carbon dioxide.
What best describes the major disadvantages of nuclear power?
high production costs and lack of long-term waste storage
What energy transformation takes place when sunlight strikes an ordinary solid object?
electromagnetic to thermal (heat)
What describes the difference between passive and active solar energy designs?
active involves some type of mechanical system
What best describes the difference between solar thermal and photovoltaic systems?
photovoltaic generates electricity only
Which of the following describes the advantages of wind power over solar?
wind turbines can generate power at night and on cloudy days.
What best explains why producing electricity via geothermal energy is restricted geographically?
areas where shallow crustal rocks are sufficiently hot are relatively rare.
Which of the following describes the basic way in which electricity is generated using the ocean thermal energy conversion technique, or OTEC?
temperature difference between the surface and deep ocean waters
With respect to the U.S. transportation system, what best explains why electric motors are considered as the most sustainable means of running cars and trains in the future?
fuels for internal combustion engines all produce greenhouse gases
A likely future model for the electrical grid is a decentralized system where power is generated from numerous sources distributed across the grid. What would the primary role of nuclear power be in this model?
provide steady amounts of power to meet baseload demand
Light crude oil contains a higher proportion of shorter chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms compared to heavy crude oil.
True
With respect to geothermal energy, Earth's internal heat escapes evenly though the crust.
False
The terms polluted and contaminated have different meanings when it comes to substances put in the environment by human activity. With respect to these substances, what does polluted mean?
concentration is high enough to cause harm to living organisms.
Which of the following pollution sources would be considered to be a non-point source?
pesticides spread on farm fields
residual oil in parking lots from leaking cars and trucks
cows on dairy farms
lawn fertilizers in housing developments
ALL OF THE ANSWERS LISTED HERE
Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding groundwater contamination?
confined aquifers are highly susceptible to contamination from surface sources.
Which of the following best describes why open dumps in the U.S. were banned in 1983?
municipal waste was attracting wild animals and generating air pollution from fires.
Which of the following makes up the largest percentage of U.S. municipal waste?
Paper
What explains why leachate is a problem in sanitary landfills?
picks up toxic chemicals from municipal waste and causes groundwater contamination.
What best explains why municipal governments are now focusing on waste reduction and recycling programs?
number of landfills has declined, which has increased the cost of waste disposal.
Which of the following explains why many household septic systems end up contaminating the shallow groundwater system?
permeability of material beneath drain field is too low for proper drainage
residents pouring household chemicals down their drains
drain field becomes plugged by solids leaving the septic tank
ALL OF THE ANSWERS LISTED HERE
water table is too high for th
In addition to secured landfills, hazardous waste can be disposed of through high temperature incineration. What best explains why incineration is a controversial technique?
since it's not 100% effective, some hazardous compounds are released into the air
Eutrophication and oxygen depletion in natural wasters can be very damaging to stream ecosystems. Which of the following is the primary cause of oxygen depletion in streams?
excessive nutrients
Municipal sewage treatment plants are very effective at breaking down human waste prior to discharging the wastewater into rivers. Why then, do so many U.S. plants continue to cause water quality problems in rivers?
ALL OF THE ANSWERS LISTED HERE
plants are not very effective at removing hazardous chemicals.
plants are not very effective at removing pharmaceuticals.
combined sewage and stormwater systems release raw sewage during large rain events.
plants are not ver
Which of the following is responsible for the growing hypoxic, or dead zone, problem in the Gulf of Mexico?
animal feed lots and agricultural fertilizers used throughout the Midwest.
When radioactive isotopes decay they emit radiation that is harmful to humans. Which of the following forms of radiation have the highest energy and ability to penetrate solid materials?
gamma rays
What does the term half-life describe?
time needed for half of the radioactive atoms in a substance to decay into stable isotopes.
Which of the following is NOT an example of low-level radioactive waste?
spent nuclear fuel
Acid rain has a negative impact on ecosystems and accelerates the chemical weathering of concrete structures and marble building materials. Which of the following compounds released by human activity are responsible for acid rain?
sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide
Certain forms of the element mercury move up through the food chain and into humans. What is primary problem that mercury is known to cause in people?
birth defects and loss of cognitive ability in children
Radon gas can accumulate in people's homes and pose a serious lung cancer risk. What is the source of the radon gas?
radioactive decay of uranium minerals found in rocks and sediment
Liquid hazardous wastes are commonly injected into deep, saline aquifers for disposal.
True
Scrubbers are being used in the U.S. to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels.
True
Which of the following statements with respect to Earth's climate is NOT true?
atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are currently well within Earth's recent operating range.
Which of the following best explains the effect of greenhouse gases on Earth's atmosphere?
absorb some of the energy Earth radiates out into space.
Which of the following statements regarding carbon dioxide (CO2) and the greenhouse effect is true?
global warming from burning fossil fuels was predicted in the 1800s.
CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is relatively low.
link between CO2 and the greenhouse effect was proven in the 1800s.
ALL OF THE ANSWERS LISTED HERE
without CO2, the average global
Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas?
nitrogen (N2)
There are several long-term changes in Earth's orbit that affect how heat from the Sun is distributed over the planet. Which of the following describes how the orbit changes from being elliptical to more circular?
eccentricity
Which of the following statements regarding variations in Earth's orbit is true?
even together, they don't produce enough temperature change to cause an ice age.
Which of the following are considered climate feedback mechanisms?
greenhouse gases and reflection/adsorption of sunlight
With respect to modeling Earth's climate system, which of the following best describes global circulation models (GCMs)?
accurately simulate the past climate and are used to project the future climate
What best explains the problem with using sediment layers to determine past climatic conditions?
do not provide details on year-to-year variations
What best explains why glacial ice cores are ideal for examining climatic conditions in Earth's past?
provide high-resolution data on both temperature and carbon dioxide
Ice core data have revealed which of the following?
current carbon dioxide concentrations are far outside of Earth's recent operating range.
Earth's climate shows a history of abrupt and rapid changes in temperature.
ALL OF THE ANSWERS LISTED HERE.
Earth's climate has been remarkably stable for the past 10
What do climatologists NOT expect to see now that Earth's climate system has been pushed to a higher energy level?
the warming trend to reverse in the near future
What do climatologists fear might happen if the Earth system crosses a climate threshold?
system will enter a period of abrupt and dramatic climate change
Which of the following do climatologists predict will occur as the Earth continues to warm?
higher evaporation rates
ALL OF THE ANSWER LISTED HERE
atmosphere will hold more water vapor
more frequent heavy rain and snow events
more frequent droughts
One important consequence of global warming is that Earth's climatic zones are expected to shift. Which of the following would affect large parts of Earth's population as winters arrive later and end earlier?
less melt water to sustain streams during the summer months
Sea level is expected rise due to continued melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. Which of the following best describes why climatologists are likely to have underestimated the rate of sea level rise?
ice sheets are melting from within as water flows down through fractures.
Ocean acidification is taking place as the oceans absorb some of the additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What is the basic environmental problem that this creates?
more difficult for marine organisms to secret their own protective shells.
Which of the following best explains why continued warming of the Arctic is expected to greatly accelerate the rate of global warming?
loss of sea ice and thawing of gas hydrates
Earth's glacial periods are explained by orbital variations that produce a small temperature change, which is then amplified by changes in carbon dioxide concentrations.
True
To slow the current warming trend, industrialized nations must reduce their overall rate of greenhouse gas emissions.
True
Which of the following will cause environmental pollution?
All of the above
Which of the following could be a non point source of pollution?
Turkey farm
During euthrophication process of an aquatic system you will see low levels of what?
Oxygen
Which of the following is a potential source of PCB exposure?
All of the above
Where are you least likely to find VOC's?
Your backyard
You are most likely to find VOC's in?
All of the above
You will least likely accumulate heavy metals if you consume what?
Seaweed
What source produces the most waste in the US?
Agricultural
Why are there no buildings on top of sanitary landfills?
Toxic gases
During life cycles of earth organism energy is created and destroyed to support life.
False
Which of the following is not an environmental problem associated with society's use of coal?
Eutrophication
Which of the following has the worlds largest oil reserve?
Saudi Arabia
What alternative energy source (non fossil fuel) generates the most electricity in the US?
Nuclear
Why are wind turbines so high off the ground?
Turbines move more frequently.
Which of the following statements with about earths climate is false?
Current atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are similar to those experienced in last million years.
What wook make a good AQUITARD material?
Shale or clay
There are two basic types of shorelines in terms of plate tectonics: leading edge (active) and trailing edge (passive). Which of the following best describes leading edge shorelines?
steep slopes, irregular coastline, restricted beaches
Which of the following best describes the cause of ocean tides?
Earth's spinning motion and gravitational effect of the Moon and Sun.
Currents out in the open ocean are primarily driven by which of the following?
prevailing winds and density differences of the water
Which of the following are key characteristics of ocean waves?
energy travels horizontally and water molecules move in a circular manner
What best explains how surf forms along a shoreline?
waves beginning to drag on the seafloor and slowing down
Which of the following explains why longshore currents develop along shorelines?
wave refraction
Why are longshore currents important in environmental geology?
cause the beach itself to migrate over time
What best describes why irregular shorelines evolve and become straighter over time?
waves erode headlands and deposit sediment in coves and bays
Hurricanes cause a regional rise in sea level (dome of water) that can result in a very dangerous phenomenon known as storm surge. What best explains the cause for this rise in sea level?
high winds and lower air pressure within the storm
Which of the following is the energy source that provides power for tropical storms and hurricanes?
warm seawater
What is the most effective means of minimizing the structural damage that results from the high winds of a hurricane?
strap the roof to the frame and board the windows
Tsunamis can form in a variety of ways. Which of the following will NOT cause a tsunami?
strong winds
Shoreline retreat is a natural process that humans have made worse in recent years. Which of the following is NOT a major factor in the rate at which shorelines move inland?
coastal development
Seawalls are commonly used to stop shoreline retreat. Which of the following is a negative consequence of building a seawall?
loss of the beach at high tide
Beach nourishment is a common technique for minimizing shoreline retreat. Which of the following is a negative consequence of beach nourishment?
is costly and must be done periodically
Breakwaters are commonly used in coastal engineering. What is the basic purpose of installing a breakwater?
create a quiet area to moor boats and reduce erosion
Over the past 3 million years, sea level has been as much as 400 feet lower and 100 feet higher compared to today.
True
Mass wasting hazards are less likely to occur along trailing edge (passive) shoreline than along leading edge (tectonically active) since the slopes are typically much more gentle.
False
Should you ever find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip current, it is important to immediately try to swim directly back to shore.
False