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KelvinShangPeriod61/24/2013
Ch17AtmosphereandAirPollutionStudyGuideIntroduction
1. WhywasLondon'sKillerSmogof1952important?a.
ItencouragedLivingstonetopushthroughacongestionchargingprogramthatrequiredcommutersto
pay$15aday.Thismoneywouldbeusedtoenhancebusserviceandencouragetransportbyrail,taxi,bicycleandfoot.Throughthisprogram,therewere4070fewerinjuriesfromtrafficaccidentsperyear.Trafficcongestiondecreasedbynearly30%asfewercarsenteredthechargingzoneanddrivingspeedsrose.
Part1.ScienceoftheAtmosphere2.
Whatpercentoftheearthsatmosphereisnitrogen?Oxygen?
a. 78%ofearthsatmosphereisNitrogenwhile21%isOxygen.3.
Listthe4layersoftheatmospherefromlowesttohighestinaltitude.
a. Troposphere,Stratosphere,Mesosphere,Thermosphere4.
Whichlayerdowelivein,breathe,andcontainsthetemperatureandweatherconditionswelivein.
a. Weliveinthebottommostlayer,thetroposphere.5.
Whyisthestratospheresoimportantforthesurvivaloflifeonearth?
a.
TheozoneandoxygeninthestratosphereabsorbandscatterthesunsultravioletradiationsothatmuchoftheUVradiationpenetratingtheupperstratospherefailstoreachthelowerstratosphere.
6.
Whatisthereasonthattemperatureincreaseswithaltitudethroughmostofthestratosphere?a.
Theozonelayerisinthestratosphere,itgreatlyreducestheamountofUVradiationthatreaches
Earthssurface.7.
DothematerialsandgasesfoundineachofEarth'satmosphericlayersmixcompletelywithalloftheother
layers,duetoairpressureandconvectivecells?a.
Theytendtomixverylittle,becauseonceasubstanceentersit,theytendtolingerforalongtime.
8. Whatcauseshumidity?WhatisRelativeHumidity?a.
Theamountofwatervaporintheatmosphere.RelativeHumidityistheratioofwatervaporagiven
volumeofaircontainstothemaximumamountitcouldcontainatagiventemperature.9.
Whyisithotterattheequatorthanatthepoles?(2reasons)
a.
Thesunlightisdirectlyoverheadtheequatorandairabsorbslessenergyduetoshorterpaththroughatmosphere.Moresunlightperunitofsurfacearea.ThereisalowangleofincomingsunlightandairabsorbsmoreenergyduetolongerpaththroughatmosphereinthePoles.
10. Describetheeffectsoftheearthstiltontheatmosphere.a.
Therearefoursignificanttilts,Junesolstice,Marchequinox,Decembersolstice,andSeptember
equinox.InJune,theNorthernHemispheretiltstowardsthesunandsummerbeginsintheNorthernHemispherewinterbeginsintheSouthernHemisphere.InMarch,theequatorfacesthesundirectly.InDecember,theNorthernHemispheretiltsawayfromthesun.InSeptember,theequatorfacesthesundirectly.
11.Weatherisaffectedbythemovementofairmasses.Listthethreefactorsthataffectthemovementofairmasses.
a.
Threefactorsaltituderise,thermalinversion,andverticalmixing.12.Whatcausesairpressure?
a.
Airpressureiscausedbythepushofairagainstitssurroundings.Whentheairparticlespushinalldirections.
13.
Describethedifferenceinweatherbetweenhighandlowpressuresystems.a.
InHighPressureSystemcontainsairthatmovesoutwardawayfromacenterofhighpressureasit
descends.Inalowpressuresystem,airmovestowardthelowatmosphericpressureatthecenterofthesystemandspiralsupward.
14.Whatisthenormaltemperaturedistribution?a.
Innormaltemperaturedistribution,thesurfaceiswarmedbythesunandverticalmixingoccurs.
15.
Adeparturefromthenormaltemperaturedistributioninthetroposphereiscalleda(n)________.a.
TemperatureInversion
16. DifferentiatebetweenHadley,Ferrel,andpolarcells.a.
Hadleycellsareconvectivecellssetinmotionbysolarradiation.Ferrelandpolarcellsliftairandcreate
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precipitationaround60degreeslatitudenorthandsouthandcauseairtodescendataround30degreeslatitudeandinthepolarregions.
17. DescribetheCoriolisEffectanditsimpactontheearthsweather.a.
Thenorthsouthaircurrentsoftheconvectivecellsappeartobedeflectedfromastraightpathassome
portionsoftheglobemovebeneaththemmorequicklythanothers.Itresultsinthecurvingglobalwindpatterns.
Part2.OutdoorAirPollution18.Whataresomenaturalcausesofoutdoorairpollution?
a.
Windssweepingoveraridterraincansendhugeamountsofdustaloft.Volcaniceruptionsreleaselargequantitiesofparticulatematter,aswellassulfurdioxideandothergases,intothetroposphere.
19.
Giveoneexampleofapointsourceofairpollutionandoneexampleofanonpointsource.a.
Powerplantsandfactoriesarepointsources,andautomobilesontheroadwayscombinedareanon
pointsource.20.Whatisthedifferencebetweenprimaryandsecondarypollutants?
a.
Primarypollutantsaresootandcarbonmonoxidethatareemittedintothetroposphereinaformthatcanbedirectlyharmfulorthatcanreacttoformharmfulsubstances.Secondarypollutantsarecreatedwhenprimarypollutantsandconstituentsoftheatmospherearemixed.
21.
Givenandexampleofoneprimarypollutantandonesecondarypollutant.a.
Primarypollutantwouldbecarbondioxideandsecondarypollutantissulfuricacidortropospheric
ozone.22.WhatFOURthingsdoestheCleanAirActenabletheEPAtodo?
a.
TheCleanAirActenablestheEPAtosetnationwidestandardsforemissionsofpollutantsandforconcentrationsofpollutantsinambientairthroughoutthenation.Nationalambientairqualitystandards.AllowedtheEPAtofocusonsixcriteriapollutants.
23.Whatnewgoalswereaddedinthe1990versionoftheCleanAirAct?a.
Strengthenregulationspertainingtoairqualitystandards,autoemissions,toxicairpollution,acidic
deposition,andstratosphericozonedepletion.24.MakeatablethatliststhesixcriteriapollutantsthatarecloselytrackedbytheU.S.EPA.Listeachpollutants
effectonpeopleandwaystopreventorcleanupthepollutant.ZTaketheSixCriteriaPollutantQuiz:http://www.epa.gov/eogapti1/course422/ap5.html
CarbonMonoxide
Bindsirreversiblytohemoglobininredbloodcells,preventingthehemoglobinfrombindingwithoxygen.
Driveless,andusepublictransportationmoreoften.
SulfurDioxide
SulfurDioxideisharmfultoourenvironmentbecausepollutionresultsfromthecombustionofcoalwhichfallbacktoEarthintheformofacidrain.
Startinvestinginsolarenergy,thereyoudonotneedtoburncoalforelectricity.
NitrogenDioxide
NitrogendioxideisaheavypollutantthatproducedoverhalfofU.S.NOxemissions.
Usepublictransportation.
TroposphericOzone
UVRadiation,pollutantsaccumulateandthetroposphericozoneactsasapollutant
LimittheneedoffactoriesthatproduceO3.
ParticulateMatter Damagerespiratorytissueswheninhaled.
Uselesscoalandswitchtosolarenergy.
Lead
Leadentersthefoodchain,accumulateswithinbodytissuesandcausecentralnervoussystemmalfunction.
Restricttheuseofleadproduction.
http://www.epa.gov/eogapti1/course422/ap5.html
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25.WhatisthedifferencebetweenTroposphericandStratosphericOzone?
a.
TroposphericOzoneisasecondarypollutant,sotherearenoemissionstomonitor.26.
Currently,howmanyAmericansliveincountiesthatviolateEPAairqualitystandardsforatleastoneofthesix
criteriapollutants?a. 122MillionAmericans
27.WhatistheonlystatethatviolatesFOUREPAairqualitystandards?a.
California
28.WhywastheAQMD(AirQualityManagementDistrict)created?(Findthisontheinternethttp://www.aqmd.gov/a.
TheSouthCoastAQMDbelievesthatallwholiveorworkinthisareahavearighttobreathecleanair.
AQMDiscommittedtoundertakingallnecessarystepstoprotectpublichealthfromairpollution,withsensitivitytotheimpactsofitsactionsonthecommunityandbusinesses.
29.WhatisanNonAttainmentAreaa.
AnareaconsideredtohaveairqualityworsethantheNationalAmbientAirQualityStandards.
30.Whatarethefourlargestpollutantemissionsbypercent?a.
CarbonMonoxide64%,NitrogenOxides13%,VolatileOrganicCompounds11%,SulfurDioxide10%
31.Whatdoesthevastmajorityofoutdoorairpollutioncomefrom?a.
Avastmajoritycomesfromautomobiles.
32.WhycanttheEPAmonitorandstoptheemissionsoftroposphereozone?a.
Therearetoomanyemissionsoccuring.TheEPAdoesnothavethemanpowertowatchoverevery
singleemissiontoregulateeverything.33.Whattwochemicalpollutantsreacttoformozone?
a. OHandO234.WhatisaVOCandgiveanexample.
a.
Carboncontainingchemicalsusedinandemittedbyvehicleenginesandawidevarietyofsolventsandindustrialprocesses,aswellasbymanyhouseholdchemicalsandconsumeritems.CigaretteLighters.
35. Howhasairpollutionchangedsince1970?Givesomeexamples.a.
Emissionsofeachofthesixmonitoredpollutantshavedecreasedandtotalemissionsofthesixtogether
havedeclinedby53%.36.
Describehowascrubberworksandinwhatsituationwoulditbeused.
a.
Pollutedairrisesthroughachamberwhilearraysofnozzlessprayamistofwatermixedwithlime.Thefallingmistcapturespollutantsandcarriesthemtothebottomofthechamber.Airemittedfromthescrubberhaslargelybeencleansed.Periodically,thedirtywaterisdrainedfromthechamber,cleansedinasettlingtank,andrecirculatedthroughthespraynozzles.Theresultingsludgemustbedisposedofashazardouswaste.
37. Give3examplesofothertoxicairpollutantsbesidesthebigsix.a.
Asbestos,Formaldehyde,Phosphorus
38.Whyisairpollutioncontrollegislationcontroversial?a.
Oldplantswouldbeexemptfromthenewpollutionrequirements,aslongastheyinstalledthebest
availablecurrenttechnologyforpollutioncontroliftheyeverupgradedtheirplantsinthefuture.Whensomeplantsfailedtodothis,theClintonadministrationeventuallysued51plantsforviolatingthelaw.
http://www.aqmd.gov/
