GC170A1 Sect. 01, 02 Ersatz Quiz 6

FOR M/C SELECT SINGLE BEST ANSWER AMONG CHOICES

The quiz will cover lecture material from April 16 through 25 (approximately corresponding to readings in syllabus from March 19 to April 18)

___1. Which of the soil horizons in western states is characterized by accumulation of calcium carbonate (and usually clay and iron oxides as well)?

A. A-horizon C. C-horizon E. unweathered parent material

B. B-horizon D. O- litter

___2. Living trees contribute naturally to tropospheric pollution (specifically photochemical smog) by their emission of which of the following?

A. oxygen B. CO₂ C. ozone D. VOC's E. CO

___3. In the _________ NO_x promotes formation of ozone, but in the ___________ NO_x promotes destruction of ozone.

A. troposphere, stratosphere C. stratosphere, troposphere

B. lithosphere, troposphere D. stratosphere, hydrosphere

___4. Which of the following would not be a consequence of loss of topsoil?

A. loss of productivity C. greater effects of drought E. greater difficulty in tilling

B. more water runoff D. increased carbon storage

___5. In general, over the past 4 decades acid rain in the US Northeast is dominated by (1) , whereas acid rain in the US West is more likely derived from (2) .

A. (1) nitric acid, (2) carbonic acid C. (1) sulfuric acid, (2) nitric acid

B. (1) carbonic acid, (2) sulfuric acid D. (1) nitric acid, (2) sulfuric acid

___6. During fossil-fuel combustion, which of the following pollutants originates nearly completely from the composition of the air rather than from the composition of fossil fuels?

A. particulates C. carbon monoxide E. sulfur dioxide

B. VOC's D. nitrogen oxides F. ozone

___7. "Pure" rain has a pH of about 5.6, but is not “acid rain”. This slightly acidic pH of 5.6, below the neutral pH of 7, is caused mainly by____.

A. lactic acid B. carbonic acid C. nitric acid D. sulfuric acid

___8. After chlorine (Cl)-containing gases, which of the following contributes most to destruction of stratospheric ozone?

A. N₂ B. NO_x C. helium D. argon E. CO₂

___9. Which of the following is a primary pollutant (ie, it comes right out of a tailpipe or smokestack)?

A. sulfuric acid B. ozone C. carbon monoxide D. nitric acid

___10. Auto emissions testing is primarily geared at certifying removal of (1) from auto exhaust to reduce the formation of tropospheric ozone, whereas catalytic converters are geared to remove (2)______ from the exhaust.

A. (1) VOCs, NO_x, Cl (2) SO₂, sunlight, CO C. (1) VOCs, CO, particulates (2) VOCs, NO_x, CO

B. (1) VOCs, SO₂, CO (2) SO₂, VOCs, CO D. (1) VOCs, NO_x, CO (2) VOCs, CO

___11. In the troposphere, a major reason that ozone is a problem is that it .

A. leaches nutrients from the soil D. causes kidney disease and neurological impairment

B. irritates respiratory membranes E. all of the above

C. kills aquatic organisms with low pH

___12. The 3 main causes of soil degradation worldwide are _____________.

A. overwatering D. overgrazing G. B, C, D

B. deforestation E. waste pollutants H. C, D, E

C. agriculture F. A, B, C I. A, C, E

___13. _____ has the greatest global warming potential (GWP).

A. CH₄ B. N₂O C. CO₂ D. CO

___14. Which of the following is NOT a natural event impacting soils?

A. landslides B. drought C. agriculture D. glaciers

___15. Which factors have contributed to increased agricultural production during the Green Revolution in the mid 1900's?

A. irrigation B. new crop stains C. herbicides and pesticides D. all of the above

___16. Which is primarily associated with a large anthropogenic source of CO₂ to the atmosphere?

A. rice patties B. industry C. feedlots D. all of the above

___17. Eutrophication is the ___ of nutrients in aquatic system that lead dieback of of plants and algae to ____ the oxygen concentration of the water.

A. decrease, reduce B. loss, increase C. decrease, increase D. excess, reduce

___18. Which of the following is NOT an anthropogenic activity impacting soils?

A. subsidence B. logging C. wells D. mining

Match terms from the following list to the descriptions in #19-23 below.

A. global warming potential (GWP) B. horizon C. Green Revolution D. Lake Chad E. radiative forcing

F. auto emissions testing G. eutrophication H. catalytic converter I. Aral Sea J. fertilizer

K. Montreal Protocol L. smog M. rice paddies N. VOCs O. deforestation

19. Methane production is associated with ____________________.

20. The process whereby algal “overgrowth” is promoted from excess nutrients in aquatic systems is ________________.

21. NOx gases can be eliminated after combustion of gasoline in automobiles by ___________________.

22. Build up of salts and pesticides during an ambitious economic project to bring cotton production into Kazakhstan resulted in the degradation of soils adjacent to _____________________.

23. NOx + unburned hydrocarbons + sunlight interact to promote the formation of photochemical ______________.

24. If we could use sulfur-free coal, or scrub all of the SO₂ from the smokestacks before it entered the atmosphere, would we eliminate acid rain? Explain.

25. In the following sequence of land-use changes, how would you expect soil erosion to change (in other words, what would be the history of rates of soil erosion over this period of time)? (you are welcome to make a graph, but you must explain it)

natural forest (before 1900) => conversion to farm (1900) => farm abandonment (1940) => urbanization (1965)

26. The solution to pollution is ____________. (answer and explanation)

27. What are the primary gases contributing to radiative forcing, i.e., the enhanced greenhouse effect?

28. What is a “temperature inversion” and how does it affect pollution?

29. Why is tropospheric ozone "bad"?

30. What problems would increased UV cause if the stratospheric ozone layer was significantly depleted?

31. What is the “Green Revolution”?