Environmental Science Review
Questions
Course Introduction
Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary field that examines the interactions between biological, physical, and chemical components of the environment, with a focus on understanding human impacts on natural systems. This course covers fundamental principles of ecology, earth systems, energy flow, environmental chemistry, and biodiversity, while addressing contemporary environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, resource management, and conservation. Students explore scientific methods for investigating environmental problems and develop critical thinking skills necessary to analyze and propose solutions for sustaining healthy ecosystems and human societies.
Recommended Textbook
Geosystems An Introduction to Physical Geography 3rd Canadian Edition by Robert W. Christopherson
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21 Chapters
2826 Verified Questions
2826 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Essentials of Geography
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205 Verified Questions
205 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following describes the property of true shape on a map?
A)equivalence
B)conformality
C)proximity
D)equidistance
E)acquiescence
Answer: B
Q2) As the distance from a line of tangency increases,the amount of distortion on a map also increases.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) If the human population keeps growing rapidly,there could be a rapid shift from there being enough food to large scale food shortages and starvation.The point at which this change occurs is a(n)
A)type of dynamic equilibrium condition.
B)type of metastable equilibrium.
C)threshold.
D)input.
Answer: C
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Chapter 2: Solar Energy to Earth and the Seasons
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142 Verified Questions
142 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) On its way to Earth,the solar wind first encounters
A)the ozonosphere.
B)the magnetosphere.
C)Earth's surface.
D)the lower atmosphere.
E)the ionosphere.
Answer: B
Q2) Draw and label a diagram of the Earth-Sun relationship for the four seasons.Include the average distance from Earth to the Sun,the location of the subsolar point for each seasonal event,and the name and date for each of the solstices and equinoxes.
Answer: Not answer
Q3) Intercepted solar energy is called insolation and is measured as the solar constant at the top of the atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) Why are seasonal changes less noticeable near the equator than at mid-latitudes?
Answer: Not answer
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4
Chapter 3: Earth's Modern Atmosphere
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152 Verified Questions
152 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) With regard to carbon monoxide (CO),which of the following is <u> false </u>?
A)anthropogenic CO is principally produced by automobiles.
B)natural CO is produced by decaying organic debris,forest fires,or organic matter decomposition.
C)few effects of CO on humans have been identified.
D)it is a colourless,odorless and tasteless gas.
E)it is a naturally occurring gas.
Answer: C
Q2) Which of the gases listed below has accumulated in the atmosphere as a result of biological processes?
A)argon
B)oxygen
C)nitrogen
D)water vapor
E)krypton
Answer: B
Q3) Ozone is the main ingredient of photochemical smog.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 4: Atmosphere and Surface Energy Balances
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100 Verified Questions
100 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Heat energy flows from objects that are hot to those that are cold.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Photovoltaic systems are generally cost-competitive-especially when the environmental costs associated with fossil fuels and nuclear energy are factored into cost assessments.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Net radiation (NET R)refers to
A)the net energy expended for ground heating and cooling.
B)the balance of all radiation incoming and outgoing at Earth's surface.
C)the amount of insolation coming into the surface.
D)the amount of insolation not absorbed at the surface.
E)the amount of heat that moves toward Earth's centre.
Q4) Compare and contrast the radiation budgets for Pitt Meadows,BC and El Mirage,CA.
Q5) Why do the tropics have a positive net radiation while the poles have a negative value? How is the energy difference equalized?
Q6) Earth's blue sky is a result of diffuse reflection called scattering.
A)True B)False
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Global Temperatures
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113 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The <u> rate </u> at which temperature decreases below the surface of water is ________ than that at which it decreases below the surface of land because
A)greater water is transparent
B)greater land is opaque
C)less water is transparent
D)less water does not experience temperature-induced circulation
E)greater water is opaque
Q2) In general,as distance from the subsolar point increases,the average annual insolation ________ and the average annual temperature ________.
A)increases increases
B)increases decreases
C)decreases increases
D)decreases decreases
E)remains unchanged decreases
Q3) If you went for a walk on a hot beach,you could cool your feet off substantially by digging them into the sand.
A)True
B)False
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulations
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144 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) If Earth did not rotate,air would flow
A)perpendicular to the isobars,i.e. ,straight across the isobars.
B)to the right of its direction of motion in the northern hemisphere.
C)to the left of its direction of motion in the northern hemisphere.
D)parallel to the isobars.
E)from the west.
Q2) The horizontal motion of air across Earth's surface is called ________.Wind speed is measured with an ________ and wind direction with a ________.A descriptive scale useful in visually estimating winds is the traditional ________.
Q3) Upper atmospheric winds refer to
A)winds in the thermosphere.
B)winds that are unrelated to surface weather patterns.
C)middle and upper tropospheric circulation.
D)winds that flow principally from the east.
E)mesospheric wind flow.
Q4) Draw and label a diagram showing the distribution of pressure belts and winds on Earth.Include and label the four principal pressure belts or zones as well as the principal wind systems.
Q5) Describe the characteristics of northern hemisphere jet streams.
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Chapter 7: Water and Atmospheric Moisture
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164 Verified Questions
164 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The phase changes of water provide a significant amount of the energy that powers the general circulation of the atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Water has a density of
A)0)5 g/cm³.
B)1 g/cm³.
C)2)5 g/cm³.
D)15 g/cm³.
E)25 g/cm³.
Q3) Which of the following can be concluded given the information shown below?
Saturation vapour pressure = 20 mb,Actual vapour pressure = 19.5 mb
A)the difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry bulb on a sling psychrometer would be <u> large </u>.
B)the air temperature and dew point temperature are almost the same.
C)the relative humidity is low.
D)the air is conditionally stable.
E)that the air temperature is equal to the specific humidity.
Q4) Why is the ability of water to form hydrogen bonds so important?
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Chapter 8: Weather
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129 Verified Questions
129 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Hurricanes die when they move over land because
A)the Coriolis force is not sufficient to sustain them over land.
B)the land temperature is not warm enough to sustain the low pressure system.
C)evaporation and subsequent condensation are no longer sufficient to sustain them.
D)friction overcomes the forward momentum and the storm decays.
E)the specific heat and relative humidity ratios dissipate the storm's energy.
Q2) In the southern hemisphere,a migrating center of low pressure,with converging,ascending air that spirals clockwise,is a wave cyclone.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following matches is true?
A)specific humidity of 17 g/kg = typical moisture content of mT Gulf air mass
B)very cold,dry,and stable air mass = mT Pacific air mass
C)warm,humid,very unstable air mass = mT Pacific air mass
D)Tropical air mass source region = 40° to 55° N or S
E)cA air mass = very cold and very moist
Q4) Describe the four types of atmospheric lifting and give typical geographic characteristics associated with each.
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Chapter 9: Water Resources
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127 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which is true of groundwater pollution?
A)it is not difficult to remove groundwater pollution.
B)65% of groundwater pollution is from non-point sources.
C)underground gasoline storage tanks are no longer sources of pollution.
D)urban run off is considered point source pollution.
E)septic tank outflows do not contribute to pollution.
Q2) Thornthwaite devised a method for estimating potential evapotranspiration that utilized mean air temperature and daylength.
A)True
B)False
Q3) What is the status of world water resources? What are the coming challenges to water supply?
Q4) A soil moisture budget can only be constructed for time periods of a week or longer. A)True
B)False
Q5) The same amount of rain can result in different field capacities depending upon the soil type.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Climate Systems and Climate Change
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135 Verified Questions
135 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is a GCM and how are they used to study possible future climates?
Q2) La Ni \( \overline n \) a always occurs in the year following an El Ni \( \overline n \) o.
A)True B)False
Q3) Canada had below-average temperatures for the entire decade of the 1990s. A)True B)False
Q4) The largest repository of freshwater in the world is in ice-covered Antarctica. A)True B)False
Q5) Which is true of humid subtropical hot summer climates?
A)Asian humid subtropical hot summer climates are influenced by the monsoons. B)they have cold ocean currents off shore.
C)North American humid subtropical hot summer climates have cyclonic storm trackshift overhead in the summer with the ITCZ.
D)their hot and rainy season occurs in the winter season.
E)they are little affected by seasonal shifts in insolation and temperature.
Q6) List the weather components that combine to produce climates.
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Q7) Are there reasons for concern about climate change? If so,list and explain them.
Chapter 11: The Dynamic Planet
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176 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Earth's interior is layered because
A)centrifugal force separated out the materials based on weight while Earth was still molten.
B)materials became sorted based on density while Earth was still molten.
C)materials became sorted based on electromagnetic fields while Earth was still molten.
D)materials became sorted based on temperature as Earth cooled.
E)centripetal force separated out the materials based on weight while Earth was still molten.
Q2) Which layer of Earth is composed primarily of peridotite,a rock which is high in olivine,iron,magnesium,and silicates?
A)inner core
B)outer core
C)crust
D)upper mantle
E)aesthenosphere
Q3) Describe the principle of isostasy and apply it to Earth's crust.
Q4) Explain the difference between true north and the north magnetic pole.Has each occupied the same location over time?
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Chapter 12: Tectonics, Earthquakes, and Volcanism
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138 Verified Questions
138 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Volcanoes formed from silica-rich magma
A)have gently sloping surfaces that give them the appearance of a shield.
B)are highly explosive and dangerous.
C)are associated with midocean ridges.
D)are associated with rift zones.
E)have low viscosity lava.
Q2) Orogenesis refers to
A)the beginning of extensive faulting.
B)a general term for a mountain-building episode that thickens continental crust.
C)a general thinning of the crust.
D)the formation of mountains <u> without</u> faulting,folding,or the capture of migrating terranes.
E)the deepening of the ocean through subduction in a trench.
Q3) Domes can be formed by
A)extinct volcanoes.
B)upwarping associated with plate collisions.
C)downwarping associated with plate collisions.
D)upwarping associated with magma movement (i.e. ,plutonic activity).
E)subduction.
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Weathering, Karst Landscapes, and Mass Movement
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114 Verified Questions
114 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a type of physical weathering process?
A)pressure-release jointing
B)hydrolysis
C)oxidation
D)carbonation
E)dissolution
Q2) Which type of weathering is primarily found in arid environments?
A)exfoliation
B)frost wedging
C)hydrolysis
D)salt crystal growth
E)carbonic acid solution
Q3) Which of the following is correctly matched?
A)Krs Plateau - Yugoslavia
B)developed karst - about 55 percent of Earth's land area
C)limestone - at least 20 percent calcium carbonate content
D)developed karst - patterns of joints in granite
E)tower karst - Yemen
Q4) Describe the forces acting on a slope,and also the various physical aspects of a slope,such as waxing slope and debris slope.
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Chapter 14: River Systems and Landforms
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136 Verified Questions
136 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Aggradation of a stream channel produces scouring and alluvial terraces.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What conditions lead to the creation of an oxbow lake?
Q3) Watersheds are defined by
A)continental divides.
B)drainage divides.
C)stream orders.
D)fluvial units.
E)ocean basins.
Q4) The flood on the San Juan River in 1941 resulted in
A)erosion followed by redeposition.
B)the river bed falling,then gradually accreting.
C)deposition followed by scouring.
D)changes in water velocity,but no change to the bed.
E)changes in the discharge,but no change to the bed.
Q5) A floodplain is composed of alluvium.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Describe the formation and typical characteristics of a floodplain.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Eolian Processes and Arid Landscapes
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127 Verified Questions
127 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Write an essay on dunes in which you first discuss the processes that move and form dunes,and then move on to a discussion of the characteristics and formative processes of crescentic,linear,and star dunes.
Q2) As regards the sides of a dune,which of the following is correctly matched?
A)windward - avalanche slope
B)windward - angle of repose
C)leeward - avalanche slope
D)stoss -angle of repose
E)brink - angle of repose
Q3) An extensive area of sand and sand dunes is known as a(n)
A)reg desert.
B)erg desert,or sand sea.
C)lag desert.
D)desert pavement.
Q4) Alluvial fans are common in humid regions.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Draw a diagram showing the eight basic dune types.Include a brief description of the conditions that create each.
Q6) Write an essay on climate change and aridity in Canada.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: The Oceans, Coastal Processes, and Landforms
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123 Verified Questions
123 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Diagram and label the key features of a typical erosional coast and a typical depostional coast.
Q2) Tsunamis generated by earthquakes can form giant waves while traveling in the open ocean.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A tombolo cuts off a portion of the ocean along a coast,forming a lagoon.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Given present global warming trends and predicted climate change for the next century,sea level is estimated to rise
A)between 1.0-1.4 m.
B)in an amount unrelated to the temperature of the ocean.
C)more than 30 m.
D)in a way that will not threaten coastal inhabitants.
E)between 1 and 3 m.
Q5) Discuss a how a tsunami is formed,how it behaves in the open ocean,and how it behaves when it contacts the shore.Include its physical characteristics,travel speed and pattern,and nature of impact with land.
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Chapter 17: Glacial and Periglacial Processes and Landforms
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159 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is true of compound valley glaciers?
A)they are formed by the merging of ice caps.
B)they contain medial moraines.
C)they can flow over topographic divides,such as mountains.
D)they are one type of continental glacier.
E)they develop only in the southern hemisphere.
Q2) In an area of permafrost,subsurface water that is frozen is specifically called A)the active layer.
B)a talik.
C)ground ice.
D)periglacial water.
E)glacier.
Q3) Recent work suggests the climate is not as stable as once believed and that it can change fairly quickly.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Write an essay in which you discuss the formation and appearance of erosional and depositional landforms created by continental glaciers.
Q5) What contributions did Milankovitch make to the study of climate change?
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Chapter 18: The Geography of Soils
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134 Verified Questions
134 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Over 15,000 soil series have been classified up to this time in the United States and Canada.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which pedogenic regime occurs in cool,wet climates in areas of poor drainage,and results in the accumulation of humus-as well as a water-saturated layer of gray clay?
A)laterization
B)salinization
C)podzolation
D)gleysation
E)calcification
Q3) Soils with a high hydrogen ion (H )concentration are considered to have a(n)________ and are therefore ________.
A)neutral pH fertile
B)acidic pH fertile
C)acidic pH infertile
D)alkaline pH fertile
E)alkaline pH infertile
Q4) List at least six disciplines that are involved with soil science.
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Chapter 19: Ecosystem Essentials
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is correct?
A)there is only one community within each distinct ecosystem.
B)an ecosystem is the interaction of many communities with the abiotic physical components of their environment.
C)within a single lake there is usually only one community.
D)by definition,a community includes abiotic factors.
E)each species can be part of only one community.
Q2) Which of the following is true of synthetic fertilizers?
A)most contain sulphur compounds.
B)their rate of production is doubling very quickly-every two years.
C)the amount of compounds in these fertilizers far exceeds the ability of bacteria to break them down-thereby contributing to pollution of surface water.
D)these fertilizers not only increase soil fertility,they also act to build the soil through the direct addition of organic matter.
E)excess nitrogen is stored in the ecosystem for later use,making the ecosystem healthier.
Q3) Give an equation for respiration and explain its importance.
Q4) Write an essay describing typical ecological succession in a lake.
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Page 21
Chapter 20: Terrestrial Biomes
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131 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Semiarid steppe climates receive precipitation that is
A)less than half the potential evapotranspiration rate.
B)more than half the potential evapotranspiration rate.
C)equal to the potential evapotranspiration rate.
D)more than the potential evapotranspiration rate.
Q2) The ecology of the biome in which the giant redwoods trees occur is failing.
A)True
B)False
Q3) At continued rates of species extinction,it is possible that half of the species currently on Earth could be extinct in ________ years.
A)50
B)100
C)500
D)900
E)1400
Q4) An epiphyte is an example of a formation class.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss the extent of deforestation in the tropics and why it is such an important environmental issue.
22
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Chapter 21: Earth and the Human Denominator
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following are the variables of the planetary impact equation?
A)population,affluence and technology
B)affluence,technology and education level
C)technology,education level and population
D)education level,population and affluence
Q2) The developed world with its smaller population has comparatively little impact on the planet's resources and environment.
A)True
B)False
Q3) China and India together account for a little more than half of the human population.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Write an essay on human oil consumption and the pollution caused by it.
Q5) You have been invited to address the next Earth Summit on one of the following themes: global climate change biological diversity forest conservation and management arctic climate change or renewable energy and energy conservation.Using information from the text,present your findings about the past and present conditions,as well as possible future outlooks,and your recommendations regarding one of these issues.
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