Environmental Science and Technology: A Comprehensive Guide
Item 7: Natural Resources and Environmental Issues
Natural Resources
- Non-Renewable Resources: Formed over long periods, these resources are finite and disappear once exhausted (e.g., minerals).
- Renewable Resources: These resources replenish at the same rate they are consumed, but overexploitation can deplete them (e.g., animals).
Water Purification
Purification is the process of treating water to remove pathogens and pollutants, making it safe for human consumption.
Sewage Treatment
Sewage treatment plants
Read MoreIntroduction to Physical Geography
Earth’s Shape and Systems
1. Earth is not perfectly spherical:
- The equatorial radius is slightly larger than the polar radius.
2. Cryosphere:
- Includes all forms of frozen water.
3. Biosphere:
- Encompasses all living organisms and their environments, excluding the atmosphere.
Earth’s Movement and Seasons
4. Perihelion:
- Occurs in January when Earth is closest to the Sun.
5. Seasons:
- Caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis.
6. December 22nd:
- The noon sun is directly overhead at 23.5° S (Tropic of Capricorn).
7. June
Read MoreEarth Science: Weathering, Erosion, Climate Change, and Biodiversity
- Earth is not quite as spherical as
a. the equatorial radius is a little larger than the polar radius.
2. Cryosphere includes:
o All forms of frozen water
3. Biosphere includes all of the following except:
o Atmosphere
4. Perihelion occurs in the Northern hemisphere (in January)
o Winter
· The seasons are caused by
o The tilt of the Earth’s axis
· On December 22nd the noon sun is directly overhead at
o 23.5° S
· The midnight sun or 24-hour daylight occurs on June 22nd
o North of the Arctic Circle
· The location
Read MoreRiver Processes and Landforms: A Comprehensive Guide
Rivers
Erosion
Corrosion: When sand and pebbles are dragged along the river bed, wearing it away.
Attrition: When rocks and stones wear each other away as they knock together, becoming smaller and more rounded.
Solution: Rocks such as limestone are dissolved in acidic water.
Hydraulic Action: Fast, flowing water forces into cracks, breaking up the bank over time.
Transportation
Solution: Where dissolved chemicals are carried along, invisible to the eye.
Suspension: When tiny particles are carried in the
Read MoreGlobal Warming and Soil Degradation: Causes, Effects, and Solutions
Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect
What is Global Warming?
Global warming refers to the increase in Earth’s average temperature observed over the past 50 years, particularly since the 1980s. A key concern associated with global warming is the buildup of greenhouse gases.
The Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is a natural process where certain gases in the atmosphere, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), allow shortwave radiation from the sun to pass
Read MoreGlobal Warming and Soil Degradation: Causes, Effects, and Solutions
Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect
What is Global Warming?
Global warming refers to the increase in Earth’s average temperature observed over the past 50 years, particularly since the 1980s. A key concern associated with global warming is the buildup of greenhouse gases.
The Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is a natural process where certain gases in the atmosphere, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), allow shortwave radiation from the sun to pass
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