Deck 23: The Human Impact of Earths Environment

Question 1

Oil and gas deposits form from the decomposition of

A)bacteria and algae.
B)ancient ferns.
C)dinosaur bones.
D)coal.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV)radiation can cause

A)cataracts.
B)reduced crop yields.
C)skin cancer.
D)cataracts,reduced crop yields,and skin cancer.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

By the end of the next century temperatures are predicted to rise ________ because of global warming.

A)less than 1.5°C
B)1.5 to 6°C
C)6 to 20°C
D)greater than 20°C

Answer 3

1.5 to 6°C

Question 4

Wood is considered a ________energy resource.

A)nonrenewable
B)renewable
C)combustible
D)biologic

Question 5

Which of the following statements regarding ozone is false?

A)Chlorofluorocarbons are depleting the ozone layer.
B)Ozone absorbs harmful infrared radiation.
C)Ozone forms from oxygen in the stratosphere.
D)Ozone is a greenhouse gas.

Question 6

Methane gas is also referred to as

A)oil gas.
B)natural gas.
C)petroleum gas.
D)kerosene gas.

Question 7

What is the current population of Earth?

A)approximately 1 billion
B)approximately 3 billion
C)approximately 6 billion
D)approximately 12 billion

Question 8

Over the next century,the warming and expanding of oceans due to global warming would result in a rise in sea level of as much as

A)90 centimeters.
B)9 meters.
C)90 meters.
D)900 meters.

Question 9

A British thermal unit (Btu)is the amount of energy needed to

A)operate a motor vehicle for 100 km at 60 miles/hour.
B)convert 1 pound of organic matter into coal.
C)raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1°F.
D)change 1 gallon of oil into natural gas.

Question 10

A quad is equivalent to

A)10¹⁵ British thermal units.
B)10 British thermal units.
C)10¹⁰⁰ British thermal units.
D)1 British thermal unit.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Energy use is increasing four times faster than Earth's population.
B)Energy use is increasing two times faster than Earth's population.
C)Energy use and Earth's population are increasing at the same rate.
D)Earth's population is increasing two times faster than energy use.

Question 12

The United States consumes _______ more energy per person than the global average.

A)4.5 times
B)10 times
C)2 times
D)7.5 times

Question 13

Humans have converted approximately one-third of the world's forested area to land use for

A)urban development.
B)mining exploration.
C)shopping mall expansions.
D)agricultural use.

Question 14

Petroleum and natural gas are considered _________ energy resources.

A)nonrenewable
B)renewable
C)combustible
D)biologic

Question 15

When sunlight reacts with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),____________ is released.

A)chlorine
B)methane
C)ozone
D)sulfur dioxide

Question 16

Energy reserves differ from energy resources in that

A)energy reserves estimate the amount of a material remaining to be discovered,while energy resources are materials that have already been discovered.
B)energy resources estimate the amount of a material remaining to be discovered,while energy resources are materials that have already been discovered.
C)energy reserves are the amount of non-renewable resources remaining,while energy resources are the amount of renewable energy sources available.
D)energy resources are deposits that have been discovered,while energy reserves are the predicted amount of global consumption of those deposits on an annual basis.

Question 17

If all human activities that generated carbon dioxide were to stop,how long would it take for atmospheric carbon dioxide to return to its preindustrial level?

A)2 months
B)2 years
C)20 years
D)200 years

Question 18

Which of the following will not reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases?

A)using coal rather than oil and gasoline
B)using energy more efficiently
C)using fuel made from renewable resources such as wind
D)using nuclear power redesigned for safety

Question 19

Between 1930 and 2000,global population rose by

A)100%.
B)50%.
C)300%.
D)250%.

Question 20

In 1985,a large hole in the ozone layer was found over

A)Antarctica.
B)Brazil.
C)the North Pole.
D)Siberia.

Question 21

The number of very strong hurricanes has increased by ____ in the past three decades.

A)50%
B)100%
C)25%
D)120%

Question 22

Which of the following is in the correct order for the transformation of organic matter to high-grade coal?

A)peat,bitumous coal,lignite,anthracite coal
B)anthracite coal,bitumous coal,lignite,peat
C)peat,lignite,bitumous coal,anthracite coal
D)lignite,peat,bitumous coal,anthracite coal

Question 23

Sulfur gases in the atmosphere react with rainwater to produce

A)sulfuric acid.
B)nitric acid.
C)hydrogen sulfide.
D)hydrogen peroxide.

Question 24

Global change induced by human activity is referred to as _________ change.

A)anthropogenic
B)biochemical
C)stratospheric
D)industrial

Question 25

Natural gas emits ____ less carbon dioxide per unit of energy than oil.

A)10%
B)30%
C)50%
D)85%

Question 26

Nuclear energy is produced by

A)the fusion of uranium-235.
B)the fission of uranium-235.
C)the reaction of uranium-235 with uranium-238.
D)the fusion of uranium-238.

Question 27

An impermeable barrier that prevents oil and natural gas from migrating to Earth's surface is called a(n)

A)oil reservoir.
B)oil window.
C)oil trap.
D)oil migration.

Question 28

Burning coal that contains the mineral pyrite contributes to the addition of ______ to the atmosphere.

A)CO₂
B)H₂S
C)H₂O
D)SO₂

Question 29

Which of the following statements is false?

A)Oil production in the United States reached a peak in 1970.
B)The gap between consumption and production of oil grows by 5% each year.
C)At the current production rate,the world will run out of oil in 40 years.
D)Large amounts of oil and gas deposits remain to be discovered in the United States.

Question 30

The process whereby CO₂ generated from burning of fossil fuels is pumped into reservoirs other than Earth's atmosphere is called

A)greenhouse immobilization.
B)carbon sequestration.
C)dioxide reduction.
D)greenhouse pumping.

Question 31

Coal forms from

A)large accumulations of dinosaur bones.
B)large accumulations of coral fragments.
C)large accumulations of bacterial matter.
D)large accumulations of plant material.

Question 32

Low-lying ozone forms when

A)sunlight reacts with sulfur dioxide.
B)nitric acid reacts with sunlight.
C)sulfur dioxide reacts with rainwater.
D)oxygen reacts with sulfur.

Question 33

Crude oil forms at a depth of ________ in Earth's crust.

A)10 to 15 km
B)2 to 5 km
C)15 to 20 km
D)1 to 2 km

Question 34

The definition of sustainable development is:

A)the development that reduces greenhouse emissions to pre-Industrial Revolution levels.
B)the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future.
C)the development that sustains human population growth.
D)the development that allows for the sustained use of current fossil fuel reservoirs.

Question 35

At the current production rates,it is estimated that all of the known oil reserves will be consumed in

A)100 years.
B)15 years.
C)500 years.
D)40 years.

Question 36

The rise in the fossil fuel economy has disrupted Earth's natural ________ cycle.

A)carbon
B)biosphere
C)hydrologic
D)cooling

Question 37

Which of the following is considered an unconventional fossil fuel resource?

A)tar sands
B)natural bitumen
C)oil shales
D)all of the above

Question 38

Major environmental impacts of burning coal include

A)the release of carbon dioxide.
B)the release of sulfur that contributes to acid rain.
C)strip mining.
D)the release of carbon dioxide,the release of sulfur that contributes to acid rain,and strip mining.

Question 39

The protective ozone layer is found in Earth's

A)atmosphere.
B)lithosphere.
C)stratosphere.
D)troposphere.

Question 40

The Montreal Protocol is responsible for

A)phasing out CFC production.
B)creating a policy to reduce energy consumption.
C)reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars.
D)mandating the use of natural gas.

Question 41

What was population of Earth at the beginning of the Holocene epoch?

A)approximately 1 million
B)approximately 10 million
C)approximately 100 million
D)approximately 1 billion

Question 42

Hydroelectric energy uses _______ to produce electricity.

A)water
B)volcanic activity
C)wind
D)solar radiation

Question 43

Which of the following cities is almost entirely heated with geothermal water (either directly or indirectly)?

A)San Francisco
B)Paris
C)Reykjavik
D)Tokyo

Question 44

Of the energy produced in the United States today,solar energy accounts for roughly

A)1%.
B)10%.
C)30%.
D)50%.

Question 45

Which climate system(s)is(are)most affected by the burning of fossil fuels?

A)the cryosphere
B)the biosphere
C)the atmosphere
D)all of the above

Question 46

Which fossil fuel will eventually become dominant in most countries?

A)coal
B)tar sands
C)oil shale
D)natural bitumen

Question 47

Which natural event will define the end of the Anthropocene Epoch?

A)mass extinction
B)the onset of an ice age
C)the rise of sea level
D)global warming

Question 48

Natural gas reacts with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and

A)methane.
B)water.
C)nitrous oxide.
D)sulfur dioxide.

Question 49

________ energy is the energy derived from groundwater that has been heated in Earth's crust.

A)Geothermal
B)Geovolcanic
C)Geohydro
D)Geogeyser

Question 50

Sea level is currently rising at a rate of

A)10 mm/yr.
B)2 mm/yr.
C)2 cm/yr.
D)15 mm/yr.

Question 51

How much of the energy produced in the United States actually ends up producing useful work?

A)80%
B)60%
C)40%
D)20%

Question 52

"Black lung" is an occupational hazard for miners of

A)uranium.
B)oil shale.
C)tar sands.
D)coal.

Question 53

Approximately _____ of the electrical energy used by the United States is supplied by nuclear power.

A)5%
B)40%
C)50%
D)20%

Question 54

Atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen proposed that a new geologic epoch be named the _____ to cover from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution to the present.

A)Holocene
B)Anthropocene
C)Biocene
D)Pleistocene

Question 55

In the last half-century humans have converted roughly _______ of forested land to other land use.

A)70%
B)50%
C)30%
D)10%

Question 56

Approximately what was the population doubling time in the 1950s?

A)1000 years
B)100 years
C)50 years
D)5 years

Question 57

How much of the global river sediment load is currently trapped because of human activity?

A)70%
B)50%
C)30%
D)10%

Question 58

The point at which global oil production stops rising and starts to decline is called

A)the oil peak.
B)the reservoir peak.
C)Hubbert's peak.
D)the Hanford peak.

Question 59

The world population first doubled approximately _____ years ago?

A)50
B)100
C)1000
D)5000

Question 60

The main ingredient of natural gas is

A)nitrous oxide.
B)methane.
C)carbon dioxide.
D)sulfur dioxide.

Question 61

Which of following energy sources is the cleanest?

A)coal
B)oil
C)gas
D)oil shale

Question 62

The burning of hydrogen produces

A)carbon.
B)water.
C)uranium.
D)helium.

Question 63

The so-called "mountaintop removal" approach is used to recover

A)oil.
B)natural bitumen.
C)coal.
D)gas.

Question 64

_____ saw the greatest increase in oil reserves estimates between 2002 and 2012.

A)The Middle East
B)South America
C)North America
D)Africa

Question 65

Which of the following has the highest carbon content?

A)anthracite
B)bitumine
C)lignite
D)peat

Question 66

Which region accounts for nearly half of the world's oil reserves?

A)The Middle East
B)South America
C)North America
D)Europe/Eurasia

Question 67

Which of the following countries produces roughly 20% of its electrical power from wind?

A)Iceland
B)United States
C)Denmark
D)China

Question 68

The unit of energy used in common for all fossil fuel is called the ______ unit.

A)British thermal
B)universal heat
C)American energy
D)standard heat

Question 69

How much of the total energy produced in the United States today comes from hydroelectric dams?

A)3%
B)10%
C)30%
D)50%

Question 70

_____ is the ultimate clean fuel.

A)Carbon
B)Water
C)Uranium
D)Hydrogen

Question 71

Resources are all ______ deposits,whereas reserves are all ________ deposits.

A)known; yet to be found
B)possible; discovered and minable
C)potential; discovered and economically extractable
D)already mined; potentially minable

Question 72

Which of the following has the lowest Btu?

A)anthracite
B)bitumine
C)lignite
D)peat

Question 73

Rank the fossil fuels below in terms of their carbon intensity from lowest to highest.

A)oil,coal,gas
B)coal,oil,gas
C)gas,oil,coal
D)coal,gas,oil

Question 74

Since the Holocene epoch the population doubling time has been

A)constant.
B)decreasing.
C)increasing.
D)variable.