Lesson+Quiz+Week+6

=Distance Learning Quiz - Week 6= Below is what you submitted to dl@pisgahforestinstitute.org on Monday, March 31, 2008 at 20:03:25


 * Topic:** Atmosphere
 * Subtopic:** Air Quality, Air Pollution
 * Name:** Kim Collazo
 * E-mail:** kscollazo@gmail.com
 * Question 1:** The three major factors that affect climate change are air circulation patterns, ocean currents, and the chemical composition of the atmosphere.
 * Question 2 :** Good ozone is that which is contained in the stratosphere. Stratospheric ozone absorbs harmful UV rays from the radiant energy of the sun, thereby protecting us. Tropospheric ozone, on the other hand, is formed through the combination of sunlight, oxygen, and chemical bi-products from burning fossil fuels. This harmful ozone can damage plant and lung tissues.
 * Question 3:** Carbon monoxide is introduced into our atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. When the carbon in the fuel is not burned completely, carbon monoxide is emitted. The most common causes of increased carbon monoxide levels are car exhaust, industry exhaust, and forest fires.
 * Question 4:** Smog forms when ground level ozone, toxic gases and fine airborne particles mix with heat and sunlight.
 * Question 5:** The two regulated air pollutants which generate the most concern are ground level ozone and particulate matter. Both of these pollutants are wide spread and cause grave health problems to living organisms, including heart and lung damage. They both also negatively affect plant photosynthesis and the acidity levels in ecosystems.
 * Question 6:** Air pollution creates an unnatural blanket in the lower atmosphere which traps heat closer to the surface, therefore increasing global warming.
 * Question 7:** Sulfur dioxides and nitrous oxides combine to form harmful acids (sulfuric and nitric acids). When these acids mix with precipitation and fall to the ground, they can damage crops and other plants and change the make-up of soil. In addition, bodies of water such as lakes and ponds can become too acidic for the living organisms in them to survive. These changes affect all animal life in the ecosystem.
 * Question 8:** Pollutant levels are the highest between the months of May through September. The heat and increased sunlight during these months increase the amount of ground level ozone which is produced and kept near the surface of the earth. However in one of the readings it did say that carbon monoxide levels tend to be highest in the winter/colder months because this form of air pollution gets trapped near the ground beneath a layer of warmer air. Interesting.
 * Question 9:** It is hypothesized that the melting of the Arctic ice cap could slow or halt the large currents in the Atlantic Ocean. These currents are responsible for delivering heat to the nearby continents (especially Western Europe). If this occurs it will likely drop temperatures in the European areas up to 10 degrees and our Western continent slightly less. This is comparable to the temperatures of the end of the last Ice Age nearly 20,000 years ago.
 * Question 10:** Particulate matter is especially harmful because it is small enough to enter the throat and nose of people and animals and can lodge in the lungs. Here they can cause respiratory distress and decreased lung function. In addition they can damage the heart and lead to irregular heartbeat/heart attack possibilities. In addition they can cause reduced visibility and are major contributors to haze.

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