Chapter 18: Air Pollution (Alex)
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The thin blanket of gases surrounding the Earth
The atmosphere
The atmospheres’ two innermost layers
The troposphere and the stratosphere
The number of gas molecules per unit of air volume
Density
Why does the density vary throughout the atmosphere?
Gravity pulls gas molecules towards the Earth’s surface. Therefore the lower layers of the atmosphere have more gases than the upper layers and are denser.
The force per unit area of a column of air
Atmospheric pressure
Why are density and atmospheric pressure important?
They play major roles in weather
In which atmospheric layer is 75%-80% of the Earth’s air mass found in?
The troposphere which is the layer closest to the Earth
How far above the equator does the troposphere extend and how far above the poles?
17 km and 6km
What two gases make up 99% of the air?
Nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%)
Rising and falling air currents, winds, and concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the troposphere play a major role in the planet’s short term ________ and long term _______.
Weather and climate
What is the average weather in a given area called?
Climate
What is the second layer of the atmosphere?
The stratosphere
Between what elevations is the stratosphere?
17 km and 48 km
In what layer is much of the atmosphere’s small amount of ozone found in what is called the ozone layer, and at what elevations is it found?
The stratosphere and between 17 km and 26 km
How is most stratospheric ozone produced?
When some of the oxygen molecules in this layer interact with UV radiation emitted by the sun
What percent of the sun’s harmful UV radiation is prevented from reaching Earth’s surface by the ozone layer?
95%
What is the presence of chemicals in the atmosphere in concentrations high enough to harm organisms, ecosystems, or human-made materials, or to alter climate called?
Air pollution
Almost any chemical in the atmosphere can become a pollutant if?
It occurs in a high enough concentration
What are some natural sources of air pollutants?
Wind-blown dust, pollutants from wildfires and volcanic eruptions, and volatile organic chemicals released by some plants.
Where do most human inputs of outdoor air pollutants occur?
In industrialized and urban areas where people, cars, and factories are concentrated
How are most human-made air pollutants produced?
By the burning of fossil fuels in power plants, industrial facilities, and motor vehicles.
Chemicals or substances emitted directly into the air from natural processes and human activities at high enough concentrations to cause harm.
Primary pollutants
Pollutants formed by the reactions of primary pollutants.
Secondary pollutants
According to the WHO, how many people live in urban areas where outdoor air is unhealthy to breathe?
1.1 billion