Download KEY CONCEPT Fossil fuel emissions affect the biosphere.

KEY CONCEPT Fossil fuel emissions affect the biosphere. 1
• Pollutants accumulate in the air. • Pollution is any undesirable factor added to the air, water, or soil.
­most common air pollution is from:
­burning fossil fuels.
• Smog is one type of air pollution caused by sunlights interaction with pollutants in the air.
­Components:
­particulate matter­ microscopic bits of dust, metal and unburned fuel.
­Ground­level ozone­ produced by sunlights interaction with nitrogen oxides and oxygen.
­This ozone stays close to the ground and can be harmful to human health.
­Ozone in the upper atmosphere acts as a shield protecting Earth from harmful UV rays.
Hazy fog over Los Angeles is largely from car emissions and industrial processes.
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Acid Rain is a type of precipitation produced when pollutants (nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxides) in the water cycle cause rain pH to drop below normal levels.
­Decreases pH levels in lakes and streams.
­Threatens water supplies
­Threatens species habitat
­Decreases growth rates in plants
­Leaves trees more vulnerable to diseases.
As the human population continues to increase and use more fossil fuels, why might acid rain become a bigger problem?
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• Air pollution is changing Earth’s biosphere. • The levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide rise and fall over time.
• High levels of carbon dioxide are typical of Earth’s warmer periods.
According to the graph, about how long does it take for Earth to complete one climate cycle?
From the graph, what can you infer about Earth's temperature and Earth's carbon dioxide level?
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• The greenhouse effect slows the release of energy from Earth’s atmosphere.
1. Short, high­energy wavelengths of light from the sun penetrate Earth's atmosphere.
2. Energy from the sun is absorbed by Earth and reradiated as carbon dioxide
infrared radiation or heat.
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(CO )
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methane water (CH4)
(H2O)
3. Greenhouse gasses (methane CH4, CO2, H20) absorb many of the longer wavelengths of infrared radiation.
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4. The molecules rerelease infrared radiation , which is either absorbed by other molecules, Earth's surface or lost in space.
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• Global warming refers to the trend of increasing global temperatures.
Scientists infer that the temperature increase are due to:
­increased greenhouse gases due to increase automobile usage and growth of industry.
While scientists disagree on how much this human impact is influencing global warming, most agree we need to do something to slow the process.
North Write a sentence or two that
describes the graph on the left with the
photo on the right.
The future of global warming is uncertain, but scientists predict that average temperatures on Earth could increase anywhere from 2.2 to 10F by the year 2100.
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