Environmental Geology

How can urbanization affect a local area?

• it can increase the number of invasive species in an area

• it can decrease the risk of water pollution in an area

• it can increase the risk of flooding in an area

• it can decrease the need for natural resources in an area

The above graph represents how a human induced process is affecting the overall composition of the atmosphere:

Which of the following could potentially create the above trend?

• Deforestation

• Hydrofracking

• Urbanization

• Agriculture

How can agriculture negatively impact the environment?

• It releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

• Farmers use fertilizers and pesticides which can contaminate rivers and streams

• It can increase the amount of flooding

• Agriculture reduces the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere

Which strategy would most effectively reduce the amount of carbon dioxide generated by power plants?

• To remove sulfur from coal

• To stop generating electricity from nuclear energy

• To reduce the amount of natural gas used to generate energy

• To capture carbon dioxide emissions for storage in deep mines and wells

Which of the following statements is true about the picture above?

• The picture represents hydrofracking and it increases the flow of natural gas

• The picture represents coal mining and it reduces the amount of surface disruption

• The picture represents oil drilling and it can prevent an oil spill

• The picture represents uranium mining and it reduces the risk of radiation sickness

What natural resource is commonly obtained by surface mining?

• Oil

• Natural Gas

• Wood

• Coal

Which would most likely cause a reduction in the amount of coal and natural gas on Earth?

• An increase in the amount of atmospheric pollution

• An increase in the amount of people on Earth

• A decrease in the amount of water in Earth's aquifiers

• A decrease in the amount of rain forests on Earth

What is a major impact of using wood as an energy resource?

• Wood resources are nonrenewable

• Using wood resources as fuel releases large amounts of methane gas

• Using wood resources leads to deforestation and habitat destruction

• Using wood releases more toxins into the environment than other biomass fuels

What is a major disadvantage of the following alternative energy method:

• it can only be done near the coast

• it gives off excessive pollution

• It can only done near a plate boundary

• It produces radioactive waste

Which of the following energy methods is the most efficient and the most reliable?

• Solar

• Wind

• Oil

• Geothermal