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CSS General Science and Ability Environmental Science Syllabus
The Environmental Science syllabus for CSS General Science and Ability in full: 5 chapters and 13 topics, every one listed below, plus 51 Environmental Science flashcards with answers.
Environmental Science syllabus: all 5 chapters
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.
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Components of the Environment
3 topics- Atmosphere
- Hydrosphere
- Biosphere and Lithosphere
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Atmospheric Pollution
3 topics- Air Pollutants
- Regional and Global Issues
- International Agreements
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Water and Land Pollution
3 topics- Water Pollutants and Sources
- Drinking Water Quality and Standards
- Solid Waste Management and Disposal
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Environmental Technology
2 topics- Remote Sensing
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
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Population and Resources
2 topics- Population Planning
- Sustainable Development
CSS General Science and Ability Environmental Science flashcards — 51 questions with answers
What are the four main layers of the atmosphere in order from the surface upward?
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere (followed by the Exosphere).
Which atmospheric layer contains the ozone layer and why is it important?
The Stratosphere; its ozone layer absorbs harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun, protecting life on Earth.
What is the approximate composition of dry air in the atmosphere by volume?
About 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.93% argon, and 0.04% carbon dioxide, plus trace gases.
In which atmospheric layer does almost all weather occur, and what happens to temperature with altitude there?
The Troposphere; temperature decreases with increasing altitude.
What is the hydrosphere?
The hydrosphere is all the water on, under, and above Earth's surface, including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, groundwater, ice, and water vapor.
Approximately what percentage of Earth's water is freshwater, and how much of that is readily accessible?
About 2.5% of Earth's water is freshwater; most is locked in glaciers/ice caps and groundwater, leaving less than 1% easily accessible in lakes and rivers.
Define the lithosphere.
The lithosphere is the rigid outer shell of the Earth, comprising the crust and the uppermost (solid) part of the mantle.
What is the biosphere?
The biosphere is the zone of Earth where life exists, encompassing all living organisms and their interactions with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
What is the difference between primary and secondary air pollutants?
Primary pollutants are emitted directly from a source (e.g., CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter); secondary pollutants form in the atmosphere from reactions of primary pollutants (e.g., ozone, PAN, acid rain).
Name the major criteria air pollutants.
Carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM10/PM2.5), ground-level ozone (O3), and lead (Pb).
What causes photochemical smog and what is its key secondary pollutant?
Photochemical smog forms when sunlight reacts with NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOCs); its key secondary pollutant is ground-level ozone (along with PAN).
What are the main gases responsible for acid rain, and what do they form?
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx); they react with water vapor to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3), lowering rain pH below 5.6.
Which gas is primarily responsible for ozone-layer depletion, and from what source?
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs); chlorine released from CFCs by UV light catalytically destroys stratospheric ozone.
List the major greenhouse gases.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), water vapor, ozone (O3), and fluorinated gases such as CFCs and HFCs.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is the trapping of outgoing infrared (heat) radiation by atmospheric greenhouse gases, warming the Earth's surface.
Distinguish between weather and climate.
Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place; climate is the long-term average of weather conditions over decades (typically 30+ years).
What is eutrophication?
Eutrophication is the excessive enrichment of a water body with nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus), causing algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and death of aquatic life.
What is the Montreal Protocol (1987) about?
The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty to phase out the production and use of ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs and halons to protect the ozone layer.
What is the Kyoto Protocol (1997)?
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement under the UNFCCC that set binding targets for developed countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
What is the Paris Agreement (2015) and its key temperature goal?
The Paris Agreement is a global climate accord under the UNFCCC aiming to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Show the other 31 Environmental Science flashcards
What does the Kigali Amendment (2016) to the Montreal Protocol address?
The Kigali Amendment phases down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful greenhouse gases used as substitutes for CFCs.
What is the focus of the Basel Convention (1989)?
The Basel Convention controls the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal, especially from developed to developing countries.
What is the Ramsar Convention (1971)?
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands of international importance.
What did the 1992 Rio Earth Summit produce?
It produced Agenda 21, the UNFCCC, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.
What is the difference between point and non-point sources of water pollution?
Point sources discharge pollutants from a single, identifiable location (e.g., a factory pipe); non-point sources are diffuse, such as agricultural runoff or urban stormwater.
What is Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and what does a high value indicate?
BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water; a high BOD indicates high organic pollution and low water quality.
What is the difference between BOD and COD?
BOD measures oxygen consumed by biological (microbial) breakdown of organic matter; COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) measures oxygen needed to chemically oxidize all organic and inorganic matter and is usually higher than BOD.
Name common pathogenic/biological water pollutants and the diseases they cause.
Bacteria, viruses, and protozoa from sewage cause cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis, and diarrhea; coliform bacteria are indicators of fecal contamination.
What is the WHO guideline for arsenic in drinking water?
The WHO guideline value for arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 mg/L (10 micrograms per liter).
What is the acceptable pH range for drinking water according to WHO?
The acceptable pH range for drinking water is 6.5 to 8.5.
What does Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) measure, and what is a typical desirable limit for drinking water?
TDS measures the total concentration of dissolved minerals, salts, and metals in water; a desirable limit is below 500 mg/L (acceptable up to about 1000 mg/L).
What health problem is caused by excess fluoride in drinking water, and what is the safe limit?
Excess fluoride causes fluorosis (dental and skeletal); the WHO guideline limit is 1.5 mg/L.
What is the main health concern of nitrate contamination in drinking water?
High nitrate levels cause methemoglobinemia ('blue baby syndrome') in infants; the WHO limit is 50 mg/L (as nitrate).
What are the main categories of solid waste?
Municipal solid waste, industrial waste, agricultural waste, biomedical/hospital waste, e-waste, and hazardous waste.
What is the waste management hierarchy (in order of preference)?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover (energy), and Dispose (landfill) - often summarized as the 3 Rs followed by recovery and safe disposal.
What is a sanitary landfill and how does it differ from open dumping?
A sanitary landfill is an engineered site where waste is compacted and covered with soil daily, with liners and leachate/gas collection systems; open dumping leaves waste exposed without controls, causing pollution and disease.
What is composting?
Composting is the controlled aerobic biological decomposition of organic waste by microorganisms into a humus-like, nutrient-rich soil conditioner.
What is leachate in the context of solid waste?
Leachate is the contaminated liquid that drains from a landfill as water percolates through the waste, posing a risk of soil and groundwater pollution.
What is incineration as a waste disposal method, and a key drawback?
Incineration is the controlled burning of waste to reduce its volume and generate energy; a key drawback is the release of air pollutants such as dioxins, furans, and particulate matter.
Define remote sensing.
Remote sensing is the science of acquiring information about the Earth's surface or objects without direct physical contact, typically using sensors on satellites or aircraft that detect reflected or emitted electromagnetic radiation.
What is the difference between active and passive remote sensing?
Passive remote sensing detects natural radiation (e.g., reflected sunlight) using sensors; active remote sensing emits its own energy and measures the reflected signal (e.g., RADAR and LiDAR).
What are the four types of resolution in remote sensing?
Spatial resolution (pixel/ground detail), spectral resolution (number and width of wavelength bands), temporal resolution (revisit frequency), and radiometric resolution (sensitivity to signal intensity).
What is a Geographic Information System (GIS)?
A GIS is a computer-based system designed to capture, store, manage, analyze, and display spatially referenced (geographic) data.
What are the two main data models used to represent spatial data in GIS?
The vector model (points, lines, polygons) and the raster model (a grid of cells/pixels).
In GIS, what is a 'layer' and what is map overlay analysis?
A layer is a dataset representing one theme (e.g., roads, rivers, land use); map overlay analysis combines multiple layers to identify spatial relationships and produce new information.
How do remote sensing and GIS complement each other?
Remote sensing provides up-to-date spatial data about the Earth's surface, while GIS stores, integrates, analyzes, and visualizes that data along with other geographic information for decision-making.
What is the demographic transition model?
It is a model describing the shift of populations through stages: from high birth and death rates (pre-industrial) to low birth and death rates (industrialized), passing through stages of rapid growth as death rates fall before birth rates.
What is the difference between population growth rate components: the formula for natural increase?
Natural increase rate = Birth rate minus Death rate; total population change also adds net migration (immigration minus emigration).
What is carrying capacity in population planning?
Carrying capacity is the maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely given the available resources such as food, water, and habitat.
Define sustainable development as per the Brundtland Report (1987).
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What are the three pillars (dimensions) of sustainable development?
Economic development, social development (equity), and environmental protection - often described as Profit, People, and Planet.
CSS General Science and Ability Environmental Science FAQ
What is in the CSS General Science and Ability Environmental Science syllabus?
CSS General Science and Ability Environmental Science is split into 5 chapters: Components of the Environment, Atmospheric Pollution, Water and Land Pollution, Environmental Technology and Population and Resources. Together they contain 13 topics.
How many chapters are in CSS General Science and Ability Environmental Science?
5 chapters, containing 13 topics. The largest chapter is Components of the Environment, with 3 topics.
Are there flashcards for CSS General Science and Ability Environmental Science?
Yes — a 51-card Environmental Science deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.