Science and Engineering Practices: Mathematical and Computational Thinking
Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models; Energy and Matter; Patterns
Science and Engineering Practices: Mathematical and Computational Thinking; Developing and Using Models; Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models; Structure and Function; Scale, Proportion & Quantity
Whatever happens in the tropical Pacific Ocean has impacts around the globe.
Science and Engineering Practices: Mathematical and Computational Thinking; Developing and Using Models; Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models; Structure and Function; Scale, Proportion & Quantity
In the stratosphere, the ozone layer plays a major role in protecting the surface of the planet from dangerous incoming ultraviolet radiation. The ozone layer limits the amount of ultraviolet radiation that reaches the surface. Why is the ozone important for life on earth?
Science and Engineering Practices: Asking questions; Mathematical and Computational Thinking; Developing and Using Models; Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models; Structure and Function; Scale, Proportion & Quantity; Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Ozone in this mixed layer of the atmosphere poses risk to degraded air quality. This is why ozone measurements are vital when measuring air quality.
Airborne particulate matter, aerosols, poses risks to degraded air quality. However, some aerosols are necessary such as those that originate in the Sahara and end up in the Amazon as nutrients.
Chemical reactions in the atmosphere from human activities that affect the pH of precipitation pose risks to air quality and to structures susceptible to weathering.
Understanding chemical reactions in the ocean are important in learning about ocean acidification. Carbon uptake by the ocean can decrease pH levels affecting biodiversity and fish markets that humans depend on.
Study before the exam
As groundwater makes it to the surface as runoff in central Arizona, what happens to dissolved solids such as calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate? What is alkalinity?
What are the implications of nutrient overloads in a body of water?
What does steady state mean in a lake environment? What is a water budget? What is the budget of an element such as phosphorus?