(RHIE) Resources and Human Impact on Earth Module Overview

Resources and Human Impact on Earth Module Overview

Humans impact the earth directly and indirectly. As humans we need water, soil, and air in order to survive. Our activities and use of these resources, if not carefully planned out, can be harmful. We use water for such tasks as bathing, to watering our garden, not to mention that it comprises nearly 70% of our body. The impacts of human activities on soil contamination are many and varied. The extent of human impact is now so pervasive and profound that there is currently much discussion about the "Anthropocene", a new geologic era characterized by anthropogenic disturbances of the geologic record. Human activities are responsible for smog, acid rain, global warming, and ozone depletion. Human activities also produce particulates, such as dust, which contribute to respiratory disease. In this module we will consider the ways we impact our earth and natural resources and solutions to minimize negative effects.

Essential Questions

  • How does human activity bring about erosion of the earth's surface?
  • What are the methods for conserving natural resources such as water, soil, and air?
  • How do I identify renewable and nonrenewable resources?
  • What is Earth's major source of energy?
  • What relationship does wind and water energy have with the sun?
  • How do I identify a renewable resource?
  • How are renewable resources and nonrenewable resources similar and different?

Key Terms 

  1. Desertification - is the expansion of desert conditions in areas where the natural plant cover has been destroyed
  2. Pollutant - harmful material that can enter the biosphere through land, water, or air
  3. Acid rain - rain containing nitric and sulfuric acids caused by burning fossil fuels
  4. Conservation - the wise management of natural resources, including the preservation of habitats and wildlife
  5. Smog - a mixture of chemicals (smoke + fog) that occurs as a gray-brown haze in the atmosphere
  6. Ozone layer - atmospheric layer in which ozone (03) gas is relatively concentrated which protects us from the sun's ultra-violet radiation
  7. Alternative energy - energy generated in ways that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment, esp. by avoiding the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power
  8. Greenhouse effect - natural process in which atmospheric gases trap energy from sunlight as heat
  9. Deposition - is the geological process by which sediments, soil, and rocks are added to a landform or land mass
  10. Sustainable development - way of using natural resources without depleting them and of providing for human needs without causing long term harm to the environment
  11. Renewable - a necessity of life (resource) which can regenerate quickly and that is replaceable; Ex: trees, water
  12. Nonrenewable - a necessity of life (resource) which can NOT be replenished by natural means; Ex: fossil fuels
  13. Monoculture - farming strategy in which large fields are planted with a single crop variety year after year
  14. Thermal energy (or heat)- the ability to do work through the release of heat
  15. Internal energy - the energy associated with molecular motion (or temperature)
  16. Latent energy - the energy associated with the evaporation/condensation of water vapor
  17. Kinetic energy - the ability to do work due to motion
  18. Gravitational (or potential) energy: the ability to do work through changes in a body's location within a gravitational field
  19. Electromagnetic wave energy- energy embedded in electromagnetic wave motion (such as light, microwaves, or x-rays). when this kind of energy impinges on matter part or all of is converted to heat
  20. Chemical energy- the ability to do work via a chemical interaction (i.e., change in molecular structure)
  21. Energy - the ability to do work or cause change
  22. Nuclear fission - the splitting of an atom's nucleus into smaller nuclei
  23. Nuclear fusion - the combining of two atomic nuclei into a single larger nucleus, as when two hydrogen atoms join together to form helium, releasing energy
  24. Heat - the energy transferred from a hotter object to a cooler one
  25. Heat transfer - the movement of energy from a warmer object to a cooler object
  26. Chemical energy - that part of the energy in a substance that can be released by a chemical reaction
  27. Nuclear energy - the energy released by a nuclear reaction, especially by fission or fusion
  28. Kinetic energy - the energy possessed by a body because of its motion, equal to one half the mass of the body times the square of its speed
  29. Potential energy - the energy of a particle or system of particles derived from position, or condition, rather than motion. A raised weight, coiled spring, or charged battery has potential energy
  30. Law of Conservation of Energy - the fundamental principle of physics that the total energy of an isolated system is constant despite internal changes
  31. Geothermal energy - heat energy in Earth's interior from water or steam that has been heated by magma
  32. Solar energy - energy obtained from solar power
  33. Fracking - nickname for hydraulic fracturing. A technique for retrieving natural gas involves creating fractures in a rock layer by injecting large amounts of water
  34. Natural gas - fossil fuel composed of the hydrocarbon, methane
  35. Crude oil - unrefined oil as it is taken from the ground; a fossil fuel
  36. Gasoline - product of refined oil that is liquid and energy rich
  37. Oil - liquid fossil fuel from ancient dead organisms used for transportation and other products
  38. Hydropower - electricity derived from the energy of moving water

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