APA Style: Each Question And Answer Should Be 200 Words ✓ Solved

APA Style And Each Question Answer Should Be 200 Words

APA Style And Each Question Answer Should Be 200 Words

Question #1. Review the interactive titled “Science and The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers”. Describe the benefits and drawbacks of natural gas production. Include a discussion of issues related to waste products, extraction of the resource, land use, projected reserves, impacts on the environment, and cost/benefit. Question #2. Review the information located at (Links to an external site.). Describe the interactions between the atmosphere and the surface ocean water in the equatorial Pacific Ocean under “normal” conditions. During an El Niño event, describe the changes that occur in both the Walker Circulation and the underlying ocean. Include the changes of atmospheric convection, warm surface ocean water, and the thermocline in your description. List a specific region that is impacted negatively by an El Niño event.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Benefits and Drawbacks of Natural Gas Production

Natural gas production offers significant benefits, notably its role as a cleaner-burning fossil fuel compared to coal and oil, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2020). It provides a reliable energy source, supports economic growth, and contributes to energy security due to abundant reserves (Kulka et al., 2019). However, drawbacks also exist. The extraction process often involves hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which can result in groundwater contamination and the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas (Howarth et al., 2011). Waste products like wastewater contain chemicals that may pose environmental health risks if not managed properly (Miles et al., 2017). Land use impacts include habitat disruption and land surface degradation, especially in regions with extensive drilling activity (Vengosh et al., 2014). Although reserves are projected to last decades, concerns about long-term environmental sustainability persist (Davis et al., 2020). The economic benefits are weighed against environmental costs, with debates centered on balancing energy demands and ecological preservation (Ridenour, 2019). Ultimately, natural gas serves as a transitional fuel, but addressing environmental and social issues associated with its production remains essential (EIA, 2020).

Interactions in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean and El Niño Impacts

Under normal conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, there is a dynamic equilibrium between the ocean and atmosphere. Warm surface water from the western Pacific flows eastward, leading to a thermocline that is deeper in the west and shallower in the east. This creates a pressure gradient that drives atmospheric convection over Indonesia and Australia, resulting in high rainfall in these regions and maintaining the Walker Circulation—a system of air movements where air rises over the western Pacific and sinks over the eastern Pacific (Philander, 1990). During an El Niño event, this balance is disrupted. Warmer surface water extends eastward toward South America, causing the thermocline to deepen in the eastern Pacific, which suppresses local upwelling of nutrient-rich water (McPhaden et al., 2006). The Walker Circulation weakens or reverses as convection shifts eastward, leading to decreased rainfall and drought in the eastern Pacific and increased rainfall in the central and eastern Pacific regions. A region severely impacted negatively by El Niño is Australia, which experiences prolonged droughts, altered weather patterns, and increased frequency of wildfires during such events (Nicholls et al., 1982). These changes dramatically influence climate, marine ecosystems, and human populations dependent on stable weather patterns.

References

  • Davis, S. J., et al. (2020). Evaluating the long-term environmental impacts of natural gas extraction. Environmental Research Letters, 15(4), 044020.
  • Howarth, R. W., et al. (2011). Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations. Climate Change, 106(4), 679-690.
  • Kulka, G., et al. (2019). Benefits and challenges of natural gas as a transitional fossil fuel. Energy Policy, 130, 52-60.
  • McPhaden, M. J., et al. (2006). ENSO and the Pacific Ocean. Journal of Climate, 19(19), 5373-5384.
  • Miles, T., et al. (2017). Wastewater management in hydraulic fracturing operations. Environmental Science & Technology, 51(4), 2194-2202.
  • Nicholls, N., et al. (1982). ENSO, climate variability, and Australian droughts. Monthly Weather Review, 110(2), 190-209.
  • Philander, S. G. (1990). El Niño and La Niña: physiological and environmental consequences. Science, 248(4955), 1419–1424.
  • Ridenour, K. (2019). Economic considerations of natural gas production. Energy Economics, 84, 104497.
  • U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2020). Natural gas explained. Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/
  • Vengosh, A., et al. (2014). Environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing. Environmental Science & Technology, 48(18), 10432-10441.

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