1 - Water and carbon cycles

Question 1

1 - What is the difference between an open and a closed system?

Answer 1

1 - In a closed system there is the transfer of energy and matter, in a closed system there’s just energy

Question 2

2 - Give an example of positive feedback in the water cycle

Answer 2

2 - Low rainfall

• Low soil moisture
• Reduced transpiration
• Less rainfall
• Positive feedback

Question 3

3 - Explain how the processes of evaporation and condensation relate to the formation of clouds, and rainfall

Answer 3

3 - Water evaporates from the surface of the Earth and condenses around nuclei to form visible w ater droplets
-Water evaporates into the atmosphere, condensation occurs when the air temperature reaches its dew point or due to adiabatic cooling.

Question 4

4 - How do the following affect evapotranspiration: temperature, wind, humidity?

Answer 4

4 - Temperature: Warmer temperatures lead to higher rates of evapotranspiration as warm air can hold more water vapour.

• Wind: Evaportrranspiration increases as the wind move humid air away and the air does not become saturated as quickly
• Humidity: The more humid it is, the lower the evapotranspiration as the air becomes saturated quickly.

Question 5

5 - Why do sunny days lead to bursts of heavy rainfall?

Answer 5

5 - Air is heated by warm surfaces, it rises rapidly, cools, condenses and forms convectional rainfall. The rainfall is a short and heavy burst due to the rapid process of heating and uplift.

Question 6

6 - Name the flows in the drainage basin system and for each state a factor that will affect the rate of flow.

Answer 6

6 - Percipitation [air humidity]

• Evaporation [temperature]
• Evapotranspiration [wind]
• Throughflow [ground saturation]
• River flow [precipitation]
• Overland flow [ground saturation]
• Percolation [soil strcture]
• Infiltration [amount of vegetation cover]
• Ground water flow [ground saturation]
• Stemflow [vegetation cover]

Question 7

7 - Explain the term water balance

Answer 7

7 - The long-term balance between inputs and outputs in the drainage basin system.
- It is the balance between precipitation, evapotranspiration and river discharge.

Question 8

8 - List the factors that lead to variations between different river regimes

Answer 8

8 - Climate: Temperature, precipitation

• Drainage basin characteristics: Gradient, geology
• Drainage basin size: shape, density, land use.

Question 9

9 - What are the major pools/ stores of carbon?

Answer 9

9 - Lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere.

Question 10

10 - Combustion releases carbon into the atmosphere. What is the source of this carbon?

Answer 10

10 - Organic matter, which can be vegetation or fossil fuel.

Question 11

11 - One pool of C02, is in the atmosphere. What processes transfer C02 to the atmosphere?

Answer 11

11 - Combustion

• Rispiration
• Diffusion

Question 12

12 - What is carbon sequestration?

Answer 12

12 - The capture of carbon from the atmosphere or from anthropogenic sources, for example, power stations.

Question 13

13 - Draw a simple flow diagram of the oceanic carbon pump

Answer 13

13 - Refer to book page 224

Question 14

14 - How can warm and cold climates affect decomposition rates on land?

Answer 14

14 - Decomposition is faster in warm climates as there is more bacterial activity than in cold climates.

Question 15

15 - What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 15

15 - The impact on climate from the additional heat retained due to an increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from human activity.