1a,b,c- Stores+Flows+importance Flashcards
Is earth a open or closed system in material
Closed = no material can escape
Precipitation
Moisture (rain,snow) falling from clouds to ground
Interception
When precipitation is caught by leaves or branches of vegetation before it hits ground
Ablation
Melting of ice or snow and/or evaporation
Surface run off
Flow of rainwater over the ground
- not confined to a channel
Infiltration
Movement of water from surface into soil
Through flow
Movement of water through soil into streams or river channels
Percolation
Movement of water from soil or surface into rocks
Groundwater flow
Movement of water though stores in bedrock (aquifers)
What is the cryoshere
Solid water / ice
Lithosphere
Land/rocks
Biosphere
Living things/ biomass
Hydrosphere
Liquid water
Largest store of water is ?
Oceans - 97% all water stored in oceans
Largest store of carbon
Sedimentary rock
Second largest store of carbon
Oceans
Where does the energy that drives the cycles come from
The sun
Summary of slow carbon cycle
1- Atmospheric CO2 dissolved into oceans = marine organism take this in
2- organisms die + sink to floor = over millions of years pressure converts deposits into sedimentary rock
3- carbon stays there until removed either by human activity or by plate movement or rocks at surface can be weathered
Summary of fast carbon cycle
All fast process =
Respiration or photosynthesis
Dissolving co2 into water
Combustion
Why does precipitation occur
When cloud of condensed water gets too heavy for warm air to keep up so falls usually as rain
Convection rainfall + why does air rise
Sun heats land and air above
= warm air rises cools and condenses = rain can then occur
Relief rainfall + why does air rise
Warm moist air rises over high areas = air cools + condenses = rains
- on the other side of the high area will be protected from rain
Frontal rainfall + why does air rise
Warm air forced over cold air = cools and condenses = rain
Advection rainfall + why does air rise
Warm air does not rise = moves over cold surface + condenses = fog forms
Decomposition
Rotting/breakdown do organic material releasing CO2
Chelation
Organic acids produced by organic material reacts with alkaline rocks = release CO2
How do oceans act as stores of carbon
CO2 diffuses into or out of oceans = depends on concentration + temperature
- water with carbon is denser + sinks = can remain trapped at great depth for centuries
= downwelling
How do marine organisms act as carbon stores
Phytoplankton absorb CO2 for photosynthesis
= dead organisms die + accumulate on sea floor = under pressure becomes fossil fuel
What is the main type of chemical weathering
Carbonation = CO2 In rainwater is acidic = turns insoluble alkaline rocks to soluable = can be washed away by rain
What percentage of precipitation is recycled by evapo-Transpiration
50-60%
What is required for water to condense
Condensation nuclei
What natural climate changes are their
Milankovitc cycles = orbital tilt
Every 100,000 years = change in shape of earths Orbit affects the amount of sun radiation reaching surface
Every 40,000 years = change in earths orbital tilt = affects amount of sunlight reaching different parts of earth
How long can carbon be stored in rock
150 million years
- slow carbon cycle
Percent of global water in ocean
97%
Percentage of global water in aquifers
0.8%
Describe organic and inorganic carbon pumps in oceans
Inorganic = CO2 absorbed transferred to poles by currents where it cools = down welling due to denser water = can remain at depths for centuries = eventually water carried upwards and diffuse back to atmosphere
Organic = CO2 absorbed by photosynthetic organism = organisms die and accumulate on ocean floor = sedimentary rock or oil
Why is river discharge and chance of flood highest in spring
Winter = freezing of water
During spring when melting increase large impact on surface run off
Why is there lower river discharge/Surface run off in summer
High rates of evapo-Transpiration
Due to high intensity of solar radiation/temps
