1.a. Water and carbon support life on Earth and move between the land, oceans and atmosphere Flashcards
Why is water chemically important?
Important as it is a medium that allows organic molecules to mix and form complex structures.
What is ‘The Goldilocks’ Zone’? Why is it important to supporting life?
The distance from the sun, allowing liquid water to exist.
Compared to Mars, does Earth have much water?
Earth has an appropriate amount of water, significantly more than Mars.
Water creates what conditions? What percentage of the Earth is oceans, and what does this do for the Earth?
Thermal conditions.
Oceans cover 71% of the Earth’s surface and moderate temperature by absorbing heat. The ocean stores heat and releases it slowly.
How much solar radiation is reflected by cloud?
Around 1/5th.
Water vapour is a greenhouse gas, so absorbs what type of radiation? What does this mean for average global temperatures?
Long-wave radiation.
This maintains average global temperatures. Average temperatures would be 15 degrees celsius lower without this.
Water makes up around what percentage of all living organisms? What is this crucial for?
65-95%.
Crucial for their growth, reproduction, and other metabolic functions.
Plants need water for what 3 main processes?
Photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration.
Plants need water to maintain what? Water can transport what through a plant?
Rigidity.
Can transport nutrients.
In animals and humans, water is the medium for the circulation of what?
Oxygen and nutrients.
What does transpiration and sweating do for plants/ animals and humans?
Acts as a cooling process.
Water is essential for economic activity. What 3 things can be done with water?
Electricity, (hydroelectric power).
Irrigate crops.
Provide recreational facilities.
How does water satisfy public demand?
Through access to drinking water and sewage disposal.
State 3 industries that use significant amounts of water.
Brewing, paper making, and steel manufacturing.
Is carbon common?
Carbon is a very common chemical element.
Carbon is stored in what rock type? Give an example.
What does carbon rock dissolve in?
Carbonate rocks, such as limestone and sea floor sediment.
It dissolves in ocean water, the atmosphere and the biosphere.
Life is carbon-based, built up by large molecules of what? Give examples.
Carbon atoms.
E.g. proteins, carbohydrates, and acids.
Explain how carbon has significant economic importance?
Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas power the global economy.
Oil is also used in manufacturing to create what products?
Paint, plastics, and other products.
State 2 stores of large amounts of carbon.
Agricultural crops and forest trees.
How may humans use carbon stores?
Food, timber, paper, textiles, and many other products.
How many gigatonnes of water is in the atmosphere, as an estimate?
13 gigatonnes of water in the atmosphere.
How many gigatonnes of water is on land, as an estimate?
39,000 gigatonnes of water on land.
How many gigatonnes of water is in the ocean, as an estimate?
1,370,000 gigatonnes of water in the ocean.
Water molecules spend, on average, how long in the atmosphere before being transferred?
Water molecules will spend on average 10 days in the atmosphere before being transferred.
Water molecules spend, on average, how long in the ocean before being transferred?
Water molecules will spend on average 3000 years in the ocean before being transferred.
Water molecules spend, on average, how long on land before being transferred?
Water molecules will spend a highly variable amount of time on land before being transferred.
How many gigatonnes of water is moved between the ocean and the atmosphere through evaporation each year?
425 gigatonnes.
How many gigatonnes of water is moved between the atmosphere and the ocean through precipitation each year?
386 gigatonnes.
How many gigatonnes of water is moved between the land and the atmosphere through evapotranspiration each year?
71 gigatonnes.
How many gigatonnes of water is moved between the land and the ocean through groundwater flow each year?
40 gigatonnes.
What are the 3 stores of the water cycle?
Oceans.
Atmosphere.
Land.
How many gigatonnes of water is moved between the atmosphere and the land through precipitation flow each year?
111 gigatonnes.
What are the 5 flows of the water cycle?
Evaporation.
Groundwater flow.
Precipitation, (atmosphere to land).
Evapotranspiration.
Precipitation, (atmosphere to oceans).
What are the 6 stores of the carbon cycle?
Atmosphere.
Human activity.
Terrestrial biomass.
Sedimentary rocks.
Sea floor sediments.
Oceans.
What are the 5 flows of the carbon cycle?
Respiration/ decomposition.
Combustion.
Photosynthesis.
Oxidation.
Weathering/ volcanic activity.
The residence time in what carbon cycle store, is significantly greater than any other?
Sedimentary rocks.
How many gigatonnes of carbon is in the atmosphere, as an estimate?
600 gigatonnes.
How many gigatonnes of carbon is in terrestrial biomass, as an estimate?
560 gigatonnes.
How many gigatonnes of carbon is in sedimentary rocks, as an estimate?
60,000,000 - 100,000,000 gigatonnes.
How many gigatonnes of carbon is in sea floor sediments, as an estimate?
6000 gigatonnes.
How many gigatonnes of carbon is in oceans, as an estimate?
Surface ocean: 700 gigatonnes.
Deep ocean: 38,000 gigatonnes.
What is the residence time of carbon in terrestrial biomass?
18 years.
What is the residence time of carbon in sedimentary rocks?
150 million years.
What is the residence time of carbon in the atmosphere?
6 years.
What is the residence time of carbon in oceans?
Surface ocean: 25 years.
Deep ocean: 1250 years.
What store in the carbon cycle has a residence time significantly greater than any other?
Sedimentary rocks (150 million years).
What type of system are the carbon and water cycles, on a global scale?
Closed systems.
What type of system are the carbon and water cycles, on a local scale?
Open systems.
Both the carbon and water cycle are significantly driven by what?
The sun’s energy.
What can enter the carbon and water cycles? What can’t?
Only energy can cross, not matter.
State how the water/ carbon cycle could be viewed as an open system.
E.g. a drainage basin (the water that accumulates and the centre is the river itself).
