1.c. The carbon and water cycles have distinctive processes and pathways that operate within them.

Question 1

What is the water balance equation?

Answer 1

precipitation (P) =Evapotranspiration (E)+ stream flow(Q)+/- storage
The water balance equation summaries the flows of water in a basin overtime. it States that precipitation is equal to evapotranspiration and streamflow plus or minus entering or leaving water.

Question 2

What are the principle flows linking stores in the water cycle?

Answer 2

Precipitation, evapotranspiration, run-off groundwater flow (percolation and infiltration and through flow)

Question 3

At what point does vapour in the atmosphere produce precipitation?

Answer 3

Precipitation forms when vapour in the atmosphere cools to its dew point and condenses to form clouds. Eventually these droplets aggregate, reach a critical size and leave the cloud as rain hail sleet snow etc.

Question 4

What happens to the majority of rain when it falls onto the ground?

Answer 4

Flows quickly into streams and rivers.

Question 5

What happens to rain that falls in high lattitudes mountainous catchments?

Answer 5

Precipitation often falls as snow and remains there for months. this creates a high lag time between snow fall and run-off.

Question 6

How do the characteristics of precipitation vary?

Answer 6

duration, intensity, season (in some parts of the world, e.g. west Africa and the Mediterranean ,rainfall is concentrated in a rainy season. this often causes high river discharge and flooding.)

Question 7

What is transpiration in relation to its role as a process of the water cycle?

Answer 7

Transpiration is the diffusion of water from leaf pores (via the stomata.) it is responsible for about ten percent of water in the atmosphere. like evaporation it is effected by temperature and wind speed.

Question 8

Why do deciduous trees shed their leaves in winter?

Answer 8

Deciduous trees shed their leaves in winter to avoid moisture loss by transpiration.

Question 9

What is condensation?

Answer 9

The phase change of water vapour to liquid water. it occurs when air is cooled to its dew point.

Question 10

Describe cumuliform clouds and how they form

Answer 10

• Flat bases and considerable vertical development.
• Most often when air is heated locally through contact with earth’s surface.
• This causes heated air parcels to to rise freely through the atmosphere (convection)
• Then expand(due to the fall in pressure with altitude)
• and cool
  -as cooling reaches dew point clouds from

Question 11

describe stratiform clouds and how they form

Answer 11

Form when a parcel of air travels horizontally across a body of water in the process of advection where they also experience turbulence and mixing.

Question 12

Describe cirrus clouds and how they influence the water cycle.

Answer 12

Wispy
Form at high altitudes
consist of tiny ice crystals
they do not produce precipitation and therefore have very little influence on the water cycle.

Question 13

What are dew and fog and how do they influence the water cycle.

Answer 13

Fog and dew occur when air condensates close to the ground. tis despots large amounts of moisture onto the land and vegetation.

Question 14

What is the ELR

Answer 14

The environmental lapse rate.
The vertical temperature profile pf the lower atmosphere at any given time.

Question 15

On average, by how many degrees does temperature fall by in the lower atmosphere for every kilometre of height gained?

Answer 15

6.5 C

Question 16

What is the DALR

Answer 16

Dry adiabatic lapse rate.
The rate at which a parcel of dry air (e.g. less than 100% humidity so condensation is not taking place) cools.
Cooling caused by adiabatic expansion is around 10 C /KM

Question 17

What is the SALR?

Answer 17

Saturated adiabatic lapse rate.
the rate at which a saturated parcel of air (where condensation is taking place because it has reached 100% humidity) cools as it rises through the atmosphere . the temperature change per kilometre is around 7 C.

Question 18

Why is the temperature change for the SALR lower than the DALR?

Answer 18

Saturated air releases latent heat

Question 19

What are lapse rates?

Answer 19

Lapse rates describe the vertical distribution of temperature in the lower atmosphere. There are three types and their interaction creates clouds.

Question 20

Formation of clouds by convection part one and two

Answer 20

The ground, heated by the sun, warms the air in contact with the surface to 18 c. because the air is warmer than its surroundings it is less dense and more buoyant so it rises. This is called atmospheric instability and it allows air parcels to rise freely in convection currents.

Question 21

Formation of clouds by convection currents part two.

Answer 21

When the airs internal temperature reaches its due point (8c) condensation occurs and a cloud starts to form.

Question 22

Formation of clouds pt 3

Answer 22

The air continues to rise as long as its internal temperature is higher than its surroundings. air cannot rise further than this point.

Question 23

What his throughfall?

Answer 23

Rainwater that is briefly intercepted before dripping to the ground.

Question 24

What Is stem flow?

Answer 24

Water intercepted by trees and vegetation may flow down stems and branches as stem flow.

Question 25

What is the main pathway of water into the atmosphere?

Answer 25

Evaporation

Question 26

why is heat needed for evaporation

Answer 26

To break the molecular bonds of water.

Question 27

why does the involvement of heat in evaporation not heat the water?

Answer 27

The heat energy is stored and released later as latent heat in condensation

Question 28

What are the three processes that can occur to water which fas fallen to the ground and isn’t stored?

Answer 28

1. infiltration by gravity into the soil and 2. through flow :lateral movement through the soil into river and stream channels.
2. overland flow/run off: water flows over the ground

Question 29

what are the two conflicting ideas which explain the flow paths taken by rainwater?

Answer 29

1. Infiltration capacity; when rainfall exceeds infiltration capacity, overland flow occurs.
   2.rainfall regardless of intensity always infiltrates the soil. overland flow occurs when the water table rises to the surface. (saturated overland flow)

Question 30

Cryosphere?

Answer 30

• Ablation (melting and sublimation)
  -Meltwater is an important components in river flow in mountain catchments and high latitudes in spring and summer.

Question 31

Describe how precipitation is involved in carbon exchange

Answer 31

Atmospheric co2 dissolves in rainwater, forming weak carbonic acid. This is a natural process, however rising levels of anthropogenic emissions have contributed to the amount of co2 in the atmosphere. This has increased he atmosphere of rainfall and the ocean surface which has negative impacts for marine life.

Question 32

Describe how photosynthesis is involved in carbon exchange

Answer 32

The flux of carbon between the atmosphere and land plants and phytoplankton via photosynthesis averages about 120 giga tonnes per year. Using the suns energy, green plants and phytoplankton convert the suns energy, co2 and water into chemical energy.
Plants use this energy to maintain growth and reproduction and other life processes, this released carbon back into the atmosphere.

Question 33

Describe how weathering is involved in carbon exchange

Answer 33

Weathering is an in situ process of rock breakdown by chemical, physical and biological processes. Most weathering involves rainwater and dissolved co2 from the soil and the atmosphere.
the breakdown of rocks like chalk by weak carbonic acid in rainwater also releases carbon into streams and rivers, oceans and the atmosphere.

Question 34

Where is the process of carbonation most effective?

Answer 34

In the soil

Question 35

Why is the process of carbonation most effective in the soil

Answer 35

the higher concentration of carbon In the soil makes rainwater highly acidic

Question 36

In tonnes, how much carbon is transferred into the atmosphere and oceans by weathering per year?

Answer 36

0.3 billion Tonnes.

Question 37

Where can the effectiveness of carbonic weathering be seen.

Answer 37

At Norbert row in the Yorkshire dales. The limestone has been lowered by nearly half a meter over the past13, 000 years.

Question 38

How can physical weathering impact the carbon cycle?

Answer 38

it has no direct impact, but the break up of rocks creates a larger rock surface exposed to chemical attack.

Question 39

How is respiration involved in the carbon exchange?

Answer 39

Respiration is the process by which carbohydrates fixed in photosynthesis are converted to co2 and water.

Question 40

How many times greater is the carbon exchanged by respiration and photosynthesis than that moving through the slow carbon cycle?

Answer 40

1000

Question 41

What is the role of decomposition in carbon exchange?

Answer 41

Decomposition organisms such as bacteria and fungi breakdown dead organic matter. This extras energy nd releases co2.

Question 42

How do rates of decomposition depend on climatic conditions?

Answer 42

The faster rates of decomposition occur in humid environments (e.g. the tropical rain forest). In contrast, these rates are very slow in other landscapes such as the arctic tundra.

Question 43

Describe combustion as a process of carbon exchange.

Answer 43

The combustion process occurs when organic material reacts of burns in the presence of oxygen. This releases co2 and sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

Question 44

How does combustion act as a helpful process in the coniferous forests of the rocky mountains?

Answer 44

wildfires sift the log jam created by years of built up leaf litter on the forest floor. Shifting this frees up carbon and nutrients which were unaccessible to the trees before. it also open up the canopy and creates new habitats increasing biodiversity.

Question 45

How many GT of co2 does the combustion of fossil fuels cause a year?

Answer 45

10 GT.

Question 46

The oceans take up carbon by two mechanisms, the physical and biological pumps.

What is the physical (Inorganic) pump?

Answer 46

• Involves the mixing of surface and deep ocean waters by vertical currents.
  -Initially, co2 enters the water via diffusion.
• this is then transported pollard by the oceans where it cools, becomes more dense and sinks (downwelling)
  -The carbon may remain here for centuries before it is transported to areas of upwelling.
• there, carbon is brought back up to the surface and diffuses back into the atmosphere.

Question 47

The oceans take up carbon by two mechanisms, the physical and biological pumps.

What is the biological pump?

Answer 47

• carbon is also exchanged by the oceans and atmosphere by Maine organisms. Globally nearly half of all carbon fixed by photosynthesis happens in oceans.
• Phytoplankton photosynthesises, fixing carbon.

-Carbon photosynthesised by phytoplankton dies and carbon accumulates in sea floor sediments.

-other marine animals use carbon to make shells and skeletons. This also ends up in sea floor sediments.

Question 48

How much carbon is drawn from the atmosphere by the oceans every year?

Answer 48

50GT

Question 49

Where does downwelling occur

Answer 49

Only in a few places, including in the North Atlantic between Greenland and Iceland.

Question 50

how might diurnal changes influence phytoplankton’s role in the carbon cycle?

Answer 50

in the absence of light at night time, phytoplankton respire, releasing carbon back into the atmosphere