3.1.1 Water and Carbon Cycles Flashcards
how are models useful to a geographer?
-very visual
-simplify a complex world
-provide a starting point
-helps to predict and describe a possible sequence/consequence
-shows interrelated components
what are the inputs of the water cycle?
-precipitation
-autumn leaf fall
-seeds carried by wind & birds
what are the outputs of the water cycle?
-plants
-evaporation
-seed dispersal
what are the stores/components of the water cycle?
-water
-soil
-water soaking through the soil/rocks
what are the flows/transfers of the water cycle?
-photosynthesis
-infiltration
-transpiration
what do systems compromise of?
any set of interrelated components to form a working unit
what does a relationship mean in comparison to an interrelationship?
relationship means one way whereas an interrelationship means both ways
what are the different geological systems?
-hydrological cycle
-carbon cycle
-ecosystems
-oceanic circulation
-atmospheric circulation
what’s another name for the hydrological cycle?
water cycle
what is an ecosystem?
a system that models relationships and interactions between the various biotic and abiotic components making up a community of organisms and their surrounding physical environment
what’s an example of an ecosystem?
Sahara Desert
what’s an example of a biome?
all the hot deserts in the world
what are the four main biomes?
-hot desert
-cold desert
-temperate forest
-rainforest
what does desert mean?
lacks rain (dry)
what is a system?
an assemblage of interrelated parts that work together by way of some driving process
what are some common characteristics that most systems share?
- systems have a structure that is defined by its parts and processes
- systems are generalisations of reality
- systems tend to function in the same way- this involves the inputs and outputs of material
- the various parts of a system have functional as well as structural relationships between each other
5.flow and transfer of some type of energy and/or matter - systems often exchange energy and/or matter beyond their defined boundary with the outside environment
- functional relationships can only occur through various input and output processes
- the parts that make up a system show some degree of integration
within the boundary of a system what three properties can we find?
-elements
-attributes
-relationships
what are elements?
the kinds of parts that make up a system
what are attributes?
characteristics of the elements that may be perceived and measured
what are the relationships in a system?
the associations that occur between elements and attributes
what are the types of system?
-closed
-open
-isolated
-morphological
-cascading
-process response
-control
-ecosystem
what is a closed system?
system that transfers energy but not matter across its boundary to the surrounding environment
what is an open system?
system that transfers both energy and matter across its boundary to the surrounding environment
what is an isolated system?
a system that has no interactions beyond its boundary layer