Biogeochemical Flashcards
condensation
when water vapor collects into tiny water droplets, forming clouds
precipitation
when condensed water in the sky, usually in clouds, becomes too heavy to stay afloat, and falls down as rain, snow, sleet, hail, etc.
evaporation
when liquid water is heated up into vapor, escaping into the atmosphere from lakes, creeks, oceans, etc.
deposition
the precipitation of water in a solid form (e.g. snow, sleet, etc.)
glacial storage
snow, ice stored at the top of mountains
runoff
the draining of water from land, usually collects into lakes
infiltration
water seeping into the ground
evapotranspiration
water is drawn from the grounds through plants and diffuses into the atmosphere as water vapor
how? think of the WATER GRADIENT in the plant system, where is water entering and leaving?
snow line (anatomy of a mountain)
the top third of the mountain where snow and ice are
rock line (anatomy of a mountain)
middle third of a mountain, soils are mostly abiotic rock, few plants grow here, is mostly gray
timber line (anatomy of a mountain)
bottom third of a mountain, soil is rich here, lush forests and ecosystems, not as much landslides here compared to further up the mountain due to deep root systems holding the ground in place
sequestration
the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide in trees, rocks, oceans, organisms, etc.
carbon sinks
places where carbon dioxide is absorbed/stored away:
- biosphere (organic materials)
- atmosphere (obviously)
- lithosphere (h
test
phytoplankton, tiny shells made of calcium carbonate
carbon dioxide in the water (long-term cycle)
- diffuses into the water and plankton
- higher consumers (such as tests) eat the plankton and synthesize the carbon into their shells
- so now the carbon is STORED, or sequestrated, in the test shells
- when the tests die, they sink to the ocean floor; all that CO2 accumulates
