carbon Flashcards
what are the 5 spheres
lithos bio cryo atmo hydro
what percentage of carbon in lithosphere’s sedimentary rock
99.9
percentage of carbon in fossil fuels
0.004
what is carbon stored as in atmosphere
CO2 and CH4
percentage of carbon in atmosphere
0.001
how does carbon go into biospere
photosynthesis
in living organisms - transferred to soil when we decay and die
percentage of carbon in biosphere
0.004
what is most carbon in crysopshere in
permafrost
percentage of carbon in cryosphere
0.01
how is carbon in hydrosphere and where is most carbon in this sphere
dissolved in mostly deep in ocean
percentage of carbon in hydrosphere
0.04
whats carbon source
releases more carbon than taken
carbon sink
takes in more carbon than released
photosynthesis flow
atmosphere to bio
to make glucose and oxygen
carbon passed down food chain
combustion
fossil fuels cars fires
biomass to atmosphere
oceans
if oceans too carbon-rich co2 is released but mostly co2 is taken in and dissolved
respiration
glucose plus oxygen to co2 plus water
biosphere to atmosphere
decomposition
biomass to atmosphere or soil (humus)
decomposers release c02 while respiring too
weathering
carbon from atmosphere to biosphere of hydrosphere
acid rain dissloves rock into hydrosphere
sequestation
sedimentary rock or fossil fuels due to heat and pressure
fast carbon flows are …
photosynthesis
combustion
respiration
decomposition
how do wildfires affect carbon
large transfer of carbon form biosphere to atmosphere through combustion
positive feedback system with wildfires
wildfires —- less trees —– less photosynthesis ——-more co2 ——– higher temps ——more wildfires
negative feedback system wildfire
wildfire — removes old trees —- new young tree growth — takes in more carbon —-less temp rise —— less wildfires
another natural cause for carbon exchange
volcanic eruptions - carbon in magma
4 human impacts that increased carbon
fossil fuel use
land use change
farming practices
deforestation
fossil fuel use
combustion releases c02 into air
why does deforestation occur and how does it affect carbon
cleared for logging, farming, development
slash and burn less photosynthesis more combustion more decomposition
how does farming affect it
high population has high demand for food
large cattle pops release ch4 and co2
ploughing releases co2 in soil
increased mechanisation increased co2
land use change
increased urbanisation = increased concrete production
plus vegetation removed
how does carbon affect the atmosphere
carbon is a greenhouse gas and increased carbon means more greenhouse gases = more tmep rise = global warming
how does carbon affect the land
warmer temps = more permafrost melts and then further more co2 released = positive feedback
increased temps increases wildfire risk
increased carbon = more plant growth and photosynthesis
we need decomposers to respire and release carbon otherwise nutrients wouldnt be recycled
how dos carbon affect the oceans
C02 dissloves in oceans by phytoplankton to form calcium carbonate shells and skeletons
high co2 increases acidity levels in oceans which could dissolve shells
warming increases deaths of phytoplankton so less co2 absorbed by phytoplankton = increased warming positive feedback
warmer waters less able to absorb co2
ocean temps increase so more storms and sea level rise
positive feedback
affects of action amplified by change
-ve feedback system
effects of action are nullified by change
example of positive
increase temp — plants respire more — more co2 released – increased tmep
-ve ffedback
increased co2 —- increases photosynthesis—— more co2 taken in —–less co2 in air
how do water and carbon interact
co2 plus water makes carbonic acid = weathering
water is needed for photosynthesis so less co2 in air
amount of co2 in air affects evaporation and precipitation rates
how will climate change affect the earth
sea level rise
rainfall patterns change - dry drier and wet places wetter = farming decrease = food shortages
extreme weather events more common
ecosystems change = extinction
decrease in phytoplankton = affect marine food chain
how much more co2 in air since 1975
40 percent
why such a large increase in co2
many countries industrialisation
exponential pop growth
globalisation
what organisation did UN set up and what does it do
intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)
share knowledge about climate change
what does IPCC want countries to do
reduce carbon emissions
mitigation on individual level
more efficient appliances
public transport
electric cars
more insulation or double glazing
mitigation on national level
reduce fossil fuel use, reduce cost of renewable energies to increase use of them
afforestation schemes
planners increase green space and public transport
invest in CCS = store co2 underground in depleted oil and gas reserves
global mitigations
Kyoto protocol plus the paris agreement = int treaties that control carbon emissions
set emission limits and have carbon trading scheme
what is a system
assemblage of stores flows that interact and work together by processes
isolated system
unnatural - no interactions outside system
closed system
tarnsfer of energy no matter
global water cycle
open system
matter and energy transferred
drainage basin
if there was a 4 degrees temp rise what would happen to rain forest
85 percent rf destroyed
how to reduce human impacts in trfs
selective logging
replanting
environmental law
national parks and nature reserves
what is dynamic equilibrium
small variation in inputs and outputs but system still remains balanced
how many species of plant in rainforest
1 million
how much of forest gone in past 50 years
17 percent
how much of south america does amazon cover
40 percent
what is worlds largest trf
amazon rainforest
why cant youger trees thrive
canopy from old trees block sunlight to forest floor so unable to photosynthesise
6 main reasons for deforestation in amazon
agriculture of palm oil logging fossil fuels urbansiaton ,road building mineral extraction HEP power
how much mineral mined in a year
30-100 tonnes of mercury a year
how many hep dams planned per year
150
impacts of deforestation
decrease biodiversity
less evapotranspiration so less moisture in air so less rainfall
less leaf litter so less new growth so less co2 absorbed
rainfall leaches soil due to lack of roots = water contamination `
how much mositure into atmosphere from trees
20bn
how much of rainforest cut down each year
size of wales
why is methane worse than co2
10 times more potent
how much of co2 emissions does concrete production contribute for
8 percent
example of affoestation scheme in amazon
peru have planted 115 acres of trees
what does brazil forest code say
a least 50 percent of land as to remain forest
what has been set up in brazil
49000 km squared national park allows locals to work sustainably with forest
how much carbon enters atmosphere from deforestation in amazon
400 million tonnes
