Carbon Flashcards
Carbon store
where carbon is held
( earths crust - 100000000 pg)
carbon fluxes
flow of carbon between stores
( photosynthesis 120pg)
4 stores of carbon
hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere atmosphere
hydrosphere an what it holds…
ocean , lakes and rivers which dissolve c02 - 38,0000 PcG
Lithosphere and what it holds…
carbonate found in rocks such as limestone 100,000Pcg
Biosphere and what it holds..
living and dead organisms 2000 Pcg
Atmosphere and what it holds
gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane 750Pcg
3 biochemical carbon stores
terrestrial, oceans , atmosphere
regulation of c02 in biological carbon store - terrestrial sequestration
primary producers sequester carbon for photosynthesis - the flux of carbon between atmosphere and plants is rapid as it’s released via respiration
regulation of c02 in biological carbon cycle - biological carbon in soils
biological carbon can be stored in soils in the form of dead organic matter or returned to the atmosphere because of decomposition- stored in trees, plants, litter and dead wood
regulation of c02 in biological carbon cycle - thermohaline circulation
global system of ocean currents is dependent on temp and salinity.
-Current begins in cold, saline regions so it sinks and warm water from the tropic is pushed above this water then cools when it reaches arctic regions
regulation of c02 in biological carbon store - ocean sequestration
phytoplankton sequesters carbon for photosynthesis on the surface of the ocean.
93% is stored by the ocean - mainly by under sea algae
geological carbon cycle
most of earths carbon is geological , resulting in formation of sedimentary rocks
4 geological carbon stores
coal, crude oil , limestone , natural gas
Formation of coal
plants die and enter swamps where they compact to form peat or coal
formation of limestone
phytoplankton sinks to ocean floor and compacts over time
Formation of crude oil
sediment settles in biologically degraded animals, anerobic reactions turn this into liquid which is crude oil
formation of natural gas
bi product of crude oil and coal formation, trapped within sedimentary rock
What landscapes are significant carbon stores - terrestrial photosynthesis
soils, mangroves, tundra
how soil retains carbon - terrestrial photosynthesis
decomposers return carbon via respiration
how mangroves retain carbon
a layer of soil which holds 10% of carbon as soil health influences carbon sequestration and productivity - important for terrestrial photosynthesis
coral reefs and regulation of c02
coral reefs are most important for ocean photosynthesis
tropical rainforests and terrestrial carbon
stores high amount of carbon and the healthy soils are poreous , dark, crumbly and contain carbon
how much carbon per hectare per year do mangroves store
1.3million tonnes
How does tundra retain carbon
frozen so holds carbon for thousands of years
primary producers
first in food chain, make their own energy from sunlight through photosynthesis
regulation of c02 by photosynthesis
ocean and terrestrial photosynthesis regulate composition of the atmosphere , it sequesters carbon and balances it via respiration and decomposition
consumers
eat primary producers and return carbon via respiration
decomposers
consumer dead matter and return via respiration
Carbonate pump
process of carbon entering and moving around the ocean
Phytoplankton sequestration
Absorb C02 via photosynthesis, this builds their shells from calcium carbonate , eaten by zoo plankton, when they both die they eventually turn into sedimentary rock
2 ways c02 is regulated in the geological carbon cycle
chemical weathering , volcanic outgassing
Chemical weathering - how it regulates c02
rain falls to the ground and absorbs c02 which makes acidic carbonic acid, this reacts with calcium carbonate in sedimentary rocks and c02 is released back to the atmosphere
chemical weathering - what is it
the break down of rocks by carbonic acid in rain which dissolves carbonate based rocks
equilibrium
a balanced carbon cycle
volcanic outgassing - how it regulates c02 in the atmosphere - geological carbon cycle
sedimentary rocks is formed and moves towards a plate boundary , the rock is subducted and melted then released during an eruption , releasing c02
volcanic outgassing - what is it
where eruptions spewed gases from the earths interior which contain carbon , into the atmosphere
enhanced green house effect
an increase in natural greenhouse effect caused by human activity
radiative forcing
difference between incoming and outcoming radiation.
incoming energy> outcoming energy = earth will heat
natural greenhouse effect
natural process of the sun heating the earth , some of the heat is absorbed and some is reflected back into space , the rays are converted into long wave radiation which reflects off greenhouse gases , heating it up
negative feedback loop - carbon cycle
impacts which offset the prevailing change in climate ( cloud cover and land)
positive feedback loop - carbon cycle
impacts which increase the change in climate
eg of how positive feedback loop works
temp rises - increases droughts and wildfires - trees die/decompose or burn which releases c02- causes temp to rise even more - fewer trees means less water pumped into atmosphere - rainfall decreases - causing temp to rise again and cycle continues
fossil fuel combustion and carbon pathways
fossil fuel combustion has altered the balance of carbon pathways and stores.
-Fossil fuels are long term carbon stores so when they are burnt carbon is released into the atmosphere -
speeds up the geological and hydrological cycle - having impacts on ecosystems and causing disequilibrium
impacts of fossil fuel combustion - albedo effect
surfaces with high albedo reflect more sunlight so as snow melts the effect is enhanced
impacts of fossil fuel combustion - artic amplification
-arctic region is warming 2x as fast as global average ,
-melting permafrost releases c02 which increases greenhouse gas concentrations , exacerbating the green house effect further
GDP per unit of energy
how much a country makes relative to the amount of energy it uses
- high GDP countries tend to have high energy inefficiency
energy mix and 4 factors affecting it
the amount and type of each form of energy used - depends on natural resources , population size , development and technology
energy security
when a country can supply the energy it’s country needs without imports
5 energy categories
renewable , non renewable , recyclable , primary , secondary
renewable energy
continuous flows that can constantly be used
non renewable energy
energy sources that are finite as depleted by use
recyclable energy
energy that can be used over and over but at first must go through a process to prepare it for re -use
decoupling
moving away from fossil fuels to drive economic growth ( UK energy use is changing , solar grew by 86% rom 2014-2015 ,)
primary energy
energy used in it’s raw form ( fossil fuels)
secondary energy
where a primary energy source is used to generate electricity ( power lines)
oversea sources of energy
located in one country then imported to the user country
domestic sources of energy
located in the country they are used in
% of energy used in urban areas
75% - mainly secondary
fossil fuel location and demand
mismatch between locations for conventional fossil fuel supply and regions where demand is highest - 48% of oi is in middle east but North America, Europe and Asia demand the most oil
developing rural areas and energy
lack of secondary energy so renewable is emerging,
Peru and renewable
500,000 solar panels installed between 2006-2015
More c02 in atmosphere means
Northern Europe having warmer winters and more rain , southern europe having warmer summer and less rain
effect of temp on drainage basins
increase temp means more evaporation, snow melt begins earlier which increases river discharge
effect of temp on evaporation rates
wet gets wetter , dry gets drier
ocean acidification whats happened
ocean has lowered it’s pH by 0.1 so it’s 30% more acidic than it was in 1750
ocean acidification
oceans are a major carbon sink and have absorbed 30% of carbon humans produce, as c02 in them increases so does acidity, reducing the Ph , leading to corals not being able to absorb the alkaline
Impacts of ocean acidification on marine life
coral reef provides shelter for 25% of marine species, provide protection from storms and supports local industry
coral bleaching
corals get their colour from algae in their tissues , when water becomes to warm the algae is ejected and the coral bleaches
energy pathways
flow of energy between producer and consumer
transit state
a country or state that energy flows through in an energy pathway
proxy war
a war instigated by a major energy supplier who may not always be directly involved in the fighting
4 energy pathways
pipelines , transmission lines, shipping routes, rail
pipelines
transport gas and oil under sea or above ground
ESPO Oil pipeline
allows russia to export oil to Asia
Transmission lines + example
carry electricity to where’s needed - UK national grid
shipping routes
50% of world oil is transported by tankers
chokepoints
narrow sea channels where disruption is likely - 8 around the world
Rail
oil can be transported via rail
piracy attacks
seize ships and hold hostage for payments ( Strait of mallacca)
pipeline issues
if damaged it causes impacts, 2013 UK pipeline damaged leaving 6hrs of gas reserves
4 adaptation strategies
land use planning, water management, resilient crops , infrastructure management
land use planning
areas most at risk are of low expense
water management
smart irrigation means minimal water used
resilient crops
crops that can withstand changing climate
3 mitigation startergies
carbon taxation, afforestation, renewable switching
carbon taxation
charge for carbon use, promotes fuel reduction
afforestation
funds landowners who plant trees
Biofuel
produced from organic matter such as plant material and animal waste
3 categories of biofuels
bio ethanol, bio diesel , bio methane
negatives of biofuels
results in food shortages as crops used for fuel not food, deforestation
4 fossil fuel alternatives
Tar sands , Oil shale , shale gas , deep water oil
tar sands - positives and negatives
- economically viable when oil prices are high
- creates jobs
- requires large amounts of energy
- contaminates water
- threat to wildlife and indigenous people
-contributes 3x more to global warming than normal oil
uncoventional fossil fuels - tar sands
oil is seperated from the sand using hot water and hydrocarbons
unconventional fossil fuels - oil shale
extracted by heating keregon which releases oil and hydrocarbons -
oil shale - positives and negatives
- increase energy security
- 1 tonne of waste per barrel
- involves clearance of land , habitat loss and pollution
shale gas - positives and negatives
- reduces carbon footprint by 10%
- methane can escape to atmosphere
- could contaminates water supply
- risk of earthquake
- loss of habitat
unconventional fossil fuels - shale gas
water is ejected at a high pressure which splits the rocks apart that contain methane
Deep water oil disaster - deep water horizion
dangerous working conditions caused 11 deaths , did produce 4.7million barrels but only 40% were recovered
deep water oil - positives and negatives
- provides large oil reserves
- reduces consumer costs
- ( Deep water horizon caused 11 deaths in Mexico)
- decreases fish stocks
- expensive
unconventional fossil fuels -deep water oil
drill pipes are lowered to seafloor and oil is pumped to the surface
4 Renewable’s
Biofuel , solar , wind , HEP
Recyclable energy
nuclear - heat from atomic reactions heats water and steam turns turbine
Which 2 countries supply most coal
USA and Russia
Which 2 countries supply most oil
Venezuala and Saudia arabia
Which 2 countries supply most gas
Russia and Iran
China and fossil fuel demand
economic development led to doubling in oil consumption from 2000-2010 - making China energy insecure
Effect of climate change on oceans - devloping nations
rely on ocean for food and industry
Effect of climate change on oceans - tourism
coral bleaching has reduced tourism - great barrier reef
radical technology def
new technologies that have the potential to dramatically change the way we generate and use energy
3 radical technologies
electric cars, CCS, Hydrogen fuel, nuclear fusion
Hydrogen fuel cells - positive and negative
- more efficient than petrol/diesel cars
- hydrogen is most abundant element on the planet
- no pollution
- explosive and dangerous
Radical technologies - Hydrogen fuel cells
once hydrogen is separated it can be used as an alternative form of energy
Radical technologies - Electric cars negative and positive
- many cost £20,000 +
- early cars could only travel 100 miles ( this has improved)
- don’t produce pollution
CCS positives and negatives
- could cut c02 emissions by 19%
- not financially viable
- c02 may not stay trapped and then leak
Radical technologies - Carbon capture storage (CCS)
C02 is compressed and injected into liquid form into the ground.
Radical technologies - nuclear fusion
when atomic nuclei join to make a new nucleas and produce 500 MW ITER
nuclear fusion - positive and negatives
- no GG emissions
- no radioactivity
- very expensive so only accessible to HIC’s
Increase demand in fossil fuels has meant
increase deforestation - less carbon captured , decrease infiltration and interception leading to more flooding
Madagascar and deforestation
deforestation in 1950 as hardwood demand increased- reduced forest cover by 2/3rds in 25 years
forest loss due to biofuels
growing of palm oil has meant deforestation - loss of habitat for animals and indegionious people
Kuznets curve
as economic growth increases , environmental care decreases until the country has developed so hits a point where environmental care increases
Brazil - positive of Biofuels
biggest producer of bio ethanol
produces 930,000 barrels a day
employs 1.34 million
generates 16% of Brazils energy
3 million vehicles powered by it
Deforestation in Amazon- effects
in 2014, 4000 hectares were burnt
stores 17% of terrestrial carbon , 2010 drought meant amazon was no longer a sink.
- increased droughts (2010 )
- forest fires - releasing more c02
-
Deforestation in Indonesia - responses
produces half of earths palm oil , government introduced moratorium which reduced c02 emissions by 1,2%
Coral triangle - effects on coral
In southeast asia,
most biodiverse marine ecosystem on earth ,
120 million people rely on it for food, income and protection
COP26 - response to deforestation
110 countries pledged to end deforestation by 2030
$1.1 billion put to protect congo basin
prairies grassland - negative of biofuel
2007-2015 US Enviromental agency urged farmers to grow corn soya and sugar cane
5.5 million hectares of grassland disappeared leading to increase soil erosion - affects soil carbon store
role of key energy players - TNC’s
-distribute energy resources,
-ensure profits
-supply energy ( BP and Shell)
role of key energy players - OPEC
control world’s oil reserve and ensures stabilisation of oil markets
role of key energy players - national governments
meet obligations , secure energy supplies , enforce policies ( EU target to reduce fossil fuels)
role of key energy players - consumers
create demand , oppose local energy production and decide on household energy type
role of key energy players - non government organisations
campaign against global issues like nuclear energy , pipelines and exploitation of resources ( green peace)
factors influencing access and consumption of energy resources - physical availability
climate and natural resources like coal and oil
factors influencing access and consumption of energy resources - cost
is passed onto the consumer , renewables are expensive so can only be afforded by wealthy nations
factors influencing access and consumption of energy resources - technology
the ability to extract resources from harder places ( deep water oil)
factors influencing access and consumption of energy resources - economic development and extraction
developed countries have access and money to invest in technology to extract
( Russia does , Kenya doesn’t)
factors influencing access and consumption of energy resources - environmental priorities
climate change concerns and a cultures view on damage to the environment will effect consumption
alternative fossil fuels - wind ( positives and negatives)
-operational costs are low
-can be done on a small or large scale
- but can’t store energy
-creates nose pollution
Wind energy eg - Quarrendon fields
an onshore wind farm
- produces 1.5MW of energy
- provides 2000 homes with energy
Wind energy eg - Hornsea offshore wind farm
-has 174 wind turbines
- powers 1 million homes
alternatives to fossil fuels - solar ( positives and negatives)
-no pollution and minimal risks ,
-low operational costs and can be used by poor countries.
-energy can’t be stored and can’t be used in
- certain weather conditions and at night
eg of solar power - Christchurch solar farm
will run for 25 years
cost £50 million
is weather dependent
alternatives to fossil fuels - nuclear
how it works and the pros and cons
- atoms are split which produces steam and turns a turbine to produce energy
- produces a continuous supply energy
- reduces transport
- accidents can occur
- difficult to dispose of waste
Nuclear energy eg - Hinkley point C
- nuclear power station located in Somerset
- cost £20.3 billion
- aims to produce 7% of UK energy
- risks of radiation leak
Impacts of changing land use on carbon cycle - deforestation
concentrated in developing countries
it increases c02 in atmosphere
reduces photosynthesis
increases soil erosion and soil heath as nutrients are lost
Impacts of changing land use on carbon cycle - conversion of grass lands to farm lands
farmers have cleared grasslands to grow plants ( sugar cane, soya) for biofuels.
- releases c02
- lung effect is reduced
- more toxins released from soil into atmosphere
Impacts of changing land use on carbon cycle- afforestation
establishment of a forest
- increases carbon capture
- increases carbon stores
- increased interception
- nutrient rich soils
what do climate change models suggest
global warming is causing a weather patterns to shift
moratorium
a legally authorised delay in performance of a legal activity ( deforestation)
changes in outputs due to global warming - cryosphere
the area of earth’s surface where water is held in a solid form as ice ,
- higher ocean temps and global temps lead to higher evaporation and higher humidity causing more intense storms and higher river discharge leading to flooding
factors causing uncertainty- natural factors
oceans are carbon sinks however they take a long time to respond to climate change
factors causing uncertainty- human factors
emissions are still on the rise as countries industrialise and people become more affluent causing increased demand , however it is uncertain if renewables will reduce these.
factors causing uncertainty- (tipping points) forest die back and thermohaline circulation
melting of northern ice sheets releases salty water which slows the conveyor belt which could reachh a tipping point.
die back is also meaning less trees are sequestering carbon
Indonesia - response to deforestation
- produce half of the world’s/ $50 million palm oil each year.
- In 2011, Indonesia’s president created a forest moratorium to reduce deforestation to protect the 74 million hectares of the natural forest and peatland.
- By 2013, emissions had fallen by 1-2.5%. However its effects were limited since illegal logging still remains an issue.
UK energy security and energy mix
- is energy insecure
- 1980 - 89% from fossil fuels -
- 2012 - 14% renewable
coal - 3%
nuclear - 6%
oil- 39%
Yukon river - impact of climate change on river regimes
-more water fell as rain than snow in Spring,
-snowmelt is beginning earlier bringing earlier peaks to regimes
- inflows has increased by 39%.
Impacts of climate change of southern ocean ( antarctic)
- pH to drop from 8.2 to 8.1 which is a 26% reduction.
- Arctic and Antarctica are the most vulnerable to this due to their ice sheets.
- caused organisms to migrate as can’t cope with acidity
- impacting fish stocks
- reduce coral health
COP 26- response to climate change
-110 countries pledged to end deforestation by 2030
- $1.1 billion fund to protect the Congo Basin.
- however deforestation in 2020 in the congo was at an all time high so people are skeptical
carbon cycle
the movement of carbon between stores on land , oceans and the atmosphere
carbon is a closed system because
no external inputs or outputs of carbon to the earth so the total amount of carbon is fixed and finite
resevoir turnover
the rate at which carbon enters and leaves a store
largest store of carbon on earth
the lithosphere ( the earths crust )
100 million billion tonnes
1 peta gram is equal to
one billion tonnes of carbon
why the biological carbon pump is important
- this helps keep atmospheric carbon levels 200 ppm lower than they would be without it
what % of carbon is stored in under sea algae and plants
93%
how many billion tonnes of carbon are predicted to be in atmosphere
40,000 billion
what temp of water is more affective at sequestering carbon
cold water in the arctics
how thermohaline circulation works
- current begins in polar regions and sea ice forms so water becomes saltier
- the current divides into Indian and western pacific
- the two branches warm and rise as they travel north and release small c02
- they then go back to the south and get cold again and absorb more c02 then sinks and stays at bottom of ocean for thousands of years
what would happen in thermohaline circulation stops
UK climate would get colder
- USA would get warmer and see increase in flooding and storms as gulf stream stops
-more c02 in atmosphere as can’t be sequestered
Example of tar sands - Canada , Alberta
hold 1.7 million barrels of bitumen oil
uses huge amounts of energy
leaves scars on environment
Example of shale gas - US
US estimate they have 86 years left of shale gas
In US you own the minerals under ground - so many people can make a lot of money
done by fracking
