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