Carbon

Question 1

What is TNCs role in energy?

Answer 1

• Own, exploit and distribute energy resources
• Own supply lines and invest in distribution, processing raw materials, electricity production and transmission
• Aim to secure profits for shareholders

Question 2

What is OPECs role in energy?

Answer 2

• Aim to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies of its members to ensure stabilisation of oil markets.

Question 3

What are national governments role in energy?

Answer 3

• Meet international obligations, whilst securing energy supplies for the nation and supporting economic growth.
• Regulate the role of private companies and set environmental policies.

Question 4

What is the role of consumers in energy?

Answer 4

• Create demand. Purchasing is often based on price/ cost issues, e.g. competitive petrol pricing

Question 5

What is an energy pathway?

Answer 5

The flow of energy between a producer and consumer e.g. pipelines, transmission lines, shipping routes, road and rail.

Question 6

What is reservoir turnover?

Answer 6

The rate at which carbon enters and leaves a store is measured by the mass of carbon in any store divided by the exchange flux.

Question 7

What is thermohaline circulation?

Answer 7

The global system of surface and deep water ocean currents is driven by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline) differences between areas of oceans.

Question 8

What are the two geological processes involved with the movement of carbon?

Answer 8

Chemical weathering and volcanic outgassing

Question 9

What is chemical weathering?

Answer 9

When atmospheric carbon combines with precipitation to form a weak carbonic acid which reacts with rocks to form a carbonates which are carried by rivers to the oceans as well as sub-aerial processes at the coastline also contributing carbonates to the oceans. These marine organisms in the oceans sequester carbon in shell building which eventually form sedimentary carbonate rocks.

Question 10

What is volcanic outgassing?

Answer 10

Carbon is emitted into both the atmosphere and ocean through a process known as out-gassing. This is where CO2 that is contained in the mantel fluid is vented from the terrestrial stores of carbon.

Question 11

What happens at subduction zones (volcanic outgassing)?

Answer 11

In subduction zone, subducted carbon sources such as kerogen, coal, petroleum, oil shales, carbonates ect. are oxidated into CO2 and vented back into the oceans or the atmosphere.

Question 12

How can CO2 enter the atmopshere at continental drift zones?

Answer 12

At divergent plate margins rising magma is enriched in CO2 from deep mantel sources of carbon

Question 13

Where else can CO2 enter the atmopshere at? (Volcanic outgassing)

Answer 13

CO2 is vented at hotspots and non-erupting volcanoes such as Yellowstone where CO2 passively diffuses into the atmopshere

Question 14

What is the geological carbon cycle?

Answer 14

Where through a variety of processes carbon takes between 100-200 million years to move between rocks, soil, ocean and the atmosphere.

Question 15

What is afforestation?

Answer 15

Planting trees on land that has never had forest, or has been with forest for a long time.

Question 16

What is reforestation?

Answer 16

Planting trees in places with recent tree cover, replacing lost primary forests.

Question 17

What are the impacts of deforestation on the carbon cycle?

Answer 17

-Reduction in storage in soil and biomass, especially above ground.
- Reduction of CO2 intake through photosynethsis flux
- Increased carbon flux to atmopshere by burning and decomposing vegetation.

Question 18

What are the impacts of deforestation on the water cycle?

Answer 18

• Reduced intercepted rainfall storage by plants; infiltration to soil and groundwater changes.
• Increased raindrop erosion, and surface runoff, with more sediment eroded and transported into rivers
• Increased local ‘downwind’ aridity from loss of ecosystem input into the water cycle through evapotranspiration.