carbon Flashcards
organic store and inorganic store
carbon can be found in organic and inorganic stores
organic- carbon is found in living things
inorganic- carbon is found in non living things e.g. rocks
where can carbon be found? (stores of carbon)
- lithosphere —> over 99.9% of carbon on earth is stored in sedimentary rocks such as limestone// 0.004% is stored in fossil fuels
- hydrosphere —> carbon dioxide is dissolved in rivers, lakes and oceans —> oceans are the 2nd largest store of carbon on earth// most of it is found deep in the ocean and a small amount is found at the ocean surface where it’s exchanged with the atmosphere
- biosphere —> 0.004% of earths total carbon is found in living organisms —> when organisms die and decay, this carbon is transferred to the soil (pedosphere)
- atmosphere —> carbon is stored in the atmosphere as CO2 and methane
- cyrosphere —> less than 0.01% of earths carbon is stored in the cryosphere// most of the carbon in the crysophere is stored in the permafrost
carbon cycle?
carbon cycle- the process by which carbon is stored and transferred
closed system —> the amount of carbon in the system remains the same
flows:
photosynthesis:
- plants take in the carbon and use it to help them grow —> carbon is then passed through the food chain (carbon stored in plants moves to the animals that eat them) —> transfers carbon from the atmosphere to the biosphere
respiration:
- transfers carbon from the biosphere to the atmosphere
combustion:
- burning biomass —> transfers carbon from the biosphere to the atmosphere
decomposition:
- transfers carbon from the biosphere to the atmosphere/pedosphere
- organisms die —> bacteria and fungi break organisms down —> carbon stored in the organisms is released into the atmosphere as CO2 and methane// some carbon stored in the organisms is transferred to soil
weathering:
- transfers carbon from the atmosphere to the lithosphere —> CO2 in the atmosphere reacts with water vapour to form acid rain —> acid rain dissolves rocks —> minerals are washed into the sea —> minerals react carbon in the water to form calcium carbonate —> some marine animals use calcium carbonate to make shells —> carbon stored in lithosphere
sequestration:
- carbon from the atmosphere can be sequestered (captured and held) in sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels —> transfers carbon from the atmosphere to the lithosphere
- sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels form over millions of years when dead animal/plant material in the ocean falls to the floor and is compacted
ocean uptake and loss:
- ocean uptake: CO2 from the atmosphere dissolves into the ocean —> transfers carbon from the atmosphere to the hydrosphere —> carbon is then taken up by organisms in the ocean like plankton
- ocean loss —> carbon-rich water from deep in the oceans rises to the surface and releases CO2 into the atmosphere —> transfers carbon from the hydrosphere of the atmosphere
fast and slow carbon flows?
fast carbon flows —> carbon is transferred quickly between stores e.g. photosynthesis, respiration, combustion and decomposition
slow carbon flows —> carbon is transferred slowly between stores e.g. formation of fossil fuels takes millions of years
physical factors that affect the carbon cycle?
climate
colder temperatures:
- lower temps —> less photosynthesis —> restricts plant growth —> less CO2 absorbed
- colder oceans absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere
warmer temperatures:
- higher temps —> more photosynthesis —> increased plant growth —> more CO2 absorbed
- warmer oceans absorb less CO2 from the atmosphere —> more CO2 in atmosphere
wildfires
short term:
- in the short term, wildfires lead to more carbon being released into the atmosphere —> loss of vegetation —> photosynthesis decreases —> less carbon removed from the atmosphere
long term:
- in the long term, wildfires lead to less carbon being released into the atmosphere —> soil can become more fertile after wildfires —> encourages the growth of new plants —> plants take in carbon from the atmosphere for photosynthesis
volcanic activity
- carbon stored within the earth is released during volcanic eruptions —> carbon is transferred from the lithosphere to the atmosphere
- recent volcanic eruptions have released much less CO2 than human activities
human factors that affect the carbon cycle?
fossil fuel extraction and use:
- we need fossil fuels for many things e.g. heating up housing and powering vehicles etc —> extracting and burning (combustion) fossil fuels releases CO2 into the atmosphere
- as population has increased overtime, fossil fuel use has increased overtime
deforestation:
- deforestation means that there is less leaf litter —> humus isn’t formed (contains nutrients that helps plants grow) —> plant growth decreases —> amount of CO2 taken in by plants decreases
- forests may be cleared for agriculture, logging, or to make space for housing —> reduces size of carbon stores —> less carbon can be stored in trees so more carbon will enter the atmosphere// a lot of the deforested trees are burnt —> releases more CO2
(think about global and local scale)
urbanisation:
- due to urbanisation, more houses have to be built —> trees are removed to make way for buildings —> reduces size of carbon stores —> less carbon can be stored in trees so more carbon will enter the atmosphere
- lots of concrete is used when urban areas expand —> concrete production releases lots of CO2 —> more CO2 into the atmosphere
farming:
- population has increased —> food production has increased —> growing rice in rice paddies releases a lot of methane —> more carbon stored in the atmosphere// animals release CO2 and methane into the atmosphere when they respire and digest food —> carbon moves from the biosphere to the atmosphere
how does increase in CO2 affect the atmosphere, land and ocean?
atmosphere:
- increased levels of CO2 —> CO2 is a GHG —> GHG traps heat in the earths atmosphere and warm the planet (prevent heat from escaping into space) —> global temps increase —> increased evaporation from oceans —> amount of water vapour in the atmosphere has increased —> water vapour is a GHG —> warming continues —> temps increase (positive feedback loop)
- increased levels of CO2 —> CO2 is a GHG —> GHG traps heat in the earths atmosphere and warm the planet (prevent heat from escaping into space) —> more evaporation —> water vapour condenses to form clouds —> precipitation increases
- ocean temps increase —> as oceans get warmer, more water vapour is released into the atmosphere due to increased evaporation —> promotes photosynthesis —> more CO2 is taken in by trees —> reduces amount of carbon stored in the atmosphere —> less GHG in the atmosphere —> temp rises are less likely to occur (negative feedback loop - diminishes any changes and ultimately that leads to dynamic equilibrium)
land:
- increased levels of CO2 —> CO2 is a GHG —> GHG traps heat in the earths atmosphere and warm the planet (prevent heat from escaping into space) —> global temps increase —> longer growing season —> greater plant growth —> plants absorb CO2
- increased levels of CO2 —> CO2 is a GHG —> GHG traps heat in the earths atmosphere and warm the planet (prevent heat from escaping into space) —> global temps increase —> changes in temperature can lead to wildfires and declining biodiversity —> less photosynthesis —> less CO2 removed (positive feedback loop)
oceans:
- increased levels of CO2 —> CO2 is a GHG —> GHG traps heat in the earths atmosphere and warm the planet (prevent heat from escaping into space) —> global temps increase —> ocean temps increase —> warm water absorbs less CO2 —> amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increases —> warming continues —> ocean temps increase (positive feedback loop)
- increased levels of CO2 —> CO2 is a GHG —> GHG traps heat in the earths atmosphere and warm the planet (prevent heat from escaping into space) —> global temps increase —> sea ice melts —> reduced albedo —> more sunlight is absorbed —> temps increase —> increased melting of sea ice —> sea levels rise (positive feedback loop)
- increased levels of CO2 —> CO2 is dissolved into oceans from the atmosphere —> acidity of oceans increases —> the more acidic an ocean becomes, the better it dissolves calcium carbonate —> dissolve carbonate shells of marine organisms
links between carbon and water cycle?
links between water and carbon cycles
- both essential for life on earth
- both continuously cycled in a closed system at a global scale
- they share similar stores e.g. lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere
- both experience temporal (changes overtime e.g. due to human impacts) and spatial variations (e.g. rates of evaporation are higher in areas w warmer climates)
- carbon dioxide and water vapour are both examples of GHGs (water stored in the atmosphere, carbon stored in the atmosphere) —> both cause the natural GHG effect (without the natural greenhouse effect, the earth would be frozen and uninhabitable)
- water is needed for photosynthesis, which removes carbon from the atmosphere
- the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere affects global temperatures, which affect the amount of evaporation that can take place, which affects the amount of precipitation
- changes to the carbon cycle (temp increase) can impact water stores/transfers (ice melting)
- both can be influenced by similar human activities e.g. climate change, deforestation and agriculture
how does climate change have major impacts on plants, animals and people?
- Pattern of precipitation is expected to change —> wet areas are expected to get wetter and dry areas are expected to get drier —> could cause water shortage in some areas —> lead to conflicts in the future
- Agricultural productivity will decrease in some areas, which could lead to food shortages
- Extreme weather events (e.g. storms, floods and droughts) are expected to get more frequent —> Less developed countries will probably be worst affected as they are less able to deal with the impacts
- Sea levels are expected to rise further —> This will flood coastal and low-lying areas —> affects plants, animals and people
- Plankton numbers may decline if temperatures increase —> knock-on effect on marine food chains
- Geographical range of some species will change as climate changes —> plants and animals may move to new areas looking for suitable conditions —> the arrival of new species in an area may damage the ecosystem, and some species may become extinct —> new species may compete with native species for resources like food
how can we tackle climate change on different scales?
- Humans have influenced the carbon cycle —> There is now 40% more CO2 in the atmosphere than there was in 1750
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that countries need to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by human activities in order to prevent climate change —> we can mitigate (make it less bad) the impacts of climate change by reducing transfers of carbon to the atmosphere
Individual:
- People can choose to use their cars less and/or buy more fuel efficient cars
- They can also make their homes more energy efficient e.g. double glazing, insulation and more efficient appliances
Regional and national:
- Governments can reduce reliance on fossil fuels for heating and powering homes by increasing the availability and reducing the cost of renewable energy sources such as wind, tidal and solar
- Afforestation and restoring degraded forests can increase size of carbon store
- Planners can increase the sustainability of developments by improving public transport to reduce car use and creating more green spaces
- Governments can invest in carbon capture and storage —> CO2 emitted from burning fossil fuels is captured and stored underground
Global:
- Countries can work together to reduce emissions. For example, the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris Agreement (2015) are international treaties to control the total amount of greenhouse gases released —> Participating countries agree to keep their emissions within set limits
- International carbon trading schemes —> countries and businesses are given a limit on the emissions they can produce —> if they produce less they can sell the extra credits and if they produce more they need to buy more credits
amazon rainforest case study
- The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical rainforest and covers 40% of South America
- It has a hot, very wet climate and the vegetation is very dense
- Many groups of indigenous people live in the Amazon rainforest and it’s home to up to 1 million plant species and 500 species of mammals
Water cycle in the Amazon:
- The water cycle causes the Amazon to be very wet —> there is a lot of evaporation over the Atlantic Ocean and the wet air is blown towards the Amazon —> contributes to the Amazon’s very high rainfall
- High temperatures and lots of water vapour in the atmosphere mean that evaporation levels are high in the rainforest —> evaporation levels are high —> precipitation increases
- The rainforest has lots of vegetation —> interception increases —> surface run off decreases
- The water cycle affects the Amazon environment —> it is populated by species that are adapted to high humidity and frequent rainfall
Carbon cycle in the Amazon
- The Amazon rainforest is a carbon sink (stores carbon)
- The increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has led to increased productivity in the Amazon rainforest because the vegetation is able to access more CO2 for photosynthesis
- As a result, the amount of CO2 sequestered by the Amazon rainforest has increased, making it an even more important carbon store
- However, it has been suggested that although trees are growing more quickly, they’re also dying younger —> As a result, we may not be able to rely on the Amazon rainforest to continue to be such an effective carbon sink in the future
effects of climate change on the amazon and ways to limit human impacts in the amazon?
Effects of climate change on the amazon:
- In some areas of the Amazon, temperature is increasing and rainfall is decreasing —> drought —> the Amazon had severe droughts in 2005, 2010 and 2015-16
- Drought —> plants and animals living in tropical rainforests are adapted to moist conditions —> frequent/long periods of drought could lead to the extinction of some species
- Droughts can lead to forest fires
Short term:
- In the short term, wildfires lead to more carbon being released into the atmosphere —> loss of vegetation —> photosynthesis decreases —> less carbon removed from the atmosphere
Long term:
- In the long term, wildfires lead to less carbon being released into the atmosphere —> soil can become more fertile after wildfires —> encourages the growth of new plants —> plants take in carbon from the atmosphere for photosynthesis
- Scientists predict that a 4°C temperature rise could kill 85% of the Amazon rainforest —> results in lots of carbon being released into the atmosphere —> dead material decomposes which releases CO2 and less CO2 is being taken in by trees for photosynthesis
Ways to limit human impacts in the amazon?
Selective logging and replanting trees —> only certain trees are cut down (most trees are still left standing) —> less damage as trees provide soil cover
Environmental laws:
- Laws that ban excessive logging
- Laws that control land use e.g. the Brazilian Forest Code says that landowners have to keep 50-80% of their land as forest
Debt reduction:
- Reduced debts in return for agreement that rainforest will not be deforested
- The USA agreed to allow Brazil to convert the £13.5 million it owed in debt repayments, into a fund to protect large areas of the Amazon rainforest
Protection:
- National parks to protect rainforests —> they protect rainforests by preventing deforestation and promote sustainable tourism —> educate visitors about rainforest conservation
- Central Amazon Conservation Complex in Brazil protects an area of 49000km^2
Reducing deforestation:
- The rate of deforestation in brazil has slowed by 75% between 2000 and 2012
- Zero deforestation campaign was set up in 2008 —> laws and enforcements were put into place which stopped deforestation taking place
- Supermarkets and exporters etc agreed that they would only buy non deforestation soy and beef
- A study has shown that only 0.25% of land with soybean crops had been planted in deforested areas since the ban began
amazon case study - impacts on water cycle
river regime —> shows how the discharge of a river varies over a long period of time (usually a year)
human impacts on the water cycle
agriculture:
- 62% of land cleared in the Amazon is for the purpose of agriculture
- water abstraction for irrigation —> soil becomes dry —> infiltration decreases —> surface run off increases —> river discharge increases (short lag time)
- ploughing breaks up the surface of the soil —> infiltration increases —> surface run off decreases
- crops —> interception and evapotranspiration increases —> surface run off decreases (short term)// evapotranspiration increases —> precipitation increases —> soil becomes saturated —> infiltration decreases and surface run off increases (long term)
- compaction —> livestock and machinery compact the soil —> infiltration decreases —> surface run off increases
deforestation:
- 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed over the last 50 years
short term:
- deforestation —> less evapotranspiration and interception —> surface run off increases —> river discharge increases —> risk of flooding increases (local)
long term:
- deforestation —> less evapotranspiration —> less water vapour in the atmosphere —> fewer clouds form —> less precipitation —> changes in global precipitation patterns —> risk of drought increases (global)
positive feedback loop:
- deforestation to create space for crops —> less evapotranspiration —> less rainfall —> ground becomes drier and less fertile —> new areas of land need to be cleared to grow crops
physical impacts on the water cycle
seasonal changes:
- average rainfall across the Amazon is 2,300mm annually
- between January and May —> high levels of precipitation
- between June and October —> low levels of precipitation
- November and December —> high levels of precipitation —> ground may be dry and compact as a result of the dry hot weather in the summer months —> infiltration decreases —> surface run off increases —> river discharge increases
summer:
- higher temperature cause the ground to be harder and more impermeable —> infiltration decreases —> surface runoff increases
- more vegetation —> interception and evapotranspiration increases —> surface run off decreases
winter:
- vegetation dies and leaves are lost —> interception and evapotranspiration decreases —> surface run off increases// less evapotranspiration —> less water vapour in the atmosphere —> less condensation —> less rain
- more rainfall —> discharge increases
