Carbon Flashcards
What is the other name for the carbon cycle
biogeochemical cycle
Define sequestration
taking in carbon
What is the main constituent of all living cells
carbon
What breaks down carbon
bacteria
What are stores of carbon also known as
pools, stocks and reservoirs
What are the three stores of carbon
terrestrial, oceanic and atmospheric
What is there a natural balance between in the carbon cycle
production and absorption of carbon
When might the equilibrium be disrupted
when a volcano erupts or when natural climate change occurs
Where is terrestrial carbon held
within the mantle
How is terrestrial carbon released
through out gassing, such as being erupted
What does carbon in the atmosphere combine with to produce
rainfall to produce weak acid rain, creating chemical weathering
What two types of carbon are in the carbon cycle
biologically derived and geological
What releases CO2 through respiration
plants, animals and microbes
What is the largest store of carbon
lithosphere
What is the largest flux of carbon
photosynthesis
Is the carbon cycle a closed or open system
closed
Explain the difference between the biological and geological cycles in the carbon cycle
bio - faster and sequesters for less time
geo - stays in that store for longer
Name the 5 terrestrial carbon stores in the lithosphere
limestone bedrock/calcium carbonate coal shale coral himalayas carbon store
How do geological processes release carbon
chemical weathering of rock
volcanic outgassing
What are the 3 breakdowns of volcanic outgassing
active or passing volcanic zones
geysers
direct emissions
What 2 things are long term geological stores of carbon
sedimentary carbonate rocks
biologically derived carbon fossil fuels
What are the 5 phases of chemical weathering
atmospheric/acid rain
transportation of calcium ions by rivers from land to ocean
deposition and burial turns calcite sediment into limestone
subduction of sea floor
carbon rises with magma and is ‘degassed’
What is causing carbon to be exposed in the himalayas
tectonic uplift
Why is volcanic outgassing relatively insignificant
as it only emits 0.15Gt annually whereas humans emit 35Gt
What do volcanoes create in the carbon cycle
a negative feedback loop
Why do volcanoes create a negative feedback loop
as more carbon released from the ground or rocks into the atmosphere means more carbon is deposited after
What is it important to make clear
that most of the carbon cycle takes place very slowly
What happens in marine sequestration
sea animals use the carbon to make calcium carbonate to create shells, these collect, but then are weathered and release co2
What happens in terrestrial sequestration
respiration and combustion
photosynthesis
decomposing
What is the biological carbon pump
the ocean is a major sink
cold water can take up more carbon than hot
thermohaline circulation occurs
shorter timescale
What takes in co2 in the ocean
phytoplankton
marine animals
bacteria
What are the 3 parts of the biological carbon pump
biological pump
carbonate pump
physical pump
Explain the biological pump
role of phytoplankton and consumer organisms and their decomposition, which is faster than on land due to lack of woody plant structures
Explain the carbonate pump
role of calcium carbonate shells, which forms limestone at the bottom of the ocean
Explain the physical pump
thermahaline/circulation and currents of carbon
large spacial differences in co2 as it is mixed slower than the atmosphere
co2 taken up more in the polar regions as its colder
warmer tropic oceans release co2
How do seasons affect the terrestrial and oceanic carbon cycles
daylight for photosynthesis changes
respiration stays constant but may slow down in winter
more co2 in winter as less leaves on trees
What is re-radiated back to earth
long wave radiation from the sun
What is happening due to melting artic sea ice
more of the ocean is exposed to sunlight meaning more photosynthesis growth of phytoplankton causing algal blooms in artic waters
Are artic blooms beneficial?
yes as they absorb more CO2
What can an enhanced greenhouse effect cause
shorter winters due to rising temperatures
Are shorter winters beneficial to the carbon cycle
yes as it means deciduous plants and trees stay in season longer, meaning there is more plants to perform photosynthesis
What is the natural greenhouse effect
when greenhouse gases absorb and reflect some of the radiated heat from the earth, making the earth warm enough to sustain life
What is the most common greenhouse gas
co2 89%
What is an issue with CO2
it has the highest radiative forcing affect which means it holds heat for the longest time
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect
more greenhouse gases buikding up and therefore trapping more heat than we need, causing global temperatures to rise
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect likely to affect
temps and precipitation
What is the permafrost carbon cycle
The Permafrost Carbon Cycle deals with the transfer of carbon from permafrost soils to terrestrial vegetation and microbes, and then back to permafrost soils through burial and sedimentation as a result of cryogenic processes
What is consumption per capita often related to
level of development
What do many countries rely on to maintain energy security
a mix of energy
By relying on a mix of energy what are countries able yo control
issues such as cost and lack of supply of one energy tpe
What are the 4 factors affecting energy security
physical factors such as exhaustion and disruption of supply
environmental
economic
geopolitical
What is primary energy
raw resources such as coal
What is secondary energy
user friendly energy such as electricity
Explain how cost can affect our access to energy
energy sources such as geothermal may to be too expesnive to access and use
cost of delivery and infrastructure to deliver the energy needs to be considered
processing from primary into secondary cost
Explain how physical availability can affect our access to energy
consider whether they are readily available or have to be imported
Explain how technology can affect our access to energy
more technology in a country means better chances of tapping into complex sources yet also means we use more and therefore are more energy thirsty
Explain how economic development can affect our access to energy
the higher the standard of living the less sensitive the population are to energy costs
some countries may see something as expensive whereas another may see it as acceptable
Explain how climate can affect our access to energy
the more extreme the climate is, the more energy needed to counteract it
Explain how public perception can affect our access to energy
depends on level of economic development and standard of living
higher the incomes the more they are willing to pay for energy
Explain how environmental priorities can affect our access to energy
depending on carbon emission goals
protests from the population
consider whether the country can afford to provide ‘green energy’
Explain the factor physical availability of between the UK and Norway’s energy mix
UK - in the past have always been reliant on coal, became leaders in nuclear energy
Norway - mountainous so HEP used mostly
Explain the factor cost of between the UK and Norway’s energy mix
UK - North Sea oil reserves expensive to extract and depleting so having to import more
Norway - 600 HEP sites but transfer to rural areas is expensive
Explain the factor of technology between the UK and Norway’s energy mix
UK - new technology only helps ‘clean coal’ with less emission
Deepwater drilling technology let both UK and Norway access North sea oil and gas
Explain the factor of political considerations between the UK and Norway’s energy mix
UK - concerns on reliance on imported energy and public concern for fracking
Norway - politicallly sound structure which stops privatisation
Explain the factor of level of economic development between the UK and Norway’s energy mix
UK have a slightly lower GDP but half consumption and cost per household of Norway
Explain the factor of environmental priorities between the UK and Norway’s energy mix
UK - commited to 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emission by 2030, abandoned ‘green deal’ conservation in 2015
Norway - same as UK in 40% reduction, but also have a domestic ytarget of being carbon neutral by 2050
Name a TNC energy security player
Gazprom (Russia)
What is the role of Gazprom
explore, exploit and distribute energy resources
they respond to market conditions to secure profits for their shareholders
How many millions of barrels of oil does Gazprom send out each day
8.3
What is OPEC
OPEC is a permanent intergovernmental organization of 12 oil-exporting developing nations
What does OPEC aim to do
Protect the interests of member countries
Stabilise oil prices
Ensure efficient , economic and regular supply of oil
Why is OPEC such a powerful player
It has around 78% of the world’s oil reserves
It produces around 45% of the world’s crude oil and 15% of natural gas
It has the power to significantly affect oil prices by increasing or decreasing production
What is the role of national governments in energy
to meety international obligations , whilst securing energy supplies for the present and future
also regulating role of private companies and evironmental priorities
What is the role of consumers in energy
we create demand through our purchasing choices
have some control over oil companies if we choose electric cars or solar panels instead of their oil
we can protest against things such as fracking
Name the largest energy company
Saudi Aramco
What is an energy pathway
the flow of energy between a producer and consumer
What are the two types of pathways
bilateral (between 2 countries) and multilateral (between many countries)
What do some countries do when building pathways
avoid certain transit states if they have past disagreements to make them more secure
Name 2 major pathways
Nord Stream - Russia to Europe through Baltic Sea
Yamal-Europe pipeline - Russia through Belarus and Poland to Germany
What is a chokepoint
a narrow sea channel or convergence point where key transport routes can be easily disrupted
How many major chokepoints are there
8
Which chokepoint does 20% of the worlds oil pass through
Strait of Hormuz
What happens if chokepoints are blocked or threatened even temporarily
energy prices can quickly rise
What does disruption to energy pathways come from
militant action (including piracy), natural hazards and political conflict
Name an oil piracy attack
between 2009-15, there were 500 attacks of taking oil ships hostage along the Strait of Malacca
Which country is estimated to be the worlds largest energy importer by 2035
China
Define peak oil
the time when the maximum rate of petroleum production is reached, after which it will decline sharply
Name 4 types of unconventional resources
deep water oil
tar sands
shale gas
oil shale
Explain deep water oil
companies are looking into deeper ocean waters such as the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil’s off-shore reserves. This is more risky and expensive
Explain tar sands
bituminous sands or extra heavy oil. These are mixtures of sand, clay, water and bitumen. Canada holds 73% of global stocks
Explain shale gas
methane or natural gas which is held in underground sandstone and shale
Explain oil shale
deposits of kerogen in sedimentary rocks that haven’t yet become oil. The USA has 77% of global reserves
Which provence is Canasa’s tar sand mostly in
Alberta
How are tar sands extracted in Canada
opencast mining or pumped out using steam
Who are the 4 key players in Canada’s tar sands trade
governments, oil companies, environmental pressure groups, local communities
What role do the key players play in Canada’s tar sands trade
government - believe it is good to use to increase energy security
oil companies - believe it brings positive economic impacts to Canada
EPG - believe it is ruining indigenous territories, wetlands and forests
local communities - experience costs and benefits
What are the costs and benefits that the local communities experience
benefits -
new jobs and more trade
costs -
pollution in rivers leading to rare cancers
disruption to tribes
gambling and crime have risen
housing crisis as thousands of workers have been shipped in
What are the overall benefits of extracting tar sands
provides alternate source of oil
offers energy security for canada and usa
by 2030 could meat 16% of north america’s oil needs
can be used as a fuel stop gap to allow more time for renewables to be found
environmental protection in place
What are the overall costs of extracting tar sands
a lot more expensive to extract so only useful when oil prices are high
very energy intensive, takes 1 barrel of normal oil to get 3 barrels of this
uses a lot of water
produces lots of waste through the left over products
adds to greenhouse gas emissions
470km squared of forest has to be removed
What are the consequences for Canada’s environment
loss of ecosystems and habitats
reduced resilience of native Taiga environment
extraction creats oil heaps
waster material ponds are created which are highly toxic
caribou populations have declined rapidly, expected to be extinct before 2040
Explain Brazil’s energy mix
dominated by oil 48% and HEP 35%
cleanest in the world nearly 50% renewable
oil is from sugarcane
drawback - HEP far away from demand centre and energy can be lost through transmission
Explain France’s energy mix
lack of fossil fuels, have to import
lots of nuclear energy
moving towards renewables HEP
Explain China’s energy mix
67% coal
small number of nuclear and renewables
security risk in terms of energy mix
Why is there an increased demand for food and fuel
increased population
increased economic growth in NIC’s
improved living standards
Where is afforestation mainly happening
developed areas
What is changes in forest cover causing
a negative impact terrestrial carbon stores, soil health and the water cycle
What are the four types of services that ecosystems can provide
supporting services, provisioning services, regulating services and cultural services
Explain supporting services
keeing ecosystems healthy eg soil formation
Explain provisioning services
products obtained from the ecosystem eg food and medicine
Explain regulating services
regulating air quality and pollination
Explain cultural services
recreation and education
What are the 4 impacts of deforestation on the carbon and water cycle
on the biosphere - species diversity is reduced
on the atmosphere - less co2 being taken in and more being produced through burning
on the water cycle - infiltration decreased and run off increased
on soil health - raindrop impact takes away humus and clay so only heavier sands are left behind
What are the 4 impacts of ocean acidification on the carbon and water cycle
on the biosphere - reefs dissolve as they cannot absorb the alkaline they need
on the atmosphere -
on the water cycle -
on soil health -
What are the 4 impacts of increasing drought on the carbon and water cycle
on the biosphere - less resistant species will die out
on the atmosphere - trees die which releases co2 through decomposition and they cant take in the co2 anymore
on the water cycle - rising sea levels causing more frequent floods
on soil health - soil will become too dry and eroded faster/not be useful for farming
What are the 4 impacts of converting grasslands to farmland on the carbon and water cycle
on the biosphere - natural habitats are reduced
on the atmosphere - removal of grass releases co2 and annual ploughing makes bacteria release co2
on the water cycle - aquifers significantly impacted for need for irrigation
on soil health - cultivated soils liable to erosion by runoff and wind
Name a case study for deforestation
Madagascar
deforestation occuring due to demand for tropical hardwood and so farmers can grow cash crops to earn foreign currency to pay off country’s debts
Name a case study for converting grasslands to farmland
American Midwest
‘biofuel rush’
farmers encouraged to grow biofuel under a new policy
lost 5.5 million hectares of grasslands
Define critical threshold
the level at which there is a sudden or very rapid change, usually negative
Define coral bleaching
a process whereby the coral colonies lose their colour due to expelling algae that live inside their tissues
Define Ocean acidification
a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere
Define Tipping Point
when a system changes from one state to another, irretrievably
What does Kuznet’s curve show
shows the relationship between income per capita and environmental damage
How many people depend on forests
1.6 million
What are the reasons for forest loss
palm oil is needed for food, cosmetics and fuel and tropics environment is perfect growing conditions
forests bulldozed to make space for palm oil plantations
What are the impacts of forest loss
indigneous tribes driven away
loss of biodiversity and habitat endangers species such as the orangutan
releases lots of co2 and takes away trees which take in co2
What are some solutions for protecting forest stores
Indonesia’s forest moratorium, funding from UN
stopped the issuing of permits to clear primary forest areas
co2 emissions reduced by 26% in 9 years
Name a case study for afforestation
China
aiming to increase forested areas by 23% between 2015-2020
aiming for poverty alleviation, stopping of flooding and restore areas
Name a case study for deforestation
Indonesia
highest rate of deforestation in the world
production of paper, palm oil and pulp
illegal logging big contributer 73%
Define human wellbeing
the state of feeling happy, healthy, comfortable and secure
Describe 3 possible changes to evaporation rates
as temps increase, more evaporation will occur
more water to evaporate as there will be less snow and ice in polar regions, up to 20% more evaporation
Australia experiences less evaporation and more aridity, increases extremes
Describe 3 possible changes to runoff rates
more runoff in polar regions as precipitation falls as rain and not snow
reduces risk of drought in some areas of northern africa
increased soil erosion and environmental degradation, farming and well-being affected
Name the changes to the Yukon due to climate change
winter precipitation increased from 1950-98, with less falling as snow
since 2000 inflows have increased by 39%
total ice has shrunk 22%
thawing of permafrost, increasing groundwater and decreasing surface run off
snowmelt beginning earlier
What is the Arctic for carbon
a net sink
What in the Arctic is vulnerable to global warming
lots of ice/albedo
permafrost
ocean currents and circulation
Why are warmer temps dangerous for the Arctic
new species introduced
water cycle impacted
Why do warmer seas impact ocean health
limit abilities to harvest marine resources through fishing
How can climate change affect coastal communities who depend on fishing
marine food web change as species move closer to poles to compensate for warming environment
fish is a vital food source for countries such as Gambia
only developed countries with large fishing fleets can afford to move with the migrating fish
How can climate change affect coastal communities who depend on tourism and coastal protection
more extreme events likely to occur on coastal areas impacting locals and tourism and economy
coral reefs are getting bleached by warmer waters which will impact tourism
mangroves and corals act as sea protections
Explain the 2000-2012 greenhouse gas emission rates for Asia
increases at a fast rate constantly
Explain the 2000-2012 greenhouse gas emission rates for Europe and USA
consistently at 6000 millions of tonnes but dip during financial crisis 2008
Explain the 2000-2012 greenhouse gas emission rates for Africa, Oceania, Caribbean and Canada
all below 2000 but caribbean rising slightly due to economic development
Name the physical factors that makes future climate change uncertain
oceans and forests
Name the human factors that makes future climate change uncertain
economic growth (Kuznets curve) energu sources/renewables population change
What are two types of land that are positive feedback loops which are being ruined by climate change
peatlands and permafrost
Name two tipping points in climate change
forest die back - level of die back may reach the point where it stops yhe recycling of moisture in the forest
changes to the thermohaline circulation - ice sheets melt and waters get warmer slowing down the whole process
What is the difference between adaptation and mitigation strageries
adaptation - adapting to live with the changes
mitigation - trying to reduce emissions or carbon levels
What is carbon capture storage and its pros/cons
mitigation strategy where we capture carbon waste from plants and storing it where it wont enter the atmosphere
eg Iceland dissolving it into water stores from geothermal plants
pro - successful at reducing emissions
con - complex industrial process that needs lots of energy
What is land use planning and its pros/cons
adaptation
thinking about where to build due to changing climate
pro - soft management
con - abandoning some areas is often unfeasible
What is afforestation and its pros/cons
mitigation stratergy where trees are planted to increase carbon sink
pro - easy to do, not complicated
con - costs a lot and needs lots of workers
What is solar radiation management and its pros/cons
adaptation
mirrors in space and reflecting sun back
pro - cool earth within months
con - untried and untested
What is carbon taxation and its pros/cons
mitigation
reduces use of carbon as carbon is taxed
pro - puts many off emitting/makes companies rethink
con - hard to impliment for everyone/needs strong governance
What is water conservation and management and its pros/cons
adaptation changing policies to fit todays climate eg South Africa pro - less resources needed con - conservation cannot match increasing demands
What are resilient agricultural systems and its pros/cons
adaptation
changing farming practices according to the climate
pro - better crop yield
con - more expensive technology needed
What is renewable switching and its pros/cons
mitigation
switching from non renewables to renewables
pro - more sustainable
con - some countries may find it hard to meet demands/expensive
What is energy efficiency and its pros/cons
mitigation
encouraging home owners to make thier homes more carbon friendly
pro - can make big difference is many households did it
con - hard for people to change habits in their home, hard to enforce
What two types of climate change adaptation are there
hard strategies (eg technology) and soft strategies (eg legislations)
What are government attitudes towards climate change adaptation
different levels of development affect attitudes
want to be seen to be doing the right thing but worry that agreements may impact industry and therefore the economy
What are TNC’s attitudes towards climate change adaptation
agreements will increase their manufacturing costs and therefore hinder profit but there are benefits to promiting a green product
What are people’s attitudes towards climate change adaptation
people will be more worried about climate change if it will directly impact them such as low lying areas
Explain the 2015 Paris climate change agreement
195 countries promised to reduce their carbon emissions to nearly 0 by 2065 and will monitor and submit their progress every 5 years
the richer nations pledged $100 billion to poorer countries to help them adapt to the change
What is the overall aim of the paris agreement
limit temp increase to 1.5 degrees above pre industrial levels
What are some issues with the Paris agreement
there is little to force countries to meet the targets
pressure from within a countries (bottom up approach) may be the only way to make a government act
reporting of progres may be inaccurate
What was the first major international effort to reduce climate change in the long and short term
1997 Kyoto Protocol
What was the aim of this protocol
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5% by 2012
Name 2 successes of the protocol
it was a building block to start caring about climate change
by 2012 it was down 22.6%, however went up to plus 65% due to china and india
Name 3 failures of the protocol
slow ratification as Russia struggled and Canada pulled out fearing economic impacts
only industrialised countries were asked to sign and not developing, and the top emitters were left out (USA and China)
had rules that were critisised for allowing polluters to pollute such as creating carbon sinks and buying emission credits off other countries
