Carbon and Water - Carbon Cycle Flashcards
1
Q
What are the main stores of Carbon?
A
lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere
2
Q
What are the key aspects of the Carbon Cycle and how is it as a system being effected?
A
- Photosynthesis from vegetation takes in CO² and releases oxygen
- Opposite of this is respiration which all organisms do
- Farming, cows release methane as well as machinery powered by fossil fuels.
- CO² levels in atmosphere are changing also due to deforestation and logging for farming of soybeans – south America
- Growing population and urbanisation is causing high demand of energy consumption from burning CO².
- Carbon sequestration or capture is trying to reduce levels, e.g. basalt rock dusting in Fife could increase soil capture by x4.
3
Q
How are changes to the Carbon Cycle effecting Oceans?
A
- Ocean warming – decrease volume of phytoplankton and reduce its ability to store carbon (positive feedback)
- Melting sea ice – satellites have picked up a 13m retreat in the Arctic every decade for 35yrs.
- Sea level rise
4
Q
What is mitigation and how are human’s mitigating Climate Change?
A
Taking measures to reduce carbon emissions
- International meetings are targets are set like the Paris Accords in 2016 which aimed to limit temperature increase to 1.5%, the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 set legally binding climate mitigation targets to reduce levels.
- Carbon Sequestration, Orca in Iceland can catch 4,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, Basalt rock dusting in Fife can increase soil capture by x4.
5
Q
What is Climate Adaption and how are human’s adapting?
A
- adjusting to climate
impacts - EV vehicles run without use of fossil fuels but are in high demand, so parts of Australia and Portugal are being mined for lithium batteries.
- Early warning weather systems help prepare people for more extreme weather conditions in the future helping to reduce risks and save lives.
- Coastal management, stratified retreat in venerable areas helping to relive pressure.
