carbon and water cycle Flashcards
evaporation definition
when liquid turns to gas and therefore increasing the amount of water in the atmosphere. this variation due to location and season. evaporation is high when there is high solar radiation, large supply of water and warm dry air
condensation
when water vapour turns back into a liquid. this releases energy into surroundings and can decrease water stored in the atmosphere. condensation is high when there is lots of water vapour in the atmosphere and a large rapid drop in temperature
cloud formation
clouds form when warm air cools down and can be formed due to air masses, topography, and convection
cryospheric processes
accumulation and ablation (changes) changes the amount of water stored as ice and varies with temperature. variations in processes happen over different timescales
river discharge
the volume of water (m3) that flows in a river per second
what do hydrographs show
show discharge over time and are used after storms over short periods of time. they vary on factors such as size of drainage basin, shape of basin, ground steepness, rock and soil type
flashy hydrographs
there is a short lag time and peak discharge is reached quickly after a storm
non-flashy hydrograph
where it takes a longer time to reach the river channel
why do storms change the water cycle over time
increase precipitation, increasing runoff
why do seasons change the water cycle over time
dryer in summer and freezing in winter can affect flows
why does vegetation change the water cycle over time
leads to increased evapotranspiration and reduced runoff
why does farming change the water cycle over time
ploughing breaks up surface increasing infiltration, crops, livestock trample the ground and reduce infiltration, irrigation can increase runoff and reduce groundwater
why do land use changes, change the water cycle over time
deforestation reduces interception and urbanisation increases the size of impermeable surfaces, increasing runoff
why does land drainage change the water cycle over time
peatlands can be drained which changes infiltration and evaporation. this also has large impacts on the carbon cycle
lithosphere
a store of water in land. 30% of all freshwater is stored in rocks (eg chalk and sandstone) below the ground surface. forming vast underground reservoirs called aquifers. water can stay for 200 years in shallow aquifers or 10 000 years if deep
hydrosphere
a store of water as liquid water on the surface of earth. oceans cover 72% of the earths surface and holds 97% of water
cryosphere
a store of water as frozen water on earth. 2% of water locked up in land ice, glaciers and permafrost. water can be locked up in ice for 100s of years
atmosphere
a store of water in the air. water exists in all3 states in the atmosphere, the most common being water vapour, which absorbs reflects and scatters the suns radiation. cloud is visible mass of water droplets which all grow and eventually fall as rain
atmosphere
a store of water in the air. water exists in all3 states in the atmosphere, the most common being water vapour, which absorbs reflects and scatters the suns radiation. cloud is visible mass of water droplets which all grow and eventually fall as rain
precipitation definition
transfer of water from the atmosphere to the ground
water balance
the relationship between precipitation, runoff, evapotranspiration and storage
evapotranspiration, condensation and sublimation
transfer of water from liquid to gas/ gas to liquid and either solid or gas or vice versa
interception
water intercepted and stored in plants
overland/ through/ groundwater flow
transfer of water
infiltration/ percolation
transfer from the ground surface into soil/rocks
infiltration/ percolation
transfer from the ground surface into soil/rocks
the water cycle as a system
a closed system as there are no inputs or outputs.
the hydrological cycle occuring in a drainage basin as a system
an open system. inputs= precipitation. outputs= runoff, evapotranspiration. state of dynamic equilibrium
water balance equation
P=O+E+/-S (P-precipitation, O-runoff, E-evapotranspiration, S-storage)
carbon sink
store that absorbs more carbon than it releases
carbon source
releases more carbon than it absorbs
vegetation succesion
sequence of development and changes in plant community
sere
succession that relates to a specific environment
photosynthesis
process by which plants use the suns energy to produce glucose
respiration
process that happens to convert glucose into energy
decomposition
decomposers such as bacteria/ fungi consume dead organisms
combustion
when organic material is burned releasing CO2 and water
burial and compaction
organic matter is buried by sediments and compacted
sequestration
when carbon is captured and held in long term storage
weathering
breakdown or decay of rocks in situ or close to surface. physical or chemical
carbon budget
describes amount of carbon that is stored or transferred. the difference between the inputs of carbon into a subsystem and outputs from it
ocean uptake
atmosphere to hydrosphere as CO2 is directly dissolved into water or taken up by organisms (eg plankton)
ocean loss
hydrosphere to the atmosphere when carbon rich water from deep ocean rises to the surface and releases CO2
feedback
return or knock on effect that usually leads to a change in the effectiveness of one or more processes
positive feedback
enhances the outcome leading to instability
negative feedback
works against the outcome leading to stability
carbon capture and storage (CCS)
uses technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations industry. once captured the gas is compressed and then injected as a liquid underground into suitable geological reservoirs.
how much could ccs cut global emissions by
19%
soil organic carbon
organic matter in a soil (usually around 2-10% of soil)
carbon farming
where one type of crop is replaced by another that has a greater productivity
revegetation
replanting and rebuilding soil on disturbed land
irrigation
process of applying controlled amounts of water to plants
mulching
applying a layer of material over soil to prevent carbon loss and add organic matter to the soil
reduced/ no tillage
reduced ploughing avoids decomposition of organic matter and depletion of soil carbon
links between water and carbon
- carbon combines with water in the atmosphere allowing chemical weathering which removes carbon from the atm
- water is needed for photosynthesis which removes carbon from the atmosphere
-the amount of CO2 in the atm affects global temps which affects the amount of evaporation that can take place which affects the amount of precipititation
If all glaciers and ice caps were to melt how much would sea levels increase
60 metres
Farming practices on water cycle
Ploughing breaks soil= increased infiltration
Arable farms= increase interception/evapotran
Pastoral = compacts soil= less infil= more runoff
Irrigation= reduces discharge of a river
Land use change in the water cycle
Deforestation= Less interception/ evapotran but infiltration increase
Construction= reduces infiltration/ evapotran but increases runoff
Water abstraction in the water cycle
Increases in dry seasons (needed for irrigation)
Abstract from aquifers - need often higher than inputs into aquifer so leads to a decline in global long term water sources
Natural processes that lead to flashy hydrographs
-High rainfall intensity
- antecedent rainfall
- impermeable geology
- high drainage density
- small basin
- circular basin
- low temps
- type of precipitation
- vegetation cover
Human impacts that lead to flashy hydrograph
- urbanisation ( impermeable surfaces)
- pastoral farming
- deforestation
Diffusion in carbon cycle
Oceans absorb co2 from atmosphere, this has increased ocean acidity by 30 % since pre-industrial times. Ocean is biggest carbon store. Coral bleaching is now occurring
Carbon sequestration
Transfer of carbon from atmosphere to other stores and can be both natural and artificial. Plants do it through photosynthesis. Factories do it as a form of carbon capture where co2 is captured and transported via pipeline to depleted gas fields and saline aquifers
Advantages of carbon sequestration
- fitted to existing coal power stations
- captures 90% of co2 produced
- potention to capture half of worlds co2 emissions
Disadvantages to carbon sequestration
- high cost
- increased demand of power stations
- no space
-can sometimes cause oil to be pushed out the ground further increasing fossil fuel usage
