Carbon budget and impacts Flashcards
What is the carbon budget?
uses data to describe the amounts of carbon that is stored and transferred within carbon cycling
what is it measured in?
petegrams (Pg)
Impact of temperatures on carbon cycle?
cooler conditions:
cold rainwater= hold more co2= oceans more active
forest coverage differs
decomposers less effective- carbon transfer to soil reduced
more water stored as ice- less transferred to oceans&less sediment transferred
warmer conditions:
melt permafrost- release previously trapped gases- greenhouse effect- positive feedback- further destabilisation of systems
decrease pytoplankton (cool, nutrient rich water)
melt sea ice- reflective ice replaced with heat absorbent water- habitats lost to algae
Impacts of ocean acidification
carbonic acid with carbonate ions in water= bicarbonate, less available for coral and plankton for shells(weaker and thinner) -> impacts food chains
Dissolves calcium carbonate rocks (chalk and limestone), release carbonate ions, increase capacity to absorb co2
How the climate impacts ocean salinity?
lower in north Atlantic, more freshwater added to ocean, slows down oceanic circulation
Explain how orbital cycles impact carbon cycle?
Milankovitch cycles- delay between temperature change and CO2
What is radioactive forcing?
energy constantly flowing into atmosphere(sunlight), 30% reflected to space, rest is absorbed (some radiated back as infrared)- balance measured in watts/m2 (not balanced if not 0)
What happens at the end of a glacial period?
carbon surge released, enhance GG
What is a fast and slow carbon cycle?
fast= seasonal vegetation growth- NH= larger landmasses and uptake of co2 in summer/spring SH= smaller landmasses, cant compensate winter dormancy in north with summer uptake slow= reducing carbon compounds in organic/inorganic sequences- biochemical interaction
