CARBON CYCLE! Flashcards
carbon stores:
atmosphere
lithosphere
biosphere
hydrosphere
what is the minimum amount of organic carbon needed in sediment and biologically degraded materials for crude oil to form?
2%
what processes are involved in the formation of crude oil?
impermeable rock will result in the crude oil being trapped
anaerobic reactions
settling of fine-grain sediments
what are fluxes in the carbon cycle?
the flows of carbon between different stores
the process of chemical weathering:
slightly acidic rain forms from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere being dissolved in rainwater
acidic rain hits carbon-rich rocks and dissolves material, forming calcium carbonate
dissolved materials are transported down rivers and into the sea, forming into sedimentary rock
size of carbon stores (largest to smallest):
- lithosphere
- hydrosphere
- biosphere
- atmosphere
what is a process?
a physical way in which carbon flows between different stores
flux:
a flow of carbon between different stores
a store:
where carbon is held
what is released into the atmosphere in out-gassing from volcanoes?
carbon dioxide
what is the biggest carbon store region?
the tundra
what does the thermohaline circulation refer to?
the global movement of water
cold water sinks to the bottom of the ocean while warm water rises to the surface
what do biological decomposers do?
consume already dead matter and return the carbon to the atmosphere through respiration
how do the oceans provide a biological carbon pump?
atmospheric carbon dissolves in the oceans where it can be transformed into terrestrial or biological carbon before returning to the atmosphere
what is the rate at which biological carbon is returned to the atmosphere dependent on?
temperature and climate
phytoplankton and the carbon cycle:
phytoplankton takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis
phytoplankton build their shells from calcium carbonate
phytoplankton are consumed by other organisms like zooplankton
carbon is returned to the atmosphere as consumers respire
what does the greenhouse gas layer do to the reflected solar radiation?
stops the radiation leaving the atmosphere
things affecting the amount of carbon stored in soil:
total output
total input
size of the store in different biomes
what happens in terms of pressure and precipitation at 30^N and 30^S?
high pressure and rainfall is rare
what is the albedo effect?
the colour of the surface of the earth impacts on how much radiation is absorbed
the white snow of glaciers and ice caps reflects the majority of heat whilst relatively dark oceans and forests absorb heat
uses of fossil fuels:
natural gas eg. for hearing stoves when cooking
coal eg. for fireplaces in homes
oil eg. in petrol and combusted in cars
what do we call the rapid rate at which the Arctic is warming?
Arctic amplification
what can be expected if precipitation falls as rain and not snow in winter?
winter floods
what do all types of fossil fuels combustion release as a by-product?
CO2
in 2015, how much of UK energy came from renewable sources?
25%
secondary energy sources:
energy that flows through power lines to reach homes and businesses eg. electricity
renewable energy:
energy sources that are natural continuous flows that can be constantly reused eg. wind power
primary energy sources:
energy sources used in their raw form eg. fossil fuels
how much of the world’s energy is consumed in urban areas?
75%
why is the UK not exploiting the 150 years’ worth of coal still in UK reserves?
available technology is not good enough
energy sources in Norway:
hydro-electric power sites
oil and natural gas
Svalbard coal
how much did the UK agree to reduce their greenhouse emission by before 2030 (based on 1990 levels)?
40%
what does OPEC stand for?
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
which country has the largest natural gas reserves at 47,800 billion m3?
Russia
China’s fossil fuel supply:
14th largest oil reserve
3rd largest coal reserve
world’s largest importer by 2035
by what year is China predicted to be the world’s largest energy importer?
2035
what is energy security highly affected by?
the vulnerability of transport networks
pipelines are intentionally placed to avoid damage and ships avoid areas known for piracy
how many times did piracy attacks happen in the Strait of Malacca between 2009 and 2015?
over 500
how is oil transported?
roughly 50% of the world’s oil is transported by ship
there are 8 shipping route chokepoints in the world
railways move around 50% of the oil in the USA from Bakken to the East Coast
what is the interconnected transmission system in the UK known as?
national grid
what does ESPO stand for?
the East Siberia Pacific Ocean oil pipeline that allows Russia to export oil to China, South Korea and Japan
what is found in sedimentary rock that has not had enough pressure, heat or time for conventional oil?
kerogen
extracting and producing tar sands:
opencast mines are used to extract tar sands
1 barrel of conventional oil required to produce 3 barrels of tar sand oil
2-5 barrels of water required for each barrel of tar sand oil
what is bio-ethanol made from?
sugar cane, beet and maize
what are biofuels?
fuels that are produced from organic matter and can be used in vehicles, can include biomass (the burning of plant material and animal waste for energy
what is the name for vehicles that can use a mixture of fuels?
flex vehicles
how big is the area of solar panels in Christchurch, England?
175 football pitches
renewable energy sources:
hydroelectric power
solar power
wind energy
biomass
solar energy in the UK:
largest solar farm is at Shotwick
increased by 86% between 2014 and 2015
what % of the UKs energy needs will be covered by Hinkley Point C?
7%
what are radical technologies?
refer to newer alternative approaches for a more sustainable future in terms of fuel and carbon emissions
solar, wind and nuclear statistics:
pre-2011, 27% of Japan’s electricity came from nuclear power
one wind turbine in Aylesbury provides energy for 2000 homes
solar panels in Christchurch will provide energy for 75% of Bournemouth’s homes
what does CCS stand for?
Carbon Capture and Storage
what is afforestation?
the planting of trees on land that has either been previously deforested or otherwise not vegetated which instantly counteracts all of the negative impacts of deforestation
rainforest losses and gains:
the annual net loss of rainforest is half that of the 1990s
we have gained 3.3 million hectares between 2010 and 2015
what does the Kuznet curve show?
how environmental degradation changes as economic growth increases
what does HIC stand for?
High Income Countries
what country is now considered the benchmark for high quality eco-tourism?
Costa Rica
Kuznet’s Curve order
as the economic growth of a country goes up, environmental degradation will increase (as an area gets richer, it will use its finances to get more resources)
these natural resources will further support the economic development of an area
the country will then hit a point where environmental concern spurs on a need to protect the environment
there is then a change in the environmental degradation but the GDP can continue to increase
as environmental degradation decreases, the country can still continue to improve in terms of GDP because new industries can be developed
effects of deforestation:
water cycle: less interception and infiltration = less evapotranspiration of water back into atmosphere
carbon stores: carbon stores in biomass decomposes to release more CO2, less vegetation = less photosynthesis to absorb CO2
what does CO2 convert to when there is a high concentration of it absorbed into the ocean?
carbonic acid
effects of ocean acidification:
coral disintegration and bleaching
—> tourism declines eg. scuba diving at Great Barrier Reef
—> storm surge and waves where reefs would protect shores
—> reef fish have no habitat = local fishing industries decline
what lives in the tissues of corals providing carbohydrates through photosynthesis?
algae
factors that can affect coral reefs:
coral bleaching
oil spills
where are increased temperatures likely to cause the most impact?
the Arctic
what % of the world’s terrestrial carbon is held in the Amazon basin?
17%
what % of the world’s climate zones have already changed with a 2^C increase in temperature?
5%
how much of the future increased energy consumption is likely to be covered by renewable energy in the UK?
we don’t know
what are feedback mechanisms?
where something that happens in a system has a knock on effect on the rest of the system eg. if Arctic ice melts sea temps and levels will rise = warmer sea makes more Arctic melt
what is the name of the oceanic circulation that would be disturbed with increased melting of northern glaciers and ice caps?
thermohaline circulation
features of forest dieback:
drought in forests causes tree death to reach a tipping point
there is so much dead vegetation that rainfall doesn’t infiltrate
there is no evapotranspiration happening
more vegetation die because of the further reduced rainfall
why is climate change uncertain?
because of a large number of factors and feedback mechanisms that may increase or stabilise the current impacts
what soil is formed from vegetation that is partly decayed?
peat
what are tipping points in any system?
point where there will be a drastic sometimes irreversible change
land use changes, adaptation strategies:
land use planning eg. zoning
resilient agriculture eg. conversion cropping eg. using crops that are suited to the changing climate
managing water better eg. reusing treated sewage water on farms eg. smart irrigation
what is geo-engineering?
adaptation through altering the physical environment to protect humans from the effects of climate change
what is smart irrigation?
using minimal amounts of water while ensuring optimum yield productivity which has lead to less water usage as well as less fertiliser and pesticides whilst increasing crop yield by 15%
how would spraying seawater into the atmosphere help manage solar radiation?
forms clouds to reflect radiation
features of Sweden’s renewable switching:
1970: 75% of electricity was powered by oil
now: 20% of electricity powered by oil
other 80%: mixture of HEP, nuclear and wind power
what are the UKs strategies for removing greenhouse gases?
include carbon capture and storage, afforestation, improve energy use efficiency, decarbonise electricity and increase number of zero emission vehicles
what is the Paris Agreement?
an example of a global agreement towards reducing climate change
aim is to limit any further temperature increase to 1.5^C
how could businesses reduce their carbon tax?
use more environmentally friendly materials
reduce waste and emissions
