Carbon Cycle and Energy Security Key Terms Flashcards
What is Adaptation?
Making changes to our lifestyle to allow us to live in a changing climate rather than trying to stop the changes.
What is Afforestation?
Planting new trees to increase carbon sinks.
What does Anthropogenic mean?
Human-induced changes on the natural environment.
What is an Atmospheric Carbon Store?
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other carbon compounds present in the Earth’s atmosphere, crucial for regulating the Earth’s climate.
What is Biological Sequestration?
The capture and storage of carbon by biological processes, such as photosynthesis.
What is a Biosphere Carbon Store?
All carbon stored in living organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, as well as in dead organic matter.
What is a Carbon Budget?
The balance of the exchanges (incomes and losses) of carbon between carbon reservoirs or between one specific loop of the carbon cycle.
What is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)?
Technology to capture and store CO2 emissions underground.
What is the Carbon Cycle?
The biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
What does Carbon Neutral mean?
Achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing emissions with removal or offsetting.
What is Carbon Sequestration?
Capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
What is a Carbon Sink?
Natural systems that absorb more carbon than they release.
What is a Carbon Source?
Processes that release carbon into the atmosphere.
What is Carbon Trading?
A market-based system aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.
What is Decomposition?
Breakdown of organic matter, releasing carbon.
What is Deforestation?
The clearing of trees, transforming a forest into cleared land.
What is Diagenesis?
The physical, chemical, and biological processes that transform sediments into sedimentary rock after they are deposited.
What is Energy Security?
The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.
What is the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?
Additional warming caused by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases due to human activities.
What is the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)?
A climate phenomenon caused by variations in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
What is El Niño?
The warm phase of ENSO, characterized by above-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
What is La Niña?
The cooler phase of ENSO, characterized by the cooling of surface ocean waters along the tropical west coast of South America.
What are Fossil Fuels?
Natural fuels formed from the remains of living organisms.
What is a Geological Carbon Store?
Carbon stored in rocks and sediments, including fossil fuels and sedimentary rocks.
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
A natural process where greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun, keeping the Earth’s surface warm.
What is the Marine Carbonate Pump?
The process by which marine organisms convert carbon dioxide into calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons.
What is Methane (CH4)?
A potent greenhouse gas which is 25x stronger than CO2 in terms of its global warming potential.
What is Mitigation?
Policies designed to reduce further enhancement of the greenhouse effect.
What is Ocean Acidification?
Decrease in pH of the Earth’s oceans due to increased CO2 absorption, resulting in more acidic waters.
What is an Oceanic Carbon Store?
The carbon stored in the world’s oceans, including dissolved carbon dioxide and organic carbon.
What is OPEC?
An intergovernmental organisation of 13 oil-exporting countries.
What is Photosynthesis?
Process by which plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.
What is Residence Time?
The average length of time that carbon remains in a particular reservoir.
What is Respiration?
The process by which living organisms convert oxygen and glucose into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.
What is Thermohaline Circulation?
The global ocean circulation driven by differences in temperature and salinity.
What are Unconventional Fossil Fuels?
Fossil fuels that require advanced extraction techniques, such as fracking and tar sands.
