carbon cycle eq1 Flashcards
what are the 3 type of carbon stores?
Inoraganic (rocks)
organic (plant material)
gaseous (CO2, CH4, CO)
what is a flux?
rate of movement between stores
what is a store?
reservoirs where carbon is held
what are processes?
the physical mechanisms that drive the fluxes between stores
what is a systems approach?
study of inputs, outputs and flows
what is sequestration?
the natural storage of carbon by physical or biological processes eg photosynthesis
what is the atmosphere?
the layer of gasses that surrounds the earth
what is the hydrosphere?
the combined mass of water on the earth’s surface
what is the lithosphere?
the outer part of the earth composed of rock, consisting of the crust and the top layer of the mantle
what is the biosphere?
the layer of earth occupied by living organisms
what is equilibrium?
a state in which processes are balanced so that no overall change is taking place
what is photosynthesis?
where green plants and organisms use sunlight to produce nutrients from carbon dioxide and water
what is respiration?
the process in living organisms involving the production of energy, with the intake of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide
what are the two types of carbon cycle?
geological
bio-geochemical
what is the geological carbon cycle?
movement of carbon between land, ocean and atmosphere
what is the bio-geochemical carbon cycle?
exchange of carbon between its four main reservoirs = atmosphere, biosphere, oceans and sediments
what are the main two components of the bio-geochemical carbon cycle?
geological carbon cycle - the slower cycle, centred on the carbon stores in rocks and sediments
biological - the faster cycle with rapid turnovers between the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere
what are the 3 main terrestrial carbon stores?
limestone
shale
fossil fuels
what are the three types of weathering?
mechanical (freeze thaw)
chemical (carbonic acid)
biological (plant roots)
how can carbon end up in the lower mantle?
subduction of the sea floor , some hidden limestone can be exposed through tectonic uplift such as in the Himalayas.
what is volcanic outgassing?
pockets of CO2 in the crust that is disturbed by volcanic activity.
what is a major eruption that produced a large quantity of CO2?
Pinatubo 1991
how much do volcanoes emit in comparison to humans
volcanoes - 0.15 - 0.26 Giga tonnes
humans - 35 Giga tonnes
what type of environment causes dead organic matter to decay more quickly?
rainforest = warm and wet conditions
has potential for high level of carbon in soil which is not stored for long.
what factors speed up decomposition and therefore carbon loss from soils?
- climate = decay happens faster at high temperatures and with rain
- soil type = sandy soils lose carbon quicker than clay soils as they are more porous allowing microorganisms to get in
- human activity = intensive farming or ploughing can cause erosion cause loss of carbon
what is the process of the greenhouse effect?
- radiation from the sun travels to the earth.
- some solar radiation is reflected by the atmosphere and earth (by icecaps)
-radiation absorbed by surface and warms earth
-infrared radiation emitted by earth
what is the process of the greenhouse effect?
- radiation from the sun travels to the earth.
- some solar radiation is reflected by the atmosphere and earth (by icecaps)
-radiation absorbed by surface and warms earth
-infrared radiation emitted by earth, some passes through atmosphere, some get reflected by atmosphere and it reabsorbed by earth.
what stable conditions do the carbon cycle and greenhouse gases create?
stable:
- temperature
- precipitation
- atmospheric composition
- soil carbon storage
how does the cc and ghg create stable temperature conditions?
solar insolation is more intense at the equator and more dispersed at the poles. Heat is then redistributed by wind.
how does the cc and ghg create stable precipitation conditions?
heat effect precipitation as warms air rises and cools, condensing and creating clouds causing precipitation. causes high levels of precipitation around the equator and lower levels of precipitation around lower latitudes where pressure rises.
how does the cc and ghg create stable atmospheric composition conditions?
photosynthesis regulates is by sequestering CO2 through phytoplankton and terrestrial photosynthesis
how does the cc and ghg create stable soil carbon storage conditions?
carbon is important for soil health. healthy soil is normally carbon rich
