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Physical Geography Case Studies > Carbon Water Cycle > Flashcards

Carbon Water Cycle Flashcards

1
Q

How much freshwater is stored in aquifers?

A

30%

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2
Q

In the last ice age how much of the world’s water was stored in ice, and by how much did sea levels fall by?

A

1/3

100m

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3
Q

How much higher were sea levels 3 million years ago?

A

50m higher

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4
Q

How much of the world’s ice is locked up in the Antarctic and the Greenland ice sheet?

A

95%

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5
Q

How much of the total global freshwater is contained in the Greenland ice sheet?

A

8%

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6
Q

In 2016, record warm air created an early melt event that melted how much of the Greenland ice sheet in a few days?

A

17%

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7
Q

What happened because of the 2012-16 Californian drought?

A

Lakes dried up
Agricultural productivity declined
Fires raged across dry forests

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8
Q

What is happening to aquifers in the Middle East?

A

Water is being extracted from fossil aquifers at a faster rate than recharge, serious risk of depletion

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9
Q

How much of the world’s carbon is stored in sedimentary rocks?

A

99.9%

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10
Q

How much CO2 from industries can be captured and stored by CCS?

A

Up to 90%

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11
Q

From 2020, what will Rotterdam be doing with their CO2 emissions from chemical plants and oil refineries?

A

Sequestering it in the North Sea bed

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12
Q

How much of all land based carbon do Boreal forests store?

A

30-40%

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13
Q

What was the SE Asian Haze pollution crisis caused by, and how many people did it affect?

A

Wildfires

28 million

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14
Q

How many acres of forest did wildfires engulf in the Siberian Boreal in 2019?

A

17 million acres in 2 months

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15
Q

How much carbon do todays volcanoes release?

A

130-380 million tonnes per year

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16
Q

How much carbon does human activity release per year?

A

30 billion tonnes

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17
Q

How much of our total carbon emissions does deforestation count for

A

20%

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18
Q

What are the 2 positive water cycle feedback loops?

A

1- when temps rise, rate of evapotranspiration increases, amount of water vapour (ghg) increases so temps rise more
2- when temps rise, ice melts. Decreases amount of solar radiation beinf reflected as less white surface (albedo effect). More heat is absorbed so increase in global temps

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19
Q

What are the 2 negative water cycle feedback loops?

A

1- when temps rise, evapotranspiration increases so increased levels of water vapour and cloud formation and more rainfall, less atmospheric carbon
2- increased temps allow phytoplankton to flourish, more DMS produced which promotes cloud formation, more rainfall and less atmospheric carbon.

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20
Q

What are the 2 positive carbon cycle feedback loops?

A

1- increased levels of CO2 leas to x increased temps, increases drought stress, dieback of vegetation lead to more CO2 in atmosphere
2- increased levels of CO2 lead to increased temps, melts permafrost in tundra which acts like a long term carbon store, releases CH4 and increases temps

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21
Q

What is the negative carbon feedback loop?

A

More carbon higher temps, longer growing season and higher latitudes can grow more vegetation for more photosynthesis and less CO2

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22
Q

What did Sri Lanka pledge to do in 2015?

A

Protect all mangrove forests

23
Q

By how much did deforestation rates fall by between 2004-2009 in Brazil?

A

75%

24
Q

What was the aim of the 2015 Paris Agreement?

A

International treaty aimed to limit the increase in global temp by 1.5 C compared to pre industrial levels
193 parties ratified

25
Q

What are the characteristics of a tropical rainforest?

A

Found in broad belt between tropics
Annual rainfall exceeds 2000mm
27 C average
Home to 200 million and half of the world’s flora and fauna
Known as Lungs of the Earth as they emit 28% of world’s O2

26
Q

How much carbon is transported to oceans by mangroves?

A

Mangroves cover 0.1% of the world’s surface but account for 10% of the world’s terrestrially derived carbon transported to ocean.

27
Q

How much of the work’s rainforests have been wiped out?

A

Half

28
Q

By how much could rainfall decrease in the Amazon due to deforestation?

A

Study discovered that air passing over forested land produced twice as much rainfall as deforested land
Amazon could see a 20% decrease in rainfall in the future

29
Q

How much of Indonesia was covered by forest in the 60s, and why has that changed ?

A

80%
Rapid developed, increased demand for paper and palm oil, alongside corruption and illegal logging has decimated the area thought widespread deforestation

30
Q

How many hectares a year of Indonesian forest is lost per year?

A

More than a million, 30% occurring in carbon rich peat lands.
It is estimated that 85% of indonesias emissions comes from rainforest and peatland degradation.

31
Q

Why are fires a problem in Indonesia?

A

One of the most effective ways to clear forests as it releases nutrients into soil.
But fires grow out of control and burn thousands of acres, destroys carbon sinks

32
Q

What are the consequences of the 1997 Indonesian fires?

A

CO2 levels spiked
Pollution spread to other countries
8 millions hectares of lands lost
Carbon released in these fires supersedes carbon whosoever by earths in a year

33
Q

What are the consequences of the 2015 Indonesian fires?

A

Over 10,000 fires raged mostly due to illegal slash and burn
Hot and dry conditions exacerbated the fire
Thick smoke affected health of thousands
Estimated carbon released as much as total UK annual emissions

34
Q

How much more acidic has the ocean become since pre-industrial times?

A

30%, harming aquatic life, and leading to coral bleaching

35
Q

CCS has the potential to capture how much of the world’s total carbon emissions?

A

Half

36
Q

What are the negatives of CCS?

A

Expensive and may encourage further energy use as people may assume its fine to continue to consume fossil fuels at a nonsustainable rate

37
Q

By how much has human activity caused atmospheric carbon levels to increase by?

A

40%

38
Q

By how much has the rate of deforestation decreased?

A

from 9.5 million hectares per year in the 1990’s to 5.5

million hectares per year in 2010-15

39
Q

What country has the most carbon stored on land and the most extensive deforested area?

A

Brazil

40
Q

What country has the largest amount of afforested area?

A

China

41
Q

Describe the pattern of forests by 2050?

A

Forests in some regions are expected to increase by 2050 due to the conversion of agricultural land and plantations to new forests, especially in East Asia (China has the most forested land) but in the global
south, forested areas will decrease.

42
Q

How much of the total carbon emissions does land-use change contribute?

A

10%

43
Q

In the Amazon, how much deforestation is attributed to cattle ranching?

A

70% of deforestation is for cattle
ranching. Cattle produce significant amounts of methane, further contributing to
global warming. Scientists are considering whether feeding cows different foods
would help to reduce their methane emissions.

44
Q

How much does concrete production contribute to the total carbon emissions?

A

7% so sustainable options for recycling

concrete are being developed.

45
Q

Which stores more CO2, colder or warmer oceans?

A

Colder

46
Q

Are the Milankovich cycles responsible for climate change?

A

whilst orbital variations initiated the

warming effect, over 90% of warming was likely as a result of the rise in atmospheric CO₂.

47
Q

Describe one global mitigation effort

A

Paris Climate Deal (COP21):
● Aim to limit the increase of global temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
● Support for developing countries.
● Public interaction and awareness schemes.
● Meet every five years to review and improve goals.

48
Q

Describe one regional mitigation intervention

A

EU 20-20-20:
● 20% reduction in GHG emissions and commitment to 20% of energy coming from
renewable sources and 20% increase in energy efficiency by 2020.
● This was achieved, and a 31% reduction in CO2 emissions was seen
● However, only 21/27 countries met their 2020 targets

49
Q

Describe one local mitigation intervention

A

● Improving home insulation.

● Recycling.

50
Q

Describe the enhanced greenhouse effect

A

The process whereby excessive amounts of ghg produced by human activity traps excess solar radiation, which leads to climate change.

51
Q

Describe radiative forcing

A

The difference between incoming solar radiation absorbed by the Earth and the energy radiated back out into space. This has increased in the recent years, leading to more heat being trapped.

52
Q

How much have CO2 emissions affected radiatiove forcing?

A

Carbon dioxide alone would account for a 36-percent increase in radiative forcing since 1990

53
Q

How much carbon does the ocean absorb?

A

30% of human emissions

Physical Geography Case Studies (3 decks)

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