Carbon/Water Cyle Flashcards
Importance of water in helping life on the planet Earth
Water helps create BEGNIN THERMAL CONDITIONS on Earth I.e Ocenas MODERATE TEMPS by absorbing HEAT STORING IT AND RELEASING IT SLOWLY
Water Vapour ABSORBS LONG-WAVE RADIATION from Earth helping to maintain AVERAGE GLOBAL TEMPS
Use of water for Flora(plants) Fauna(animals) and people
Plants use water for processes of PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESPIRATION TRANSPIRATION
Photosynthesis -makes Glucose and Starch
Plants also require Water to MAINTAIN RIGIDITY to TRANSPORT MINERAL NUTRIENTS
TRANSPIRATION of Water from leaf surfaces COOLS PLANTS by EVAPORATION
Water is essential resource for ECONOMIC ACTIVITY used to generate ELECTRICITY IRRIGATE CROPS Satisfy public demand, RECREATIONAL USE
SWEATING is a similar COOLING PROCESS in humans -for ANIMALS it is PANTING
Importance of carbon to life on Earth
Stored in the sea floor sediments ocean water, atmosphere and biosphere
Most of life is built on carbon -molecules with carbon atoms
Used as an economic resource I.e- fossil fuels power global economy
Agriculture store A LARGE AMOUNTS of Carbon for HUMAN USE as FOOD
How Carbon moves through their stores
Through the processes of PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESPIRATION OXIDATION and WEATHERING
Systems
Groups of Objects and the relationships that bind objects together
Closed system global carbon/water cycle
On a global scale water and carbon scale are driven by the Sun’s energy( only energy not matter)
Open systems small scale Carbon/water Cycle
Drainage basins/forest ecosystem
Materials as well as Sun’s energy CROSS SYSTEM BOUNDARIES (so both energy and matter)
Open system
A system has a flow of energy and matter
Closed System
A system that does not allow the transfer/flow of matter in or out of a system
Water Cycle at a GLOBAL SCALE :System
Seen as a CLOSED SYSTEM
Because
Only energy from SUN can CROSS BOUNDARY of System
Water is not LOST OR GAINED ON EARTH;does not leave the ATMOSPHERE
Water Cycle at a Local/ SCALE; System
Has both inputs and outputs leaving and entering system
Example Natural drainage basin in Amazonia
