Ch 7 Biogeochemical cycles

Question 1

Whats the biggest carbon store

Answer 1

Carbonate rocks (20000000 billion tonnes)

Question 2

What are the main chemical forms of the atmosphere

Answer 2

CO2 carbon dioxide
CH4 Methane
CO1 carbon monoxide

Question 3

What is fossilisation

Answer 3

the incomplete decomposition of DOM often under anaerobic conditions

Question 4

How do humans affect photosynthesis

Answer 4

deforestation
afforestation
Marine pollution (reduce phytoplankton)
sea ice reduction (algae sometimes beneath it in antartica)

Question 5

How does ploughing increase the rate of aerobic respiration

Answer 5

increases oxygen supply

Question 6

how can humans impact anaerobic respiration

Answer 6

Enviroments produced:
-rice padi fields
-landfill sites
-livestock intestines
Environments destroyed:
-drainage of waterlogged fields, marshlands, peat bogs

Question 7

what does anaerobic respiration release

Answer 7

methane

Question 8

what happens to methane in the atmosphere

Answer 8

gradually oxidised to CO2

Question 9

higher hydrogen ion concentrations make the sea what?

Answer 9

more acidic

Question 10

examples of human biomass movements

Answer 10

addition of compost to soils
deforestation
crop harvesting
sewage discharge into the sea
fishing and aquaculture

Question 11

How can carbon sequestration be slowed?

Answer 11

large scale tree planting

Question 12

Name three types of Carbon Capture Storage

Answer 12

1. Pre combustion technology
2. Post combustion technology
3. Storage

Question 13

What is Pre combustion technology

Answer 13

changing the fuels or method of combustion e.g. gasification of coal etc and then the removal of CO2 so only hydrogen is combusted (exhaust gases will then only contain water vapour)
Oxy-fuel combustion systems use pure O2 so only CO2 and H2O is produced- H2O removed by cooling and CO2 much easier to capture when not mixed with other gases

Question 14

what is Post combustion technology

Answer 14

CO2 can be removed