Climate Change Flashcards
What is the albedo effect in general?
The albedo effect is the measure of how much sunlight a surface reflects. Bright surfaces like ice and snow have a high albedo, reflecting most sunlight, while darker surfaces like water and land have a low albedo, absorbing more sunlight. As reflective ice melts, darker surfaces are exposed, increasing heat absorption and further warming the planet.
What is the albedo effect - disappearing ice?
The albedo effect refers to how reflective surfaces, like Antarctic ice, reflect sunlight back into space, helping to cool the Earth. As the ice melts due to rising air and ocean temperatures, it exposes darker surfaces like water and land, which absorb more sunlight. This absorption increases Earth’s temperature, causing more ice to melt, creating a feedback loop that accelerates global warming.
What are the four spheres on earth?
Lithosphere, Biosphere, Atmosphere and Hydrosphere
What is the Lithosphere?
The lithosphere is the Earth’s rocky outermost layer, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, made up of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It provides the solid foundation for biomes and ecosystems, supplying soil, minerals, and nutrients essential for life. Within the lithosphere, carbon is stored as coal, oil deposits, and limestone, playing a key role in the carbon cycle. Biomes, such as forests and deserts, are physically located on the lithosphere, relying on its resources for vegetation growth and ecosystem stability.
What is the hydrosphere?
Contains all of the waters of our planet, which continually moves around in different states via the water cycle
What is the biosphere?
The biosphere includes all living things on Earth and their ecosystems. It consists of biota (all living organisms) and is divided into biomes, which are regions defined by environmental factors like climate and vegetation. Within these biomes are ecosystems, which describe the interactions between organisms and their physical environment.
What is the atmosphere?
the layer of gasses around earth - 5 layers. Troposphere- 1st layer, closest to the Earth’s surface, contains closely packed particles of air. Makes up the largest mass of the atmosphere (75%).
Stratosphere- 2nd layer, approx. 55km above Earth’s surface. Contains ozone layer which lets visible light and IR through but absorbs UV radiation.
Describe the interaction between the four spheres and their purpose.
The biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact to sustain life on Earth. The lithosphere provides soil and nutrients, the hydrosphere supplies water, and the atmosphere offers gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide. In the carbon cycle, carbon moves between these spheres—for example, plants in the biosphere absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere, while oceans and rocks store carbon from the hydrosphere and lithosphere. These interactions maintain Earth’s balance and support ecosystems.
What is the carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle displays how carbon moves through all spheres. Carbon is present in various forms within the biosphere. It can be found in the:
hydrosphere, as dissolved carbon dioxide
lithosphere, as coal or oil deposits and rocks such as limestone
atmosphere, as methane or carbon dioxide
living things, as proteins, carbohydrates or lipids.
Carbon travels from the non-living atmosphere to living things when carbon dioxide is absorbed by photosynthetic organisms (such as plants).
What are the two main processes in cycling carbon between organisms?
photosynthesisandcellular respiration
What is the difference between cellular respiration and photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis converts light energy, water, and CO₂ into glucose and O₂, storing energy in glucose. Cellular respiration does the opposite—it breaks down glucose and O₂ to release energy as ATP, producing CO₂ and water as byproducts. Together, they form a complementary cycle where the products of one process are the reactants for the other.
How does the hydrosphere contribute to the carbon cycle?
The hydrosphere absorbs CO₂ from the atmosphere, where it dissolves in water and is used by marine plants for photosynthesis or forms carbonate rocks. Oceans also release CO₂ back into the atmosphere, helping balance the carbon cycle.
How does the biosphere contribute to the carbon cycle?
The biosphere contributes to the carbon cycle as plants absorb CO₂ for photosynthesis, storing carbon in their tissues. Animals consume plants and release CO₂ through respiration, while decomposers return carbon to the soil and atmosphere, maintaining the cycle.
How does the lithosphere contribute to the carbon cycle?
The lithosphere contributes to the carbon cycle by storing carbon in rocks, fossil fuels, and soil. Carbon is released into the atmosphere through volcanic activity, weathering, and the burning of fossil fuels, while some carbon is stored long-term in rocks like limestone.
How does the atmosphere contribute to the carbon cycle?
The atmosphere stores carbon as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄), which are dispersed throughout the air. These gases are part of the natural carbon cycle and are exchanged with the biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere through processes like photosynthesis, respiration, and ocean absorption.
