Earth Life Support Systems Flashcards

Question

What is transpiration?

Answer 1

The diffusion of water vapour to the atmosphere from the stomata of plants. Responsible for 10% of the moisture in the atmosphere. Influenced by temperature, wind, humidity and light intensity.

Answer 2

1. Temperature - if increased water molecules diffuse faster creating faster transpiration 2. Wind - Removes water molecules as the pass out through the stomata allowing for more transpiration (concertation gradient) 3. Humidity - If decreased transpiration will increase as less water vapour is outside the leaf. 4. Light intensity - If increased allows for increased photosynthesis, and so water vapour will diffuse out of the leaf faster, increasing transpiration.

Answer 3

The water balance through the year, with precipitation, soil moisture, soil moisture recharge and field capacity.W

Answer 4

The maximum amount of water soil can hold until it becomes completely saturated.

Answer 5

Autumn months

Answer 6

December to April (more precipitation in the winter and will exceed water evapotranspiration as leaves fall)

Answer 7

Where plants uptake water from the soils for photosynthesis.

Answer 8

Volume of water (cross sectional area x rivers mean velocity).

Answer 9

A graph that shows how a rivers discharge responds to a storm event

Answer 10

Period of time between maximum precipitation and peak discharge

Answer 11

Maximum discharge in the river.

Answer 12

The river discharge increasing and decreasing

Answer 13

The normal discharge of the river

Answer 14

Flash and non-flashy

Answer 15

Small lag time, steep rising limb, high peak discharge

Answer 16

High lag time, small peak discharge, gentle rising limb.

Answer 17

Rainfall, initially intercepted by vegetation which drips to the ground

Answer 18

Flow of water along the branches and stems of trees and other plants to the ground

Answer 19

The maximum rate at which water under the pull of gravity soaks into the soil.

Answer 20

The area drained by a river and its tributaries.

Answer 21

-Phase change of liquid to water vapour -Main pathway which water enters the atmosphere -eat is needed to bring evaporation to break the bonds between the water molecules.

Answer 22

-Energy input of evaporation does not lead to an increase in temperature -Instead the energy is absorbed so the atmosphere is cooled as latent heat is taken in. -This latent heat is then released in condensation -Affects tropical rainforests daily -Affects polar regions seasonally

Answer 23

1. Interception storage capacity - Dry vegetation has a higher ability to retain water, as vegetations becomes saturated, output of water through stem flow and through fall increases 2. Wind speed - Evaporation increases as humidity decreases, and turbulence increases through fall 3. Vegetation type - Greater losses from grasses than agricultural crops, trees have a higher surface area and aerodynamic roughness increases interception.

Answer 24

1. Saturation of soil - More saturated, water will flow slowly and wont intercept 2. Amount of surface vegetation - Will cause more interception decreasing the amount of water entering the ground 3. Porosity of soil - Will determine the percolation rate 4. Gradient of slop - Will determine how fast the groundwater flows.

Answer 25

Occurs when water flows over an impermeable surface May flow over due to the ground being to saturated, or if the soils are impermeable or because the rainfall is too intense.

Answer 26

Condensation

Answer 27

Cumuliform Stratiform Cirrus

Answer 28

-Flat bases and considerable vertical development -Form when air is heated locally through contact with the Earths surface -Causes heated air parcels to rise through the atmosphere expand and cool -As cooling reaches the dew point the cloud forms. -Precipitation occurs so impact the water cycle

Answer 29

-Layer clouds -Develop when air mass moves horizontally across a cooler surface (ocean) -Known as advection -Precipitation occurs so impact the water cycle.

Answer 30

-Wispy clouds -Form at high altitudes -Consist of tiny ice crystals -They do not produce precipitation -Little influence on the water cycle

Answer 31

1. Troposphere is the lowest portion of the Earth's atmosphere and is also where most of the worlds weather takes place containing 75% of the atmospheres mass and 99% of the water vapour 2. As you go up, the temperature decreases at a rate of 6.5 degrees C/KM 3. This decrease in temperature is called the ELR (Environmental Lapse Rate)

Answer 32

6.5°C/KM Called the ELR (Environmental Lapse Rate)

Answer 33

1. The parcels rise at 18-13 degrees under confined pressure 2. At 8 degrees the parcels reach the dew point so clouds begin to form 3. It will continue to rise until the parcel is the same temperature as the ELR

Answer 34

At the Earths surface because air is warmer than surrounding air so will begin to rise.

Answer 35

Description of what happens to a parcel of air as it rises as air pressure decrease causing an increase in volume and a decrease in temperature.

Answer 36

Dry adiabatic lapse rate: is the rate at which a parcel of dry air (less than 100% humidity so that condensation is NOT taking place) cools. Cooling caused by adiabatic expansion is approximal 10°C/KM

Answer 37

Saturated adiabatic lapse rate: is the rate at which a saturated parcel of air (one in which condensation IS occurring) cools as it rise through the troposphere. The rate of cooling is slower (7°C/KM) because condensation releases latent heat.

Answer 38

Saturated air contains condensed water (water that has turned from a gas to a liquid). When condensation occurs, latent heat is released. The exact opposite of evaporation. This prevents air from cooling as rapidly as heat is released.

Answer 39

1. Topography of land - Air is forced to rise of over a barrier of mountains of hills. It then cools as it rises. 2. Convergence - streams of air flowing from different directions are forced to rise where they converge, creating cumulus clouds and showery conditions.

Answer 40

Absolute instability Absolute stability Conditional instability

Answer 41

-Where wet air continues to rise as it is WARMER than its surroundings -When DALR is to the right of the ELR curve, the parcel of air is warmer than the surroundings. -As the parcel of air rises it cools until the dew point when it is 100% saturated and condensation occurs -Creates cumulus clouds with thunder storms. Occurs in the summer in the UK.

Answer 42

-When the DALR is to the left of the ELR curve, the parcel of air is COOLER than its surroundings. -The air may be forced to rise due to a mountain range -But the parcel of air cools more rapidly than the air surrounding it -By the time the parcel has reached the condensation level it is cooler than the surrounding air, so it doesn't condense and sinks. -This creates sunny, dry conditions

Answer 43

-Initially the ELR is to the right of the DALR curve, meaning that the parcel of air is colder than the surrounding air -If the parcel of air is forced to rise it will be colder than the surroundings -This means it would normally sink back down, however if the mountain or cold air mass that originally caused the rise is still there, the air will be cooled to its dew point -Now condensation occurs, latent heat is released, air cools more slowly at the SALR and the parcel of air may become warmer than its surroundings so will rise freely causing unstable atmosphere -Causes clouds to form above the condensation level.

Answer 44

1. Crop irrigation diverts surface water from rivers and ground water to cultivated land 2. Interception is reduced 3. Evaporation and transpiration reduced 4. Ploughing increases evaporation and soil moisture loss 5. Compaction of ground from livestock made more run off

Answer 45

1. Crop harvesting 2. Livestock

Answer 46

1. Increases evaporation 2. Higher rates of interception 3. Compared to farmland and moorland, transpiration rates are increased. 4. Relatively long lag times and low peak flows 5. Reduced run off and stream discharge 6. Fast changes to the water cycle when forest are felled

Answer 47

Will affect both the surface and ground water to meet public, industrial and agricultural water demands by impacting the flows and storage.

Answer 48

-Rates of abstraction exceed recharge rate (deficit) -Lower flows -Lower groundwater - lower water table -Springs dry up

Answer 49

Are permeable and porous rocks such as chalk or new red sandstone

Answer 50

Groundwater that passes through aquifers from recharge zones, will flow along the water table and feeds rivers.

Answer 51

-Caused a drastic fall in the water table -London fell by 90m -In the past 50 years, water has declined in demand so has recovered. -By 1990, it was rising at a rate of 3m/yr. -Began to threaten buildings so abstraction was used to reduce the rise.

Answer 52

Diurnal Seasonal Long term

Answer 53

-Significant changes occur over a 24 hour period (Daily) -Lower evaporation and transpiration at night -Low temperature, condensation forms fog mist and dew. Caused by convectional precipitation falling during the afternoon ONLY REALLY IMPORTANT IN THE TROPS DUE TO RECYCLING OF WATER

Answer 54

-Still short term changes -Controlled by variations in solar intensity throughout the year -Transpiration will be highest during the summer, lowest during the winter -As a result river flows in England are normally at the lowest in late summer CRUCIAL TO THE WATER CYCLE IN ARCTIC

Answer 55

-Glacial cycles, 4 major cycles in the quaternary -Last glacial maximum 18,000 years a go -Positive feedback causing more ice to form -Ice sheets destroy forests and grasslands removing water from the biosphere and to the cryosphere. -Lower rates of transpiration -Permafrost expands south

Answer 56

1. NASA Earth Observing System - Measures arctic sea ice 2. ICESAT 2 - Measures surface height of ice sheets 3. NOAA - Measures the radiation emitted from the ocean surface to see temperature 4. NOAA Polar orbiter - Measures cloud liquid water vapour

Answer 57

1. Evapotranspiration reduced from 40% to 20% 2. Ground water storage reduced from 40% to 20% 3. Run off increased from <1% to 30%

Answer 58

1. Population growth - Rise in demand for water (drinking, agriculture, irrigation etc) 2. Economic growth - Better technology to abstract water causing water table to lower 3. Urbanisation - Population increase causes more housing reducing evapotranspiration, precipitation and increases surface run off 4. Deforestation - Room for rising demand for food, less infiltration and percolation 5. Energy consumption - Use of water for cooling, water based energy.

Answer 59

Forest management Water allocations As well as agricultural improvments

Answer 60

REDD programme - Reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation World Banks FCPF - Forest carbon partnership facility Together they fund 50 partner countries, offering financial investments to protect and restore forests. ARPA - Amazon fund to protect 10% of the Amazon

Answer 61

The Colorado Basin, USA River Indus, Pakistan, India

Answer 62

1. The water availability was less than estimated 2. Agriculture use was higher than expected 3. Didn't take in the fact of climate change 4. High amounts of abstraction than expected 5. So the compact didn't take into these facts and the basin dried out 6. However Colorado re-wrote the compact, so there is better management for the water level. WASNT SUCCESSFUL AS IT WAS UNDERESTIMATED THE ABSTRACTION GROWTH OF POPULATION, DEMAND FOR SUPPLY

Answer 63

1. India has built dams which slow down the water an Eastern tributary causing conflict. 2. Climate change depleting the store as well 3. Population growth also depleting the store. 4. However, a treaty was made for Pakistan to have the North and India to have the south. 5. But use of water may need to be considered, not just abstraction WAS SUCCESSFUL AS IT DID REDUCE THE CHANCES OF CONFLICT, BUT WILL NEED TO BE RECONSIDERED FOR OTHER USES OF WATER.

Answer 64

1. Carbon is a major building block of life 2. Green plants and phytoplankton use carbon to photosynthesise 3. Carbon stores such as ocean sediments and carbonate rocks lock away carbon 4. Decomposition and oxidation ensure co2 is recycled 5. Important greenhouse gas that absorbs long-wave radiation from the Earths surface.

Answer 65

Biosphere - 560 billion tonnes (0.0012%) Atmosphere - 750 Billion tonnes (0.0017%) Pedosphere - 1500 Billion tonnes (0.0031%) Fossil Fuels - 4000 billion tonnes (0.004%) Oceans - 38,000 billion tonnes (0.038%) Lithosphere - 99.9% of all carbon

Answer 66

Amount of carbon in the store / the transfer rate

Answer 67

1. Carbon is stored in the atmosphere 2. This is then directly absorbed by the oceans forming carbonic acid 3. This forms calcium carbonate as well 4. The CaCO3 then sinks to the ocean floor, building layers over millions of years and compact to create sedimentary rocks with a store of carbon 5. Heat and pressure creates fossil fuels from dead organic matter 6. Sea floor spreading causes plates to move, and then subduct under the mantle 7. Extreme heat causes carbon to be released back to the surface and also via volcanic activity. 8. Recycled back to the atmosphere.

Answer 68

1. Atmosphere holds carbon 2. Plants take in the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via photosynthesis 3. This is then stored in plants and trees. 4. Animals then eat the plants and respire as well as digest causing release of CO2 and CH4 5. Combustion via wildfires also releases CO2 to the atmosphere 6. Dead organic matter is then decomposed, via aerobic and anaerobic respiration via CO2 and CH4.

Answer 69

1. Precipitation (CO2 + H20 --> H2CO3) 2. Photosynthesis (C02 +H20 ---> C6H1206 + O2) 3. Weathering 4. Respiration 5. Decomposition 6. Combustion

Answer 70

Is the capture and long term storage of carbon from the atmosphere from the atmosphere. Occurs naturally but humans are trying to find way of adapting this in order to reduce atmospheric co2.

Answer 71

Most: Tropical/sub-tropical rainforests Least: Arctic Tundra

Answer 72

1. Physical pump (inorganic) 2. Biological pump (organic)

Answer 73

1. CO2 is absorbed by the surface waters by diffusion 2. Surface ocean currents transfer this water to the poles were it cools 3. The water containing the dissolved CO2 becomes denser and sinks as the water is more saline. 4. This is called downwelling, and only occurs in the North Atlantic and Iceland. 5. The carbon can remain at depth for centuries 6. Eventually the bottom of the water is carried upward towards the coast of Peru and Chile 7. It then diffuses back into the atmoshpere

Answer 74

Sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere to the oceans

Answer 75

Conditions are optimal for upwelling along the coast when winds blow along the shore. Winds blowing across the ocean surface push water away. Water then rises up from beneath the surface to replace the water that was pushed away.

Answer 76

Areas of downwelling will reduce as fresh water ice melts, creating less saline water. Upwelling will increase as the oceans will increase in temperature meaning that C02 will diffuse into the atmosphere more creating a positive feedback loop.

Answer 77

Most of fresh water is stored as ice, so it leaves salty water behind

Answer 78

1. Phytoplankton floating near the ocean surface photosynthesise to produce organic material 2. Carbon locked in the phytoplankton then falls or gets eaten and accumulates in sediments on the ocean floors 3. This is the stored here for millions of years with sediment laying on top of eachother creating pressure 4. This creates fossil fuels, limestone and chalk

Answer 79

1. Phytoplankton prefer colder water, so will slowly move towards the poles as ocean temperatures increase. 2. However, the rate of photosynthesis will increase 3. But the overall number of phytoplankton will reduce therefore less food in the food chain and less organic matter.

Answer 80

Pedosphere and biosphere store reduced Photosynthesis and decomposition reduced Human induced combustion Carbon cycle slows

Answer 81

1. Biosphere and pedosphere reduced as ploughing reduces carbon in soils, adding oxygen which increases aerobic respiration releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. 2. Livestock farming uses space, trees removed and digestion is increased 3. Soil erosion from rain and wind reduces the carbon store

Answer 82

-Increase carbon store in biosphere - Forest trees extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store in the wood - Only a n active carbon sink for the first 100 years - Rotation period of 80-100 years (cut down and planted again)

Answer 83

1. CO2 levels are highest for 800,000 years 2. Without extraction of C02 from the atmosphere from the oceans and biosphere, levels would reach over 500ppm 3. Since 1750, anthropogenic carbon totals 2000 GT

Answer 84

1. Increase in FF 2. More co2 in atmosphere 3. Enhanced greenhouse effect 4. Increase in temperature 5. More photosynthesis 6. Removal of co2 from atmosphere 7. CO2 stored in land sink

Answer 85

1. Sequestration of phytoplankton decreasing due to higher temperatures killing them 2. Increased carbonation and ocean acidification - oceans wont hold any more c02 so will be stored in atmosphere

Answer 86

Diurnal changes

Answer 87

Photosynthesis in day (atmosphere -> biosphere transfer) Respiration at night (biosphere -> atmosphere transfer) Diurnal changes during the winter are less important due to deciduous trees shedding

Answer 88

More atmospheric carbon in the winter than the summer, due to photosynthesis decreasing in Winter as deciduous trees shed leaves, so most of the carbon is stored in the atmosphere.

Answer 89

During glacial periods, atmospheric CO2 is less (180ppm) During inter-glacial periods, atmospheric CO2 is higher (280ppm)

Answer 90

Ice covers land, so less carbon is stored in the biosphere Tundra replaces forests, grasslands and rainforests so photosynthesis is reduced Decomposition is reduces, so carbon stored is stored in soils than atmosphere The carbon cycle slows down creating a positive feedback loop of getting colder

Answer 91

Temperatures are higher, so there is more terrestrial land covered by plants This causes more photosynthesis, respiration and decomposition This increases the atmospheric store

Answer 92

International directives - UNFCCC, Kyoto protocol Wetlands restoration - RAMSAR, EU Habitats directive Afforestation - REDD Scheme Agricultural practices REVISE CC FLASHCARDS

Answer 93

1. Curvature of the Earth - Heat is concentrated at the equator 2. Earth's axis - The Earth's axis is tilted, which causes seasons, however at the equator the sun strikes at the same angle with no seasonal change. 3. Atmospheric circulation - Warm conditions result in low pressure, the warm air rises at the equator with clouds causing instability. This causes thunderstorms to form, as well as latent heat to be produced. 4. Convectional rainfall - This is rainfall caused by warm air at the Earth's surface, where it rises, cool and condenses forming clouds due to high evaporation. 5. Clouds - Cumulonimbus clouds form at low altitudes, which reflect solar radiation so are not as dry and hot as deserts 6. Solar insolation - Incoming solar radiation that reaches the surface.

Answer 94

Due to high rates of evaporation from solar radiation there is lots of precipitation (around 8-20GT a year).

Answer 95

1. Discharge - Average discharge of water into the Atlantic ocean by the amazon is 175,000 m^3 / second, 1/3 pf water is outputted to the ocean and 2/3 is outputted by evapotranspiration. 2. Export of water vapour to other regions - As clouds form they move West towards the Andes and follow the contours and travel to South West Brazil, where rain is produced.

Answer 96

About 50% of all the rain that falls is recycled into the atmosphere via evapotranspiration. Of the rainfall that is evapo-transpired back into the atmosphere, about 48% falls as rain again. Natural rainforest system is in equilibrium.

Answer 97

-Atmosphere -Water in plant tissue -Soil storage and moisture -Interception storage

Answer 98

The mass of water vapour in a given volume of air

Answer 99

The mass of water vapour in a given volume of air as a ratio of the mass needed to saturate it.

Answer 100

1. Geology 2. Relief 3. Temperature

Answer 101

Crystalline igneous shields - rocks which is impermeable so run-off is common. Sedimentary basin rocks - chalk, sandstone and limestone which are permeable and porous, therefore stored in aquifers instead. In summary influences the groundwater flow and overland flow.

Answer 102

Andes mountains have steep relief. Relief changes and the gradient was very low. Is only 15m above sea level with 1cm per km drop in gradient. In areas of gentle relief, water moves via throughflow, ground water and during storm events creating run off. In very flat areas huge wetlands form which is a key water storage.

Answer 103

25 degrees creates convectional rainfall. This leads to 48% of the water being recycled. Creates high rates of evapotranspiration and absolute humidity (air holds lots of water) which causes high water vapour in the atmosphere, creating lots of condensation and rainfall.

Answer 104

Agriculture

Answer 105

1. Increased surface run-off 2. Reduced photosynthesis and transpiration 3. Reduced humidity and precipitation 4. More droughts

Answer 106

Before - will be a non-flashy hydrograph due to little run-off creating a peak discharge After - Flashy hydrograph due to more run-off.

Answer 107

Decreased atmospheric storage - less cloud albedo due to less trees Decreased interception storage - less due to less trees Decreased aquifer storage - less groundwater flow and saturation means it cant percolate Increased soil moisture storage - less trees and low interception exposes soil, but due to dryness, large amount of precipitation will mean that it wont penetrate Decrease in tree storage - due to less trees

Answer 108

1. Flooding - Caused by deforestation creating run off due to dry soils (reached 19.68m, 60 people died and 68,000 evacuated) 2. Reduced storage in soils and permeable rocks so faster run off 3. Interception and evapotranspiration reduced due to deforestation, led to droughts as it caused less precipitation 4. Changes to the albedo - less forest and cloud albedo to reflect radiation. 5. Regional rainfall - decreased due to evapotranspiration decreasing (less trees).

Answer 109

2500 grams / m^3 / yr Is high because high levels of photosynthesis due to evergreen trees

Answer 110

The amount of carbon taken up from the atmosphere/biosphere after subtracting plant respiration.

Answer 111

1. High temperatures leading to increased photosynthetic rates 2. Same high temperatures and humidity speed up decomposition and the cycles of CO2 to the atmosphere via respiration

Answer 112

Most soils are not fertile and limited in terms of nutrients. Carbon is washed out by high infiltration rates due to intense rainfall All biomass is supported by a thin layer of dark soils called Humus (organic, deep soils).

Answer 113

1. Trees shed leaves all year round 2. High temperatures decompose leaves quickly 3. Organic carbon and nutrients enters the thin humus layer 4. Shallow roots take up nutrients and organic carbon rapidly 5. Trees grow rapidly

Answer 114

1. 100 billion tonnes of carbon is locked in the Amazon 2. 2.5 billion tonnes of C02 sequestered per year 3. 1.7 billion tonnes of C02 released to the atmosphere per year

Answer 115

1. Temperature and moisture - High temperatures and rainfall causes more photosynthesis, so more co2 absorbed from the atmosphere rapidly. Also high decomposition rates means CO2 rapidly releases to the atmosphere. RAPID RECYCLING OF CARBON 2. Geology - Most of the amazon is igneous so contain little carbonate rocks and are hard to weather so GEOLOGY IS NOT A KEY STORE OF CARBON IN THE AMAZON.

Answer 116

1. Less carbon in the biomass 2. Individual trees are reduced from 180 tonnes to 43 tonnes, therefore rate of photosynthesis is reduced from 30.4 tonnes to 12.3 tonnes. 3. Less dead organic matter added to the soils 4. The carbon is then stored in the atmosphere instead of the biosphere 5. Decreased inputs, increased outputs.

Answer 117

-Areas of the rainforest that have been converted to soya plantations the biomass store is only 2.7 tonnes per ha. -Areas of the rainforest have been converted to grassland, the biomass store is only 16.2 tonnes per ha.

Answer 118

-The biomass in trees is destroyed, causing low uptake via roots -Nutrients are leached from the soil and water store and without protection from trees, soils are rapidly eroded due to run-off.

Answer 119

Deforestation directly affects the water cycle and the carbon cycle With both in return causing positive feedback loops to eachother If the water cycle stops the carbon cycle will stop, but if the carbon cycle stops the water cycle isn't effected.

Answer 120

Slowed in 2000-2012 by 75% due to: 2008 - Amazon fund Soy and Beef Moratorium - Stops whole supply chains from buying from exporters who farm in the Amazon REDD - Norway pledged 1 billion for the amazons fund Improved agricultural techniques such as rotational cropping and combining livestock, as well as dark soils combining charcoal with manure.

Answer 121

Temperature Humidity Permafrost Geology Precipitation Relief

Answer 122

-Negative heat balance for 8-9 months of the year, creating the albedo effect -Few plants have adapted to the conditions: Lichen, moss and shrubs -Only 3 months where temperature rises above 0 -Means that there is little transpiration and evaporation -Means that water precipitates as snow

Answer 123

-Limited precipitation that falls as snow -Low temperatures means that there is little moisture so low absolute humidity -Limited transpiration so is less humid

Answer 124

-Is the layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year -Affects the water storage and processes -Most of the water is stored in the pedosphere frozen in the soil. -In summer temperatures are over 0 degrees so a short period of growth for plants which is very rapid so rapid photosynthesis -Is a barrier to infiltration and percolation of water -Storage of water in groundwater -In summer the active layer melts

Answer 125

-Precambrian igneous rocks -Permeability is low- so causes pools of water to form when the permafrost melts

Answer 126

-Much of the Tundra is flat -Little run-off -Winter - snow stays on the surface -Summer - flat relief means pools of water appear on the surface (called standing , rather than percolating or running off. WATER IS CYCLE IS SLOW

Answer 127

Winter 1. Sub zero in winter 2. Water stored as ground ice in permafrost 3. Limited evapotranspiration Summer 1. Above 0 degrees in summer 2. Liquid water on surface 3. Some evapotranspiration from water in pools and exposed plants 4. Temperatures rise in summer 5. Snow on surface and active layer melts 6. Temporary ponds appear 7. Doesn't infiltrate due to permafrost layer below.

Answer 128

200g/m^2/yr

Answer 129

Very slow due to little storage in the biosphere via photosynthesis, is mostly stored in the permafrost

Answer 130

-In the short growing season in summers, carbon is transferred from plants into the soil (leaf litter created and decomposition occurs) -Microorganisms are more active in summer, and break down the leaf decay to release CO2 -Standing pools of water means anaerobic respiration occurs releasing methane -Carbon is then transferred to the atmosphere.

Answer 131

-Full of dead organic matter untouched for 1000 years as it is frozen -Low temperatures freeze the matter so slow decomposition -Permafrost stores 1600 GT of carbon, more than the amazon

Answer 132

1. Increase in temperature 2. Increase temperature causes permafrost to thaw 3. Frozen organic matter thaws and starts to decay 4. Decomposition of dead organic matter release co2 and methane 5. More co2 and methane released into atmosphere store Furthermore, as climate change increases, active layer will deepen as more permafrost melts, this releases methane, but allows for liquid water and space for plant growth so more sequestration of carbon.

Answer 133

Oil and gas

Answer 134

-High global energy prices -US government policy to reduce dependence on foreign countries for oil and gas -War was breaking in the Middle East -Potential oil embargo

Answer 135

-Earthquake prone -Harsh climate -Huge variations in temperature would cause pipes to expand and contract causing splitting -Remote and poor access, water was frozen so pipeline needed a solution -Permafrost couldn't bury pipeline and needed to raise it off the ground or the oil would freeze and damage the pipeline

Answer 136

-A pipeline was designed in a zig-zag configuration to help relieve the effect of contraction and expansion -Due to ring of fire, earthquakes form and especially transform faults, so plates moved on different sides, so sliders were made to reduce the pipelines cracking during earthquakes -Built the pipeline above ground so the permafrost wouldn't freeze the oil as well as insulation of the pipeline

Answer 137

-Changes the volume in the stores and the rate of transfer between them, which upset the equilibrium. -Melted the permafrost as well -Oil spills were common

Answer 138

cover only 3% of the surface area of all land on earth, they contain 550Gt of carbon