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physical geography > earths life support systems > Flashcards

earths life support systems Flashcards

1
Q

why is water essential on earth

A
  • provides a medium for organic molecules to mix and form complex structures
  • essential for life
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2
Q

biotic definition

A
  • living things
    e.g. plants and animals
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3
Q

abiotic definition

A
  • non living things
    e.g. sun and soil
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4
Q

flora definition

A

plants

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5
Q

fauna definition

A

animals

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6
Q

atmosphere definition

A
  • the thin layer of gases surrounding the earth
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7
Q

cryosphere definition

A

liquid part of the earth’s surface

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8
Q

biosphere definition

A

space on earth’s surface and within the atmosphere which is occupied by living organisms

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9
Q

how does water influence earths temperature

A
  • ocean moderated temperature by absorbing heat, storing it and releasing it slowly
  • clouds reflect solar radiation and therefore lowers surface temp
  • water vapour absorbed long wave radiation from earth and maintains average global temp almost 15°C warmer than without
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10
Q

how much incoming solar radiation does clouds relfect

A

a fifth

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11
Q

how much incoming solar radiation does clouds relfect

A

a fifth

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12
Q

what is a closed system

A

this is where only energy (not matter) crosses the boundaries
e.g. on a global scale the water and carbon cycles

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13
Q

what is an open system

A

this is where materials as well as energy cross boundaries
e.g. small scale carbon and water cycles

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14
Q

what are the stores in the global water cycle

A
  • atmosphere (smallest store)
  • ocean (biggest store)
  • land
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15
Q

what are flows in the global water cycle

A
  • precipitation
  • run off
  • evapotranspiration
  • groundwater flow
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16
Q

what are the stores in the global water cycle

A
  • sedimentary rock (99% of carbon)
  • goes between atmosphere, ocean, soil and biosphere
17
Q

flows in the global carbon cycle

A
  • photosynthesis
  • respiration
  • oxidation (decomposition and combustion)
  • weathering
18
Q

how much global water is stored in oceans

A

97%

19
Q

how much global water is stored in polar ice and glaciers (cryosphere)

A

2%

20
Q

how much global water is stored in groundwater and aquifers

A

0.7%

21
Q

water inputs in the atmosphere

A
  • water evaporated from soils, oceans etc and vapour transpired from leaves (evapotranspiration)
22
Q

water outputs in the atmosphere

A

moisture leaves atmosphere as precipitation and condensation
- ice sheets, glaciers and snowfields release water by ablation

23
Q

how much carbon is stored in the atmosphere

A

600 billion tonnes

24
Q

how much carbon is stored in oceans

A

38,700 billion tonnes

25
Q

how much carbon is stored in sedimentary rocks

A

60,000 to 100,000,000 billion tonnes

26
Q

how much carbon is stored in sea floor sediments

A

6,000 billion tonnes

27
Q

how much carbon is stored in fossil fuels

A

4,130 tonnes

28
Q

how much carbon is stored in land plants

A

560 billion tonnes

29
Q

how much carbon is stored in soils and peat

A

2,300 billion tonnes

30
Q

what are the two strands of the carbon cycle

A

slow carbon cycle and fast carbon cycle

31
Q

how long is carbon held in rocks in the slow carbon cycle

A

150 million years

32
Q

how is carbon stored in the slow carbon cycle

A
  • CO2 is dissolved in oceans and used by coral and other organisms to make shells
  • fixing the dissolved carbon with calcium to form calcium carbonate
33
Q

what are the two ways carbon is returns to the atmosphere from sedimentary rocks in the slow carbon cycle

A
  • tectonic activity (subduction of carbon rich rocks can result in venting of carbon into the atmosphere during volcanic eruptions
  • chemical weathering (such as carbonation releases CO2 into the atmosphere and might be dissolved in streams, rivers and oceans
34
Q

how much quicker is the fast carbon cycle than the slow carbon cycle

A

10-1000x quicker

35
Q

key processes in the fast carbon cycle

A
  • phytoplankton in the oceans absorb CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and combine it with water to make carbohydrates
  • photosynthesis is fundamental as the lunch pin to food chains
  • respiration and decomposition releases CO2

physical geography (5 decks)

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