Earths lofe support systems Flashcards
infiltration
permeable and innit ground
percolation
deeper into the ground
throughfoow
moves through ground to water
groundwater flow
through bedding planes and joints and faults in rock
transfers in the water cycle
infiltration
percolation
throughfoow
surface run off
groundwater flow
outputs of water cycle
evaporation
transpiration
percolation
thermal energy
importance of water
doesn’t burn skin
drinkable
enables mixing
what is the goldilocks zone
ideal if distance from sun in order for life forms to evolve and thrive
93.4 million miles
what does water vapour do
absorb thermal radiation
regulate temp
clouds
what are the subsystems
lithosphere
hydrosphere
biosphere
cryosphere
atmosphere
flux
rate of energy transfer per unit area
water cycle budget
annual volume of water movement (precip)
ablation
loss of snow and ice through melting, evaporation and subkimation
sublimation
ice to vapiur
run off
movement of water accross land
what is the process water cycle budget
moisture leaves atmos
water from ablation
run off land to rivers
percolate into aquifer
what are examples of fast carbon sinks and pools
plant photosynthesis
respiration
decomposition
what are examples of slow carbons sinks and pools
oceans
gas exchange
ocean sediment long term
continental run off
what happens when the air is warmer
more vapour
what are cumuliform
flat based
vertical development
air rises freely (convection)
dee point
what are stratified clouds
later when air mass moves horizontal (advection)
oceans to land
what are cirrus clouds
high altitudes
tiny ice crystals
no precip
what is fog or mist
condense at ground
temp inversion and clear night
deposit moisture on veg
reasons for cloud development
convection condensation
advection condensation
pro graphic condensation
frontal condensation
what is convection condensation
vertical movement of air
adiabetic expansion
what is advection condensation
air mass moves accross cool from warm (dew point)
what is orographic condensation
air masses forced to move over obstacles cools as temp decrease
what is frontal condensation
warm air mass forces to rise over colder air mass
what is a lapse rate
rate of change in temperature observed while increasing altitude
what is an environmental lapse rate
vertical temp profile
temp decrease with time
6.5C less on average every km
what are the types of asia attic lapse rates
dry and saturated
what is dry adiabatic lapse rate
dry air cooling rapid condensation 10C every km
what is saturated adiabatic lapse rate
rate at which saturated air cools
7C less than DLAR
when is the atmosphere unstable
ELR >DALR (air parcel cool faster than environment)
cumulonimbus clouds keep rising
