ELSS KQ 1 Flashcards
What is evapotranspiración ?
Total amount of moisture removed by evaporation and transpiration from a vegetated land surface
What is interception ?
Process by which raindrops are prevented from falling directly onto the soil surface by the presence of a layer of vegetation
What is throughfall ?
The capacity of the plant surface may be exceeded and water will drip off the leaves and branches
What is stem flow ?
During prolonged or heavy rain, water will run along branches and down the trunk
What is throughflow ?
The transfer of water from the soil storage zone to the channel at a much slower rate than overland flow
What is percolation ?
The downward vertical movement of water within a soil
What is the groundwater flow ?
When the water is transferred slowly through the rock and into the bed of the river
What is ablation /
Melting of ice
Mainly during summer months and usually at the snout end of the glacier
Is the drainage basin an open or closed system ?
Open - water and matter can be inputted and outputted
What will deforestation increase the rate on in the hydrological cycle ?
Surface run off - soil = saturated sooner
Increase in I E O F because rain s no longer intercepted so intensity of rainfall increases
What will deforestation decrease the rate off in the hydrological cycle ?
Infiltration - soil will quickly become saturated
Interception - no leaves
Stem flow
Evapotranspiración
Throughfall
Leaf drip
What are the two types of overland flow ?
Infiltration excess and saturation excess
What is infiltration excess overland flow ?
When rainfall intensity is greater than the rate at which they soil can absorb rain (infiltration capacity )
What is saturation excess overland flow ?
When soil becomes saturated and there is no longer any space for water to infiltrates
Why is the earths atmosphere suitable to support life ?
Breathable
21% of air is oxygen
Small amount co2 - 0.04%
Its kept on the planet by the pull of gravity
what is co2 useful for in the environment ?
Useful 4 greenhouse effect
What percentage of the earths surface is covered in water ?
75
How much water is there in the earth ?
1.4 billion cubic kilometres
When did the water cycle begin ?
3.8 billion years ago
What percentage of our cells are made up of water ?
70
How much o earths water is stored in the oceans ?
97 percent
How much water is stored in the ice caps ?
1.7 percent
What percent of water is stored in the rivers , lakes and the ground ?
1.7
How much water vapour is stored in the atmosphere ?
0.0001 percent
Why is water needed for people ?
Generate electricity
Provide recreational facilities
Drinking water
Sewage disposal
Irrigate crops
Steel making
Paper making
Why is water needed for the earths climate ?
Moderates temp by absorbing heat
Water helps to create benign thermal conditions
Why is water needed for fauna (animals)?
Sweating
In fur covered mammals. Birds and reptiles , evaporative cooling is achieved by panting
Water is the medium used for all metabolic reactions in the body
Why is water needed for flora (flowers)?
Transpiration, respiration and photosynthesis
To maintain their rigidity
Transport mineral nutrients from the soil
Why is photosynthesis useful ?
Produces glucose and starch
why is respiration useful ?
Converts glucose - energy
Why is the earths atmosphere suitable for humans life ?
Breathable
Plenty of oxygen
Small amount of c02
Keep on the planet by the pull of gravity
Mars and mercury are too small to keep an atmosphere
How much oxygen makes up earths atmosphere /
21%
How much carbon dioxide makes up earths atmosphere ?
0.04%
Useful 4 greenhouse effect
Poisonous gas
Why is earths climate suitable for human life ?
Temp doesn’t go from one extreme to another
Mercury can go from anything from -200 degrees to +375 degrees
Why is earths light suitable for life ?
Plants need sun to grow through photosynthesis
Earth take 24 hours for it to spin on its axis (each side of the planet receives sunlight regularly )
Why is earths sun important for life ?
Receives perfect amount of heat and light to allow life to be created and supported
If su vanished , earth would float away
Why is earths water suitable for human life ?
Allows organic molecules to mix and form more complex structures
Earth is in the right zone for water to be liquid
Allows life providing molecules to move around easily
What is the lithosphere ?
The rigid outer part of the earth , consisting of the crust and upper mantle. Its divided into tectonic plates
What is the biosphere ?
The space at the earths surface and within the atmosphere occupied by living organisms
What is the hydrosphere ?
All the waters of the earths surface , such as lakes and seas
What is the cryosphere /
The frozen part of the earths surface , including the polar ice caps , continental ice sheets , glaciers , sea ice and permafrost
What is the atmosphere ?
The envelope of gases surrounding the planet
How many people die each year because of drought / dehydration / unsafe drinking water ?
1 million
What percentage of water on earth is safe for human consumption ?
3 percent
Why is two thirds of fresh water unavailable ?
Too salty and poisonous
Locked up in ice sheets and glaciers
How much rainfall do the wettest countries receive /
Over 3m per year
How much rainfall do the driest countries receive ?
Less than 6cm per year
What is water scarcity ?
Lack of sufficient water to meet the needs of everybody
what is water insecurity /
If the water has a poor quality , destroyed or damaged or polluted
What is water security ?
Plenty of safe water to meet everyone’s needs
Reliable supply
How does rainfall duration impact infiltration and overland flow ?
Longer the rain falls the more saturated the grown gets
Reduce infiltration rates
More overland flow
How does rainfall intensity affect rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
More overland flow because the rain will fall faster than it can be absorbed which will lead to infiltration excess overland flow
How does the angle of slope affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
Force of gravity is stronger than the infiltration rate so less infiltration and more overland flow
How do brands surfaces affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
Due to usage of concrete , less infiltration and higher level of overland flow in the form of IEFO
Bitumen (tarmac )and concrete possess non-porous impermeable properties
How does rock type / geology affect the rate of infiltration an overland flow ?
Increased amount of pores in the rock means increased infiltration as it is more permeable (decreases rate of overland flow )
Increased amount of pores in the rock menas a decreased amount of infiltration
What types of rock are impermeable ?
Granite
Slate
What are some permeable rock ?
Limestone
What is a porous rock ?
Sandstone
Lots of air pores
How does previous weather affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
If its been wet the land is overly saturated so the water table rises and water can’t infiltrate and overland flow will increase (SEOF)
Dry land - so rain can’t infiltrate into the ground so more surface run off - (IEOF)
How do deciduous trees affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
In the winter - less interception due to no leaves on trees
Saturio is faster and eventually more surface run off occurs
When soil is saturated , infiltration cannot occur
How does vegeatation in summer affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
More leaves ,more interception , more throughfall , encourages infiltration , less overland flow
How do coniferous trees affect infiltration and overland flow ?
Have needles with a small surface areas
So less Interception
More saturation
More overland flow
What is water surplus ?
Occurs when precipitation is greater than evapotranspiration and streamflow . This will create saturated soil
What is water deficit ?
Occurs when precipitation is less than evapotranspiration and streamflow
This will create dry soil
During which months does water surplus occur ?
From December to May
Why does water surplus occur in these months ?
Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration , will results in overland flow
What is soil utilisation ?
In summer potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation so plants and animals utilise water in the soil
Why does soil moisture utilisation occur in the summer months ?
Summer months = more leaves - so demand for water is higher
Hotter so more evapotranspiration
What is soil moisture recharge ?
In autumn , the water must be replaced
So little overland flow
What is field capacity ?
The amount of water that remains in the soil after draining all gravitational water
Thsi is because micro pores do not give up water easily
What i wilting point ?
The point that the plant can no longer extract water from the soil.
Micro pores always lose their water later , because they hold onto water with greater force
What is absolute humidity ?
Mass of water vapour in a given volume of air measured in grams per cubic metre
What is saturated air ?
At any given temp , there is a limit to the amount of moisture that the air can hold
When this limit is reached the air is saturated
What is relative humidity ?
Amount of water vapour in the air at a given temp expressed as a % of the maximum amount of vapour that the air could hold at that temp
What is dew point ?
Temp at which you will start to get condensation
If the relative humidity is 100 % then what will the air be ?
Saturated
What is the relative humidity for moist air ?
80-99 %
If the relative humidity is below 50% then what is the air like ?
Dry
What are the three types of fog ?
Radiation
Advection
Orographic/ frontal uplift
When does radiation cooling (fog ) occur?
On calm , clear evenings
What is radiation fog ?
The ground loses heat rapidly through terrestrial radiation and the air in contact with it is then cooled by conduction
If the air is moist , some vapour will condense to form a radiation fog
What is advection cooling (fog)?
Results from warm , moist air moving over a cooler land or sea surface
How are advection fogs in california and the Atacama desert formed ?
When warm air from the land drift over cold off shore ocean currents
What is orographic // frontal uplift cooling (fog)?
Warm , moist air is forced to rise either as it crosses a mountain barrier or when it meets a colder,denser mass of air at a front
As we go up through the troposphere what changes ?
Air pressure decreases
Temperature decreases
What is Adiabatic expansion ?
Description of what happens to a parcel of air as it rises as air pressure decreases causing an increase in volume and a decease in temp
When is the atmosphere said to be stable ?
When the parcel of air is the same temp or cooler than the surrounding air
When is the atmosphere said to be unstable ?
When the parcel of air is warmer than its surroundings and rising air
What is the dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate ?
Rate at which a parcel of dry air cools.
Cooling caused by Adiabatic explanation is approximately 10 degrees /km
What is saturated Adiabatic lapse rate ?
Rate at which a saturated parcel fo air (one in which condensation is occurring ) cools as it rises through the atmosphere
Rate of cooling is slower - about 7 degrees /km
What happens to a parcel of air that has been heated at the earths surface?
-atmospheric instability will occur
- DALR states that cooling caused by adiabatic expansion will be about 10 degrees for every 1km
- as it cools it will reach dew point
- condensation and cloud occurs
- latent heat is given off
- air is saturated with water and because of latent heat given off , the rising parcel of air continues to cool but at a slower rate of 7 degrees for every 1km
- air will continue to rise until it becomes the same temp as the surrounding air
-condensation will stop and mark the top of the cloud
- air cannot rise any further as it is the same temp as the suroundings.
-the atmosphere is now stabel
what is atmospheric instability ?
parcel of warm air will rise due to convection
it is warmer than surroundings so will be less dense and buoyant
what is dew point
temp at which a given concentration of water vapour in the air will begin to condense
what is surface storage ?
water stroed on the surface layer of soil and grass
what is soil moisture ?
water which has infiltrated into the soil and is being stored in soil pore spaces
what is groundwater ?
water stored in the pore spaces in the rock
what is interception?
water is captured by plants,especially leaves to prevent it from dripping on the soil
what is percolation ?
water which flows through the soil down into the rock
what is throughflow?
water which goes from the soil storage zone to the channel. slower than overland flow
what percentage of global water is found in the atmosphere ?
0.001%
what is the name of the lowest portion of the earths atmosphere ?
troposphere
what is the average environment lapse rate ?
6 degrees for very 1000m in height
what is relative humidity ?
the amount of water vapour in the air at a given temp expressed as a % of the maximum amount of vapour that the air could hold at that temp.
how much of the atmosphere’s water vapour is found in the troposphere ?
99%
whe relative humidity is said to be 50% the air is said to be ?
dry
what is radiation cooling?
on a clear evening when air cools because it is in contact with very cold ground
how is the earths atmosphere heated -
by conduction from the earths surface
what is adiabatic cooling?
when air is cooled by reduction or pressure with height.
when water vapour condenses it releases -
latent heat
why might a ‘parcel’ of air rise?
a relatively warm parcel of air has a lower density than the cooler air surrounding it , therefore it will be positively bouyant and have a tendency to rise
describe how temperate and pressure change as a parcel of air rises ?
temp decreases
air pressure decireases
when do clouds stop forming ?
end of the release of latent heat through condensation processes.
what is latent heat ?
jeat required to convert a solid into a liquid or vapour withouth chnage of temp
why is carbon useful for humans ?
plants use it for photosynthesis and therefore to grow
crude oil - plastics
cars
power : foosil fuels and coal
which processes take carbon in from the atmosphere ?
photosynthesis
dissolving into the ocean
which processes release carbon to the atmosphere ?
respiration
volcanic eruption
decomposition
deforeststaion
which processes transfers carbon from the ocean to the lithospherem ?
sedimentation into rock
is there any overlap between the carbon and water cycle ?
water is necessary for photosynthesis
ocean is an importat store for both of them
what is carbon?
element that is found in organic or inorganic forms. it forms compounds by chemically binding to other compounds
what is the formula for calcium cabronate ?
CaCO3
what is the formula for methane ?
CH4
what is carbon found in ?
proteins, carbohydrates, biomolecules and hydrocarbons
how is most co2 formed ?
when carbonate rocks undergo metamorphosis. the co2 is released into the atmosphere through volcanic acitivty at the plate boundries and hot spots
once released carbon doesnt just stay in the atmosphere but ends up in other stores
why is carbon found in all living things ?
all cells contain proteins, fat and carbohydrate molecules and these all contain carbon atoms
what is the carbon cycle ?
movement of carbon between stroeswhat
what is the conc of carbon in the atmosphere ?
<4 parts per 10,000
why are green plants important ?
remove co2 in the atmosphere and they make complex molecules
why are microorganisms important ?
put carbon compunds
decompose dead organic matter
how is carbon released back into the atmopshere ?
burning wood and fossil fuels (combustion)
respiration in cells
what is downwelling ?
sinking waters move about 37 units of carbon each year from shallow waters into the deep ocean
what is respiration by decomposers ?
about 60 units of carbon per year are put into the atmopshere from the decomposition of dead plants
what is sinking sea creatures ?
the sinking bodies of dead plankton move about 4 units of carbon to the deep ocean each year
what is sedimentation ?
some sedimentts eventually become rocks . this process moves about 0.2 units of carbon per year
what is plant respiration?
plants give out about 60 units of carbon per year in respiration
what is dissolve and decay into oceans ?
some sediments dissolve in sea water. this dissolving , and the respiration and decay of organisms living about 0.4 units of carbon into the ocean each year
what is volcanic eruptions ?
about 0.05 units of carbon are released from volcanoes each year, mainly in the form of carbon dioxide
what is fossilisation ?
some dead plants become rocks . this process moves about 0.05 units of carbon per year
what is photosynthesis ?
plants take in about 120 units of carbon per year for photosynthesis
what is dissolve into oceans ?
about 90 units of carbon (in the form of co2) dissolve in the oceans each yera
what is respiration from phytoplankton ?
abpout 90 unuts of carbon are relased in the form of co2 from the oceans each year
what is sedimentation into rock ?
about 0.6 units of carbon are removed from the ocean each year when sediments form
what is decomposition ?
dead plants contribute about 60 units of carbon per year to the soil
what is upwelling ?
abpout 37 units of carbon are moved from the deep ocean to shallow waters each year
what is weathering ?
the weathering of rocks releases about 0.2 units of carbon from the rocks each year
what are the processes in the slow carbon cycle ?
dissolve into oceans
upwelling
downwelling
sinking sea creatures
sedimentation
dissolving and decay
sedimentation into rock
fossilisation
weathering
volcanic eruption
what are the processes in the fast carbon cycle ?
photosyntheis s
plant respiration
decomposition
respiration by decomposers
respiration by phytoplankton
where is carbon stored ?
soil
gases of the atmosphere
water from the hydrosphere
living organsims
how long does it take for carbon atoms to move through the slow carbon cycle ?
100-200 million years
why is rainfall slightly acidic ?
carbon dioxide combines with the water vapour to form carbonic acid
what does acid rain do to rocks ?
reacts with minerals in the rock , causing chemical weathering
how does carbon end up in the ocean ?
absorb carbon directly from the atmosphere
washed downstream into rivers, lakes and coeans
what are the shells and skeletons of marine createures made of ?
CaCO3
How do sea creatures turn into rocks ?
sink to bottom of sea floor and build up in layers
layers compact , sedimentation, turns into rock
what is sequestration ?
if organic carbongets trapped in between the layers , it makes fossil fuels. Process by which carbon gas is removed from the atmosphere and stroed in liquid or solid form
hwo does carbon sequestred in rocks eventually return to the atmosphere ?
volcanic eruptions at subduction zones at a destructive boundary
how much carbon is released this way every year ?
200 million tonnes of Co2 a year by volcanic eruptions
Name the acid formed when co2 dissolves in rainwater ?
weak carbonic acid
why has acidity of ocean surface waters increased ?
rising concentrations of Co2 in the atmopshere , due to anthropogenic emissions , have increased the acidity of rainfall. This has contributed to increased aciidyt of ocean surface waters with potentially harmful effect on marine life
how much carbon is transferred by weathering ?
0.3 billion tonnes
what is weathering ?
the in situ breakdwon of rocks at or near the earths surface by chemical, physical and biological processes
what is the carbonation equation?
CaCO3 +H2CO6= Ca(HCO3)2
(calcium carbomate + carbonic acid = calcium bicarbonate )
where is carbonation most effective ?
beneat a soil cover bcos of the higher conc of co2 in the soil makes rainwater highly acidic
between which stores does weathering transfer carbon ?
carbonation rleeases carbon from limestones to streams, river, oceans and the atmospherehat
what is the evidence of weathering in yorkshire dales ?
effectiveness of solution weathering of limetons can be seen at Nowser brown in the dales
how deos freeze thaw affect chemical weathering ?
increases the surface area exposed to chemical attacks
describe the process of chelation ?
rainwater mixed with dead and decaying organic material on the soil forms humid acid which attack rock minerals.
where is chelation important ?
in humid tropical environments where decomposition is rapid and forest trees provide abundant leaf litter
why id chelation descirbed as biological weathering ?
involved dead and decaying organic material
how much carbon moves through the fast carbon cycle each year ?
between 1,000 mand 100,000 tonnes
what are some stores in the fast carbon cycle ?
above-ground carbon :
- stem
- branches
-foliage
below ground carbon :
- roots
-litter
how many times faster is the fast carbon cycle than the slow carbon cycle ?
100 to 1000 times
what doe plants profuce when they photosynthesise ?
carbohydrates like glucose oxygen as a by profuct
what is released during decomposition ?
co2 and methane
why is there so much carbon in peat5 ?
theres no oxygen
because they are waterlogged or saturated so theres no o2 for decomposition
what could happen to peat bogs as the earth warms ?
could decompose microorganisms in the soil.
they coudl dry out- release more carbon or they could absorb more carbon
between which stores does photosynthesis transfer between ?
Atmosphere to land to plants and phytoplankton - biosphere
between which stores does resporation transfer between ?
biosphere - atmosphere
between which stores does decomposition transfer between ?
co2 returend to atmosphere when living organisms die
biosphere - atmosphere
between which stores does combustion transfer between
lithosphere/biosphere - atmosphere
how does decomposition work ?
cells break down as a result of physical (wind and water) , chemical (leaching and oxidation) and biological (feeding and digestion) mmechanisms (carried out by bacteria)
how does combustion work ?
hydrocarbon combustion takes place rapidly in the presence of oxygen and releases co2
- around 85 percent of global energy consumption is derived from coal , oil and gas fuels.
how long does the slow carbon cycle take ?
150 million years
where do surface oceans transport dissolved co2 ?
polewardswhat ha
what happens to cooled ocean water ?
becomes more dense and sinks
where in the world does downwelling occur ?
one of the places is the north Atlantic between Greenland and Iceland
how long might carbon molecules remain in the deep ocean ?
centruries
where does upwelling take place ?
left of south america and to the south of saudi arabia . its when carbon is transported back to the surface - some of the carbon may diffuse back out into the atmopshere
what is the biological pump ?
1)phytoplankton fix co2 by photosynthesis 2)zoo plankton eat phytoplankton
3)zooplankton respire,release co2 and produce faecal pellets
4)carbon sinks deeper ocean in faecal pellets
5)below 100m zooplankton and bacteria eat sinking carbon and respire co2
4)carbon sinks to the deep ocean (deeper than 1000m) and may remain there for 1000s of years
why is it so important that carbon is taken from the surface waters to the deep ocean ?
lower conc - more space for more co2 to dissolve in
locking it away in the oceans for centuries
is the biological pump part of the slow or fast carbon cycel ?
both because photosynthesis and respiration are involved too
