How Do The Water And Carbon System Operate In The Arctic Flashcards
What is the area of the tundra?
8 million km squared
For 9 months of the year what is the heat balance like?
Negative
What is the mean temperature?
-15 degrees
What is the temperature like in deepest winter?
-40 degrees
With climate change increasing temperatures where is there a growth of more vegetation?
Northern Quebec
What is annual precipitation like?
Low
50-350 mm
What is the relief like and how does this affect the water cycle?
Extensive low relief
Very little infiltration
How is the vegetation adapted to the severe climate?
Low lying
Small leaves
Few trees
Where is the climate most severe?
North
High arctic
What melts in the summer?
Active layer
What is the layer of soil that is permanently frozen throughout the year?
Permafrost
How does permafrost impact the water cycle?
Barrier to infiltration and percolation
Groundwater stores and aquifers are limited
What is the geology of most of the Arctic?
Precambrian Igneous Rock
Why is transpiration limited?
Limited vegetation
What is the humidity like?
Low temperature
Limited moisture
Low absolute humidity
What happens in the summer when the active layer melts?
Temporary ponds or lakes form
Sit on surface as can’t infiltrate
Why does the Arctic have poor conditions for photosynthesis?
Low temperature
Low moisture
Low nutrients
How long is the growing season?
3 months
What is the net primary productivity like?
200g/m squared/year
How much carbon is in the biomass store?
4-29 tonnes/ha
What happens to microorganisms during the growing season?
More active
Break down more litter
Release some CO2
What is the issue with waterlogged conditions from the seasonal pools?
Starve decomposers of oxygen
No decomposition/respiration
Limits CO2 transfer
How much carbon does the permafrost store?
1600 gigatons
Currently permafrost is a carbon ____ but there are future possibilities that it will become a carbon ______
Sink
Source
What is the disadvantage of the climate warming?
Active layer deepens
More CO2 and methane released
What is the potential advantage of the climate warming?
More liquid water
More plant growth and photosynthesis
What do scientists say about potential plant growth from climate change?
Plants would only offset 20% of carbon/methane released by permafrost melting
Where was oil and gas discovered in 1968?
The North Slope Alaska
Why did the oil and gas industry develop?
High global energy prices
US government reducing dependence on oil imports
What sorts of things were built for the industry?
Roads
Pipelines
Oil production plants
Gravel quarries
Power generators
Power lines
Gas processing facilities
In the 1990s how much of the USA domestic oil production did The North Slope account for?
Almost a quarter
Why does The North Slope account for less than 4% of today’s USA domestic oil production?
High production costs
Growth of oil shale industry in USA
What is the main impact of human activity?
Melting of permafrost
What are the three reasons for permafrost melting?
Construction
Dust deposition
Removal of vegetation cover
How much CO2 is released a year after human activity?
7-40 million/tonnes/year
How much CH4 is released a year after human activity?
24,000-114,000/tonnes/year
What has decreased in the carbon cycle because of human activity?
Photosynthesis
What has increased in the carbon cycle because of human activity?
Microbial activity and decomposition
What have CO2 emissions increased by since 1975?
73%
What increases in the water cycle because of human activity?
Run off and river discharge
Evaporation
What disrupts draining?
Artificial lakes
Drainage networks
What reduced localised run off?
Water abstractions for the industry taken from creeks and rivers
What are the five management strategies for reducing human activity impacts?
Insulated gravel pads
Buildings and pipelines elevated on piles
Drilling laterally
Powerful computers
Refrigerated supports
What is the drill called that can operate from one site?
Snake drill
What % of supercomputers are used by the oil industry?
10%
