Hydrosphere 2 session 1

Question 1

What factors are there to note with the keeling curve?

Answer 1

exponential increase since 1960s
not straight in annual variations

Question 2

When did measurements for the keeling curve in Mauna Loa begin?

Answer 2

March 1958

Question 3

What was the carbon mystery

Answer 3

60% C emission went into atmo but where was other 40%

Question 4

Where has carbon released by humans gone?

Answer 4

majority atmo
then almost even split between:
Land (highly variable)
Sea

Question 5

What is the atmosphere like as a reservoir?

Answer 5

relatively small and subject to large fluxes
like “middle man” showing changes in land or sea

Question 6

Where is ocean uptake of Carbon highest?

Answer 6

North Atlantic near arctic

Question 7

Why is carbon uptake by the ocean so great near the arctic?

Answer 7

Cold area with colder water being able to store more gas
Formation of deep water (sinking) so more pulled in

Question 8

What is the chemical change for the oceans as they absorb more carbon?

Answer 8

reduce pH- acidification

Question 9

What law is there for Air-sea gas?

Answer 9

Henrys law

Question 10

What does henrys law mean?

Answer 10

pCO2= partial pressure co2
K0= constant changes with temp or salinity
[co2]= co2 in aqueous

Question 11

How does water temp affect gas solubility?

Answer 11

warmer less soluble
Colder more soluble

Question 12

How much more co2 can ocean store than atmo?

Answer 12

50 times more

Question 13

What is happening to oceans ability to absorb CO2?

Answer 13

weakening as temp increase

Question 14

How does henrys law explain thermal pollution?

Answer 14

solubility of oxygen decreases rapidly as temp increases (harmful to biota- oxygen minimum zones)

Question 15

What does future CO2 uptake into oceans depend on?

Answer 15

CO2 concentration in the surface ocean

Question 16

how long does it take to fully sequester an emission of carbon?

Answer 16

hundreds of thousands of years

Question 17

What will be most affected by ocean acidification?

Answer 17

organisms with CaCO3 exoskeleton as wont form in low pH

Question 18

What are the 2 most important variables for using past co2 events as analogues for the future?

Answer 18

Mass
Rate

Question 19

Why do we care about the mass of CO2 emissions?

Answer 19

Determines how much climate change

Question 20

Why do we care about the rate of carbon emission?

Answer 20

Determines whether life can keep pace via adaptation/migration
Determines whether emissions outpace natural Earth recovery mechanisms

Question 21

What are the big 5 mass extinction events?

Answer 21

End Ordovician
Late Devonian
End-Permian (‘Great Dying’)
End-Triassic
End-Cretaceous (RIP non-avian dinos)

Question 22

What mass extinction events are more frequent/ applicable to modern emissions?

Answer 22

Large Igneous provinces

Question 23

How can large igneous provinces release carbon?

Answer 23

Might be trapped in the magma and then released due to not crystallising
Province might come into contact with carbon rich rock and burn (coal)