Key Info Flashcards
what fraction of earth do ice sheets expand to cover in glacial periods
ice sheets expand to cover 1/3 of land mass
what is the fall in sea level during a glacial period
120m
what is an example of improved agricultural practices
- ‘polyculture’ planting trees near crops for cover
- crop rotation
- zero till farming
what is wetland restoration
restoring land mass such as marshes that store carbon
what has happened to wetlands in the US since 1600
the number of wetlands in the US have halved since 1600 due to urbanisation
what % of the sediment supply do rivers typically make up
70% of sediment
whats an example of soft rock and whats its erosion rate at Flamborough Head
oolite - 0.6 m/y
clay - 0.6 m/y
lias - 0.8 m/y
whats an example of hard rock and whats its erosion rate
chalk 0.1m/y
wheres an example of a shore platform
Robin Hoods Bay
wheres an example of a headland
Filey Brig
wheres an example of a stack
Green Stacks Pinnacle
what are the 5 management strategies for the carbon cycle
- afforestation
- wetland restoration
- reducing emissions e.g. carbon trading and international agreements
- improved agricultural practices
- legislation
what are the short term changes in both the carbon and water cycle
- diurnal
- seasonal
what are the long term changes in both the carbon and water cycle
- glacial - cold
- interglacial periods - warm
what are the 3 management strategies for the water cycle
- improving forestry techniques
- allocation for domestic, industrial and agricultural use
- drainage basin planning
what is the structure for answering a landform question
- clearly describing (with possible diagram)
- how it can be effected
- how it can change over time
when was the last glacial period and how long did it last
15,000 years ago lasting 100,000 years
what is the current significant rise in sea level called
the Flandrian Transgression
what will a 1 degree rise in temperature lead to
2m rise in sea level
where is an example of a tombolo
in Dorset where the Isle of Portland is connected to the mainland by Chesil Beach
what are the two ways a tombolo can be formed
- long shore drift
- thermal expansion
why might surface run off be higher
- saturated over flow (when soil below ground becomes saturated)
- overland flow / infiltration rates (when soil on top of ground becomes saturated by rainfall)
how big is the Sogne Fjord in Norway
over 1000m
what is Vant Hoffs Law
that increased temperature increases reaction
what is dynamic equilibrium
that over time inputs = outputs but in the short term there may be imbalances due to feedbacks
what is hydrolysis
when water breaks down compounds
what impact does tectonic movement have on geology
determines the dip of bedding plane
what is latent heat
heat that turns water into vapour
how long do glacial periods and inter glacial periods last
glacial = 100,000 years
interglacial = 10,000 years
how is sediment moved
traction - large sediment along sea floor
suspension - small particles carried in moving water
how does a salt marsh form
- pioneer species develop
- soil develops - lower salinity -> current slows - > more deposition ->
organic matter produced -> biodiversity and plant cover increases - mud level rises -> land rises above sea level
what are the total carbon emissions from fossil fuels per year
37 bn tonnes in 2022
what are the physical factors in both the Amazon Rainforest and Arctic Tundra that influence the water cycle
- temperature
- permeability
- porosity
- relief
what are the physical factors in both the Amazon Rainforest and Arctic Tundra that influence the carbon cycle
- temperature
- vegetation
- organic matter in the soil
- mineral compositions of rocks
what are the distinctive features of a beach
- runnels (backwash)
- berms (ridge of sediment from high tide)
- storm beaches (excess sediment pushed up to back of beach)
- cusps (headlands + bays)
Short term carbon cycle
- Happens years/decades
- Moves more than 1000x the slow cycle
- Through living things
Long term carbon cycle
- rocks dissolve in water/ phytoplankton die—> co2 goes to ocean floors eventually tectonic movement/ volcanic activity releases the co2 into atmosphere
- happens 10-100 million years
- Moves 100-200 million tonnes of carbon
Inorganic vs organic carbon
Inorganic = oxidised
- carbon dioxide
- carbonates
- hydrogen carbonates
Organic —>
- living or dead organisms
- fossil fuels
- rock deposits
- dissolved in water
- Dispersed in atmosphere
There is a continuous 2 way flow between the two
links between water and carbon cycle
- oceans
- atmosphere
- cryosphere
- vegetation
how is a tombolo formed through flows of energy
- formed through sea level rise / drift aligned features
- wind = power and direction of waves = conditions suitable for deposition
- wave refraction around an offshore island = wave energy shadow = ^ deposition on landward side
- energy absorbed by winds = longshore drift = movement of sediment by waves
- spit stars to form growing seaward until it joins in the middle
- resulting beaches may be covered in high tide eg. scilly isles
- chesil beach - flandrian transgression, developed as a barrier island that was moved onshore during SLR allowing waves to move material onshore
geomorphic processes
- wave erosion
- mechanical weathering eg. freeze thaw
- biological weathering- vegetation releases humic acid
- mass movement
due to physical stresses and chemical actions on materials present on earth
Flows of energy
- kinetic = wave/wind etc
- thermal = thermal expansion (eustatic rise), solar
- gravitational = backwash/mass movement etc
Flows of material
- constructive/deconstructive waves
- mass movement
- LSD
- ocean currents
- flocculation + rivers
processes
- throughputs, transfers, flows
- LSD
- weathering
- erosion
- mass movement
stores
- cliffs
- beaches
- dunes
- oceans
- off shore bars
- salt marshes
What is a negative heat balance
Where the temperature of a place is lower than the surrounding temperature of the surroundings
What is the RT of stores for co2
Residency time = the amount of time co2 is stored in a place
- atmosphere = 6 years
- vegetation =18 years
- surface of oceans = 25 years
- deep ocean = 1250 years
- sedimentary = 250 million years
How do we monitor the water and carbon cycles
- Satellite- nasa
- microwave energy + comparison of time series photos to show changes = sea ice
- lasers – shows extent and volume of ice and changes = ice caps/glaciers
- radiometers measure band of radiation – shows areas of upwelling and downwelling + changes = SST
- measuring cloud liquid water + total precipitable water = Water Vapour
- measuring reflectivity of surface + land use changes = Deforestation
- orbiting carbon observatory -2 (OCO-2) + measuring effectiveness of absorption by plants = Atmospheric co2
- measuring the net primary production in oceans and on land = Primary production in oceans
