Key Terms Flashcards
Flow/Transfer
A form of linkage between one store and another that involves movement of mass or energy
Input
The addition of matter and/or energy into a system
Store
A part of the system where energy/mass is stored or transformed
System
A set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process
Cryospheric water
The water locked up on the Earth’s surface as ice
Terrestrial water
Consists of groundwater, soil moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers
Cryospheric processes
Processes that affect the total mass of ice at any scale from local patches of frozen ground to global ice amounts
Groundwater flow
The slow movement of water through underlying rocks
Percolation
The downward movement of water within the rock underneath the soil surface
Stemflow
The portion of precipitation intercepted by the canopy that reaches the ground by flowing down stems, stalks or tree bole
Through fall
Precipitation that reaches the ground directly through gaps in the vegetation canopy and drips from leaves, twigs and stems
Through flow
The movement of water down-slope through he subsoil under the influence of gravity
Base flow
The normal day-to-day discharge of the river and is a consequence of slow moving soil through flow and groundwater seeping into the river channel
Anthropogenic
CO2 generated by human activity
Biosphere
The total sum of all living matter
Carbon sequestration
The capture of carbon dioxide
Once captured it is put into long term storage
Carbon sink
A store of carbon that absorbs more carbon than it releases
Greenhouse gas
Any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere
Lithosphere
The crust and the uppermost mantle
Enhanced greenhouse effect
The impact on the climate from the additional heat retained due to the increased amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that humans have released into the atmosphere
Geo-sequestration
The technology of capturing greenhouse gas emissions from power stations and pumping them into underground reservoirs
Radiative forcing
The difference between the incoming solar energy absorbed by the Earth and energy radiated back into space
Soil organic carbon (SOC)
The organic constituents in the soil: tissues from the dead plants and animals, products produced as these decompose and the soil microbial biomass
