Lesson 1

Question 1

What is the systems approach?

Answer 1

Interrelated parts that work together by way of some driving force, a set of steps that occur to make something happen that have a series of stores or components that make flows or connections between them, including inputs, outputs, and flows.

Question 2

What are elements in a system?

Answer 2

The things that make up the system.

Question 3

What does flow/transfer refer to?

Answer 3

A link between one store or component and another, along with which something moves.

Question 4

What is an input in a system?

Answer 4

A point where something is added to the system.

Question 5

What is a store/component?

Answer 5

A part of the system where something is held for a period of time.

Question 6

What is an output in a system?

Answer 6

A point where something is removed from the system.

Question 7

What are attributes in a system?

Answer 7

The characteristics of the elements, e.g., hot, cold.

Question 8

What is a system boundary?

Answer 8

The edge of the system - the interface (or line) between one system and another.

Question 9

What are relationships in a system?

Answer 9

Descriptions of how the various elements work together to carry out some sort of process.

Question 10

What are open systems?

Answer 10

Energy and matter can leave or enter a system/be transferred, e.g., the ocean.

Question 11

What are closed systems?

Answer 11

Do not involve a transfer of matter, e.g., water and carbon systems.

Question 12

What are isolated systems?

Answer 12

Have no interactions with anything outside the system boundary; energy and matter cannot be transferred, e.g., the universe.

Question 13

What is positive feedback?

Answer 13

The effects of an action are increased or multiplied by subsequent or secondary ‘knock on’ effects, e.g., wildfires burn trees, releasing CO2, trees heat, wildfires.

Question 14

What is negative feedback?

Answer 14

Where the effects of an action are reduced by its subsequent knock on effects, e.g., as temperature rises, there is an increase in cloud cover, clouds reflect this sunlight and lead to cooling.

Question 15

List the 4 global spheres

Answer 15

1. Atmosphere
2. Hydrosphere
3. Biosphere
4. Lithosphere

Question 16

What is the atmosphere?

Answer 16

• Earth’s atmosphere has a layered structure, these boundaries between atmospheric layers are not clearly defined, change depending on latitude season
• The atmosphere acts as a giant filter, keeping out most ultraviolet radiation while letting out the sun’s warm rays

Question 17

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 17

• The hydrosphere contains all water found on and in our planet
• A planets hydrosphere can be liquid, vapour or ice
  On earth, liquid water= oceans, rivers, lakes, groundwaters-> wells+ aquifers
• Water vapour is also visible in clouds and fog
• Frozen part of hydrosphere (cryosphere)= glaciers, ice caps, ice bergs
• Water moves through the hydrosphere in a cycle, driving movement behind this is the sun

Question 18

What is the biosphere?

Answer 18

The biosphere= all existing life on earth, overlapping all spheres, measures about 20km top to bottom BUT almost all life exists between 500m below the ocean’s surface to about 6km above sea level

Question 19

What is the lithosphere?

Answer 19

• The lithosphere is the solid, outer part of the earth, including brittle, upper portion of the mantle and the crust (most rigid)
• Bounded by the atmosphere above and asthenosphere (part of upper mantle) below
• Two types of lithosphere-> oceanic, continental (same characteristics as crust)

Question 20

What is interaction like between the spheres?

Answer 20

• The 4 spheres= independent, a change within an ecosystem (known as events) in one often lead to a change in another

e.g. water vapour condensing to form clouds (hydrosphere-> atmosphere)
Oceans can absorb CO2 from atmosphere (h-> l)

Question 21

Is the earth an open or closed system?

Answer 21

• Closed- energy comes into the system (solar energy) balanced by radiant energy lost by earth
• BUT, at a global level earth has 4 major subsystems (spheres)-> can be considered an open system- energy flows in and out, inputs and outputs