Long Term Changes To The Water/carbon Cycles

Question 1

Water cycle

Answer 1

During glacials, the net transfer of water from oceans to cryosphere causes sea levels to fall by 100-150m

Ice sheets advance Equator wards and destroy large amounts of forest and grasslands

Lower rates of evapotramspiration reduces exchanges between atmosphere and oceans

Question 2

Carbon cycle

Answer 2

Atmospheric carbon concentrations during glacials are 180 ppm vs interglacials where they are 280 ppm

Drop in atmospheric CO2 in glacials may be because it goes in to the deep ocean

NPP and total volume of carbon in photosynthesis declines due to lower temp/precipitation and less vegetation cover