Natural Systems Flashcards
what do all system have?
an input, an output and throughputs.
what are stores / stocks?
stores or stocks are the total amount of material held within a part of the system.
what are fluxes?
fluxes are measurements of the rate of flow of material between stores.
what are processes / transfers?
processes or transfers are the physical mechanisms which drive the flux of material.
what is a closed system?
a closed system in a physical system that does not allow transfers in or out of the system, only energy.
what is a open system?
an open system is a system that has external interactions and both energy and matter can be transferred.
what is dynamic equilibrium?
dynamic equilibrium refers to the tendency towards a natural state of balance within the system.
what is feedback?
a feedback loop involves a coupled system that collectively acts to accelerate or decelerate an initial change.
what is positive feedback?
positive feedback enhances changes and moves a system away from its equilibrium state.
what is negative feedback?
negative feedback decreased the amount of change by reducing some of the inputs and moves the system back to equilibrium.
is earth an open or closed system, and why?
earth is a closed system because only energy is naturally transferred outside the atmosphere.
what are all the sub-systems on earth?
lithosphere or geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), biosphere (living things), atmosphere (air).
