OCR A Level ELSS - Entire Course 4 Flashcards
biological weathering
the breakdown of rocks through the chemical and physical action of living organisms, e.g. burrowing, tree roots
chelation
a type of chemical weathering by acids derived from rainwater and dead organic matter
canopy
the uppermost layer of treetops and branches in a forest or woodland ecosystem
biodiversity
the number of different plant, animal, fungi etc species in a given area
downwelling
the sinking of dense, salty (or cold) water in the oceans
upwelling
The movement of deep, cold, and nutrient-rich water to the surface
food chain
a series of organism through which food energy moves before it is completely expended
lithification
the transformation of sediments into rock (usually by compression and/or heating)
orographic effect
changes to air flow due to the topography of the land e.g. mountains forcing air to rise
absolute humidity
the mass of water vapour in a given volume of air
relative humidity
the mass of water vapour in a given volume of air as a ratio of the mass needed to saturate it
biomass
A measure of the total dry mass of organisms in a given area
porous rock
rocks which contain pores or air spaces between mineral particles, where water can be stored
nutrient cycle
the continuous movement of nutrients between stores (soil, biomass and litter)
shifting cultivation
A form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another
commercial farming
agriculture on an industrial scale operated by large companies using heavy machinery
commercial logging
forestry on an industrial scale operated by large companies using heavy machinery
commercial mining
Mining on an industrial scale operated by large companies using heavy machinery
monoculture
the cultivation of a single crop in a given area.
small scale agroforestry
use of small areas of forest to grow crops, raise animals and harvest raw materials, considered to be sustainable
tree line
the latitudinal and altitudinal limit of tree growth.
heat balance
the difference between solar inputs of energy to the Earth-atmosphere system and energy outputs from terrestrial radiation and gases in the atmosphere. Currently inputs exceed outputs and the global climate responds by warming
active layer
the upper layer of permanently frozen soil that thaws briefly during the summer
dynamic equilibrium
a system displaying unrepeated average states through time
negative feedback
an automatic response to change in an ecosystem which restores equilibrium
water table
the upper surface of the zone of saturation in permeable rocks and soil
water abstraction
removing water from a store e.g. aquifer
syncline
a downfolded, basin-like geological structure
artesian pressure
the pressure in an aquifer that, when tapped, pushes the water above the level of the aquifer, sometimes to the surface.
artesian aquifer
Confined aquifer containing groundwater that will flow upward through a well w/o a pump due to pressure
potentiometric surface
an imaginary surface that defines the theoretical level to which water would rise in a confined aquifer
carbon capture and storage
CCS - The process of trapping carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels or any other chemical and storing it
positive feedback
an automatic response to change in a system which generates further change
greenhouse gas
gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone which are involved in the greenhouse effect.
carbon fertilisation
rising CO₂ levels in the atmosphere which increase photosynthesis and stimulate plant growth
diurnal change
daily cycle of change
seasonal change
annual cycle of change related to the seasons
net primary productivity
the rate at which plants accumulate energy in the form of organic matter taking into account the energy used in respiration (kg/m²/year)
photoperiod
length of day, i.e. from sunrise to sunset
glacial
a prolonged cold climatic phase lasting for tens of thousands of years and causing continental glaciation in middle and high latitudes
inter-glacial
a period of climatic warming (lasting c. 10,000 years) between glacials
cryosphere
referring to all water that is temporarily frozen in polar ice caps, snow, permafrost, and glaciers
wetland
an area of land that is covered with a shallow layer of water during some or all of the year
afforestation
Planting seeds or trees to make a forest on land that has not been a forest recently, or which has never been a forest.
reforestation
the replanting of previously degraded forest land
desertification
the reduction in agricultural capacity due to overexploitation or resources and natural processes such as drought. Only in extreme cases does this result in desert-like conditions
land degredation
the deterioration of land suitability for agriculture by soil erosion, desertification and salinisation
overcultivation
cultivation which, given environmental resources, is not sustainable in the long term and is evidenced by declining yields, soil exhustion and soil erosion
overgrazing
excessive grazing of land by livestock which destroys or degrades pasture and is not sustainable
cap and trade
Market-based system of emissions control whereby individual businesses can buy and sell emission credits even while the total level of industry emission is capped at some level
carbon credit
a permit that allows an organisation to emit a specified amount of greenhouse gases, also called an emission permit
carbon offset
A voluntary payment made to compensate for greenhouse gas emissions
What is a System?
-A model (A simplification of reality)
Where are Systems most commonly used?
-In Physical Geography
What does a system involve?
-a set of things related to each other- connected together to form a working unit
What is an Input?
-Addition of matter and/or energy
What is an example of an input?
-Energy from the sun in hydrological cycle
What is an output?
-Loss of matter and/org energy
What is an example of an output?
-Loss of water through evaporation from rivers in hydrological cycle
What is a flow?
-Movement of matter and/or energy from one store/component to another
What is an example of a flow?
-Water moved from the surface (store) to groundwater store, through infiltration in hydrological cycle
What do all systems have?
-series of stores/components that have flows (connections) between them which transfer energy and/or matter
-lies between a boundary
What is an Isolated System?
-Very rare in nature
-No interactions with anything outside the system boundary
What is an example of an Isolated System?
-Laboratory Experiments- enclosed and artificially controlled environment
What is a Closed System?
-Transfers energy but not matter across boundary to the surrounding environment
What is an example of a Closed System?
-The Earth
What is an Open System?
-Transfers both energy and matter across its boundary to the surrounding environment
What is an example of an Open System?
-Drainage Basin
What do Open Systems do?
-Adjust themselves to flows of energy and/or matter by modifying the interrelationships between different elements of the system so inputs and outputs are in balance
What is a Dynamic Equilibrium?
-Adjusting to balance inputs and outputs
What does Feedback mean?
-occurs when one element of a system changes due to outside influences
What is Positive Feedback?
-Change causes a snowball effect within the system
What is an example of Positive Feedback?
-Water cycle- sea levels rising- ice sheets melt more- further increase sea levels
What is Negative Feedback?
-Change reverses the effect of it
What is an example of Negative Feedback?
-Water cycle- increased sea surface temp- more evaporation- more cloud cover- reduce sunlight- reduces surface temps
What is water on Earth stored in?
-A cascading physical system
What is Hydrosphere?
-All the water on or close to the Earth’s surface
What is an example of Hydrosphere?
- Oceans, Seas, Rivers, Lakes, Aquifers, Soil, Clouds, Ice
What is Hydrosphere made up of?
-Atmosphere
-Cryosphere
-Lithosphere
What state is Atmosphere?
-Gaseous
What state is Cryosphere?
-Solid- eg sea ice, ice sheet, ice caps
What state is Lithosphere?
-Liquid- eg on surface, in ground, soil
What is biological water known as?
-Terrestrial Water
How many % of freshwater can potentially be used?
-To drink etc- 2.5%
What is groundwater in aquifers stored in?
-Permeable Rock
What % of all freshwater is stored in rocks deep below the surface and forms large underground reservoirs known as AQUIFERS?
-30%
What are Aquifers found in?
-Porous Rock (Contains air pockets/pores)
-Permeable Rock (Allows water to pass through it) -EG- Chalk and Sandstone
What is the upper boundary of an Aquifer called?
-The Water Table
What does the water table do?
-can rise or fall depending on the amount of water recharging it from above (more or less rain) or being abstracted from people digging wells into the Aquifer.
What is the generally agreed amount of water in the Hydrosphere?
1.338 X 10(9) km2
What do the figures of the Oceanic vary from?
- 1,320,000,000 to 1,370,000,000 km3
-Average Depth of- 3,682m
How much of the planet’s surface do Oceans cover?
-72%
What are Oceans divided into?
-Several principal oceans and smaller seas
What icesheets contain more than 99% of freshwater ice on Earth?
-Antarctic and Greenland
Where is the world’s largest freshwater wetland system?
-The Pantanal of South America
What is Groundwater?
-Water that collects underground in pore spaces of rock
On a Global Scale what system in the Hydrological cycle?
-Closed System- doesn’t lose energy or matter from our atmosphere and into space
Why is it a Dynamic Equilibrium?
-Because the amount of water in the cycle is always the same (it’s in balance)
On a Drainage Basin Scale what system in the Hydrological cycle?
-Open System- energy and matter can transfer across its boundary (watershed) into another river system
What is a Drainage Basin?
-area of land occupied by a river system
What are examples of Inputs?
-Precipitation
-Sun’s energy
What are examples of Outputs?
-Transpiration
-Evaporation
-River Discharge
What are examples of Stores?
-Interception
-Vegetation Storage
-Channel Storage
-Ground Water Storage
What are examples of Flows/Transfers?
-Base Flow (slow)
-Condensation
-Channel Flow
-Groundwater Flow (v slow)
-Infiltration
-Interflow (medium)
-Percolation
-Stem flow
-Surface runoff
-Throughfall
-Throughflow (fast)
What is Precipitation?
-All forms of moisture that reach the Earth’s surface (rain, snow, dew)
What is Transpiration?
-The loss of water from vegetation through pores (stomata) on their surfaces
What is Evaporation?
-The transformation of water droplets into water vapour by heating
What is Evaportranspiration?
-The loss of water from a drainage basin into the atmosphere from surface of vegetation
What is Surface Storage?
-The total volume of water held on the Earth’s surface in lakes, ponds and puddles. These are collections of water on the Earth’s surface as small as puddles, and as big as lakes.
What is Interception?
-Precipitation that is prevented from falling onto the soil surface by the layer of vegetation.
-During prolonged heavy rainfall- the capacity of the plant surface may be exceeded and water will drip off leaves and branches (throughfall) and run along branches and stems (stemflow)
What is Vegetation Storage?
-Precipitation that is held within vegetation after being absorbed from their surface or through their root system.
What is Groundwater Storage?
-The storage of water underground in permeable and rock strata, commonly Aquifers.
What is Soil Storage?
-This is the precipitation that has infiltrated the soil and filled the pore spaces to be held there.
What is Percolation?
-The gravity flow of water with the soil and rock.
What is Condensation?
-The transformation of water vapor into water droplets by cooling.
What is Infiltration?
-The downward movement of water into soil surface.
What is Overland Flow/Surface Runoff?
-The movement of water over the surface of the land, usually when the ground is saturated or frozen or when precipitation is too intense for infiltration to occur.
What is Channel Flow?
-The movement of water across the surface of the ground within the confines of a river channel.
What is Throughflow?
-The movement of water downslope within the soil layer.
What is Groundwater Flow?
-The deeper movement of water through the underlying rock strata.
What is Throughfall?
-The precipitation that reaches the ground directly through gaps in the vegetation canopy, and drips from leaves, twigs and stems.
What is Stemflow?
-The precipitation that is intercepted by the canopy that reaches the ground by flowing down stems, stalks and tree trunks.
What is a Water Shed?
-The boundary that marks the edge of the drainage basin, usually a ridge of higher land.
What is a Drainage Basin?
-The area of land occupied by the main river and its tributaries.
What is Climate Change meaning?
-A third of Earth was covered in ice- 18,000 years ago last ice age reached peak(thickest and maximum)
-cryospheric store increased (sea levels fell)
-3 million years ago- cryospheric stores melted and rose sea levels by 50m
How are Clouds Formed?
1-Water around us in form of tiny gas particles (water vapor) + tiny particles floating around in the air (salt and dust) called aerosols.- so small with a diameter of about a hundredth of a mm.
2-The water vapor and aerosols are constantly bumping into each other- the air is cooled, some water vapor sticks to the aerosols when collide=Condensation.
3-Clouds then form when the air is saturated+ can’t hold anymore water vapor, warmer air is more wv it can hold. Air rises, cools, reducing temp and so can’t hold as much water vapor, so condensation occurs. Height dew point is reached+cloud formed= condensation level
4-Tiny water droplets group together, grow heavy and gravity pulls them down as raindrops- air cold enough, ice crystals can remain frozen and grow large enough to fall as snow, sleet, freezing rain or hail
5-Bigger water droplets form around the aerosol particles+ start sticking together with other droplets forming clouds.
6-Clouds- either composed of ice or water droplets, depending on height of cloud+temp of atmosphere. Droplets are so small they can remain liquid at temps as low as -30. Temps below -30 ice crystals
What is Condensation Level?
-The height that dew point is reached and a cloud is formed.
What is Convectional Rain?
-Heavy Rain- summer time
-Formed in vertical motion due to the instability of the atmosphere. Heating from the sun causing atmosphere to be unstable. Ground warms up, moisture in the ground evaporates, rises, the hot ground heats the air above it, the water vapor rises and cools condenses in clouds and eventually it rains.
What is Relief Rain?
-On the hills
-Produced as a result of clouds are formed from the Topography or shape of the land. High ground moist air is forced upwards, producing clouds and potentially precipitation.
Likely to occur in Mountainous areas close to prevailing winds.
What is Frontal Rain?
-Cold goes over hot
-When two air masses meet- a cold air mass meets a warm air mass they don’t mix because they have different densities. The warm less dense air is pushed up over the cold dense air creating the ‘Front’. The warm less dense air cools, the water vapor condenses into water and falls as droplets.
What is Evaporation?
-When energy from solar radiation hits the surface of water or land and causes liquid water to evaporate from a liquid to a gas (Water vapor)
What does Evaporation depend on?
-Amount of solar radiation
-Availability of water
-Humidity of air (more humid-slower evaporation)
-Temperature of air (warmer-more vapor held than cold)
What is Condensation?
-As air cools- it holds less water vapor, when reaches dew point temp, the state changes from vapor to liquid.
Water molecules condense on nuclei (particles of dust,smoke) or a surface below dew point.
If the surface is below freezing then water vapor changes directly to solid to form hoar frost.
What is Accumulation?
-Increase in volume of an ice mass
What is Ablation?
-Loss of volume in an ice mass
What happens in the Cryospheric process?
-Snow falls as precipitation, builds up in layers- compress under their own weight to form ice
-Changes in temperatures causes more or less snow to fall- as well as fluctuations in ice mass.
What does Evaporation and Condensation affect?
-Atmospheric
What do Clouds affect?
-Rivers, streams and soils (terrestrial stores)
What does Precipitation affect?
-Terrestrial stores- rivers and streams
What does Cryosphere affect?
-Heat
What does the Climate affect?
-Oceanic+ Cryospheric
What does a Storm/Flood Hydrograph show?
-the change in a river’s discharge over a short period of time, usually a rainstorm
What is River Discharge?
-The volume of water passing a given point at a given time, measure in cubic metres per second (or cumecs)
How is River Discharge calculated?
-cross sectional area X rivers mean (average) velocity
What is the Rising Limb?
-The rising flood water in the river
What is the Peak Discharge?
-The maximum discharge in a river
What is the Receeding Limb?
-Falling flood water in the river
What is Log Time?
-The difference between the peak of the rainstorm and the peak flow of the river
What is Base Flow?
-Normal river level without rainstorm
What are some Human Factors that affect the hydrograph?
-Urban Area- Shorter lag time, Increased Peak discharge- concrete, tarmac buildings channel water to gutter and drainage systems quickly- water reaches sewers+water systems quicker
-Rural Area-Arable- Longer lag time, Gentle Rising Limb- Encourages infiltration, takes up water in roots, Interception of crops=lower peak discharge
-Rural Area-Pasture- Higher peak discharge, steep rising limb- less grass/vegetation-more water in river + compressed soil from cows means impermeable soil so water runs off and into river
What are some Physical Factors that affect the hydrograph?
-Impermeable Rock- H RD, S RL- water can’t percolate into the rock, so will run off into river very quickly
-Permeable Rock-L RD, Gentle RL- Percolation can take place, so water can be absorbed into rock so less runs off
-Steep slopes- S RL, S LT, H PD- running quicker, water gets into river quicker
-Gentle Slopes- G RL, L LT, Low PD- lower gradient so water takes longer to get to river
-Thick Forest- Lower PD, G RL- Forest intercepts the rain less surface run off going into the river
-Sparse Vegetation- S RL, H PD- Less interception, more surface run off going into river
-Porous Soil- L PD, G RL- Infiltrated into soil, takes longer to get to river , less surface run off less river water
-Non-Porous Soil- H PD, S RL- surface run off takes water to river quicker, less soil infiltrated into soil
-Saturated Soil- S RL, H PD, G RL- soil saturated with water do has to run off surface as cant infiltrate so takes longer
-Small Drainage Basin- S LT, Lower PD- Rain doesn’t have to travel as far
-Large Drainage Basin- L LT, H PD- More distance to travel, more tributaries carrying more water
What are the parts of a hydrograph?
-y axis- discharge (m3/s) on L, rainfaill in mm on R
-x axis- hours from start of rain storm
-Rising limb
-Peak discharge
-Discharge in m3/s
-Receeding limb
What is the hydrograph usually like for Summer?
-lower rainfall= lower river discharge (surface+soil stores decreases)
-short thunderstorms sometimes- surface run off decreases+ river discharge decr rapidly
(Steep RL, High PD, Steep RL)
Conventional rain
What is the hydrograph usually like for Winter?
-higher rainfall=increase in river discharge
-constant rainfall=gentle receeding limb- takes longer for river to empty
(Steep RL, High PD, Gentle RL)
Frontal rain
What is the hydrograph usually like for Spring?
-usually low rainfall, no sudden inc in rainfall- spread over months so water enters+ leaves river slowly
(Gentle RL, Low PD, Gentle RL)
Frontal rain
What is the hydrograph usually like for Autumn?
-same as winter
(higher rainfall= inc river discharge- constant= gentle Re L
(Steep RL, High PD, Gentle RL)
What is a case study for flooding?
- BOSCASTLE
North Coast of Cornwall
PHYSCIAL CAUSES-
-valley, impermeable slate- heavy rainfall, saturated ground, upstream landscape, steep sided valley- so travelled quickly
-conc water at bottom with narrow space- river channel couldnt hold water= flood
HUMAN CAUSES-
-no flood control, no emergency drainage, old sewer+drainage systems, no prep in place, structures obstructed river increasing spread of floodwater
FACTS- 60mm rain in 2hours, 10ft water+40mph, 120 saved in 7hr, £10m on regeneration
What is affecting the water cycle?
-Rapid pop growth+ incr rates of consumption
How does agriculture affect the water cycle?
-Irrigation- artificial watering of land, arable.
(Drip- stem flow- direct water to roots, veg takes in water) (Spray- cheaper, uses more water, hose pipes to spray water onto land)
-Abstraction- take water from river, lakes, res, gw stores and re-direct onto land
What is over-abstraction?
-Taking too much water, leads to issues eg salinisation.
What is Salinisation?
-Salt gets into groundwater stores
What are pesticides/ Fertilisers?
-Pesticides- kill bugs
-Fertilisers- artificial nutrients- help plant grow
What is Leaching?
-Too much water fed onto land, saturate soil, wash out nutrients+ chemicals from saturation
What is Contamination?
-Nutrients+Chemicals get into bodies of water (stores/flows), contaminate it
What is Eutrophioation?
-Poison equatic life- kills fish from reduction of oxygen in water
What is water abstraction?
-Irrigation- water abstracted from somewhere
-Depletion of aquifers (underground water=lower)
-Salt water- into aquifer, contaminate gw if water table falls below sea levels
-Low flow level in ground surface rivers= ecosystems affected
What is deforestation?
-reduced interception rates from less veg cover
-new veg grows- fewer leaves, shallow root=less interception
-less water evaporates from surface to return to atmosh
-more water from surface runoff+ channel flow
-bigger impacts when 50-100% of drainage basin= deforested
What is soil/land drainage?
- to reduce soil moisture so infiltration can occur
-where more water in soil
East Anglia- submerged
-Drainage ditches, deep drains- move water rapid
-Low table- change infiltration+evap
London Basin Water Abstraction case study?
-demand for water increased, groundwater was important- drill aquifer, abstract water from chalk=lower groundwater levels- so removed from Thanet Sands
- decreased chalk abstraction= gw levels recover- could cause flood- could use for water supply
Deforestation?
-even though forests important- still high, lose primary forests to less biodivserse plantations+ secondary forests.
-Lose veg- reduce interception rates, more surface run off and channel flow= flood risks- Bangladesh from deforestation- inc flood downstream- increase surface run off+river discharge- less interception so flood water builds.
(8.5% inc in trop defores)
Wycoller Beck investigation?
-Inc river discharge, decr slope angle, decr infiltraion rate as move downstream
What is the carbon cycle?
-Global distribution+ size of major stores of carbon
Major Stores of Carbon?
-Lithosphere- Earth’s crust+upper part of mantle- hard+rigid outer layers
-Hydrosphere- Oceanic stores of carbon- water+living org matt+dissolved org matt
-Biosphere- Terrestrial biosphere- land based sources- living veg, plant, soil hummus, peat, animals
-Atmosphere- Atmospheric- greenhouse gas, anthropogenic CO2
Lithosphere?
-thick crust
-upper- chem reactions w atmos, hydros +biosph (pedosphere- soil forms)
-carbon-org(veg litter, org matt, humic subs from soil)+inorg (fossil fuels- coal, oil, nat gas, carbonate) forms
Hydrosphere?
-37-40,000 GTC
-into 3 cats
-surface layer- (euphotic)- sun penetrate= photsynthesis- 900GTC
-intermediate (twilight- deep-37,100 GTC
-living org matt (fish, bacteria)-700 GTC (organisms die- sink into deep water,decay= CO2 released into deep water- some mat=carbon rich sediments- mill yrs-chem+phys processes turn them into rock
Biosphere?
-est 3,170 GTC
-carbon amount varies
- biggest store= S America- in 5 stores
1-living veg
2-plant litter
3-soil+soil hummus
4-peat
5-animals
Atmosphere?
-Carbon always present
-High value-7,000 ppm
-0.04% atmosphere
-Hawaii- increasing
-atmospheric CO2- increased overtime
Cryosphere?
-Polar ice sheets, mountain glaciers
-store org cabon- local+distinct sources- releases to downstream environments
Antartic ice sheet- stores most of org cabon
What factors affect changes in magnitude (size) of carbon stores over time+space? (flows+transfers in carbon cycle)?
-Photosynthesis
-Combustion
-Respiration
-Decomposition
-Weathering
-Carbon sequestration in oceans+sediments
How does photosynthesis affect size of carbon stores?
-plant use sun’s light energy-produce carbs as glucose- green=chlorophyll
-LE converts CO2 into starch
-CO2+ Water (with LE) =Glucose +Oxygen
-Marine plants- phytoplankton- C into org matt-SLE, with CO2+water=carbs(energy)- CO2+water+sunlight=Ch2O+O2
How does combustion affect size of carbon store?
-Org matt- burned in oxygen presence= Co2, water+energy- co2- returns carbon stored in rocks
-veg/fossil f- carbon, hydro, maybe oxygen- other elements combin w oxygen= pollutant molecules- sulfur
- BIOMASS Comb- burn living/dead veg- human+ natural- consumes carbon, emits into atmosphere- kills tree, new trees grow- store carbon- old decompose- emit carbon- org soil stores carbon
How does respiration affect size of carbon stores?
-chem process in cells- plants+ans
-convert glucose for energy (growth, repair, move- some is biomass)- return CO2 to atmosphere- animals+ bact get energy from biomass
-ox from atmosp+ carbs= release stored energy= O2+CH2O=energy, H20, CO2
-opp to photosyn
How does carbon sequestration in oceans and sediments affect size of carbon stores?
-transfer carbon from atmos to plants, soils, rocks+ oceans
-natural+ human
Carbon capture+ storage- tech capture of carbon from power stations- changing farm practices
-OCEANS- take 1/3 carbon from human act
SEDIMENTS-bury carbon in sediments- shrimp, scampi
How does decomposition affect size of carbon stores?
-Orgs die- decomposers consume them+carbon from bodies return to atmosphere as CO2- some org matter- in soil
-Phys, Chem+Bio mechs- break org matt
-Ans, wind, plants-fragmentation
-leach, transport water=phys
-oxidation+condensation=chem
-feed+digest- enzymes=bio
-important elements are recycled to soil- available
How does Weathering affect size of carbon stores?
-breakdown/ decay of rocks- phys, bio+chem
-CO2- absorbed by rainwater= mildly acidic carbonic acid- chem reacts- rock dissolves- goes to oceans- used for marine orgs
-phys- temp, wind, rain, waves
-bio- ans, plants- burrow rocks, roots grow- people on paths
-chem-rainwater= acidic- calcium carb reacts
Human causes of change in carbon cycle?
-HYDROCARBON FUEL EXTRACTION+BURNING-more carbon from gas, coal, oil- extract fossil fuels (remains of orgs)- burn, release CO2= enhanced greenhouse effect
-CHANGING FARMING PRACTICES-pop growth, diet changes, more wealth= more agri production- Arable- carbon when plough soil (humus org carbon store)- pastoral incr arable- fed grain- deforestation for space, so less carbon storage+more released into atmos- transport, refrig+pack= energy, so carbon combusted
-DEFORESTATION- perm loss of forest cover- release CO2 into atmos- convert for agri+urban EG- AMAZON RAINFOREST- absorbs CO2- store C, release O- event emit> than absorbs- due to deforstation
-LAND USE CHANGES (URBANISATION)- more people= more deforestation- more food etc
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
-increase in emissions of CO2 speeds up natural greenhouse effect process
How do we analyse graphs?
-T=trend
-E=examples
-A=anomlies
-M-manipulate
What are the natural/physical causes of changes in the carbon cycle?
-NATURAL CLIMATE CHANGE- Quaternary geog period- fluctuations between warm (interglacial)+ cold (glacial) periods- higher temp+higher CO2- CO2 triggers higher temp+ temp change impacts CO2= mirror each other (Temp inc=inc CO2, inc CO2=inc temp)
TEMP CHANGES- COLD= chem weathering- hold more CO2- diff forest cove, less decomp, less flows into oce- stop C transfer- WARM=perm melt- carbon released- GlobalW- +feedback
-WILDFIRES+VOLCANOES-
WILDFIRES=natural (lightening)/ human- smoke, release CO2- from carbon sink to source
VOLCANOES= return CO2 into Atmos- held for m yrs, >than human act
What is the Yellowstone Supervolcano?
-blanket US in ‘nuclear winter’ if erupts- contains large C- damage Earth if 1 go release
What are CO2 concentrations from ice cones?
-Drill ice sheets- analyse cone- snow turns to ice w air bubbles (preserves atmos samples- analyse cones- changes in atmos gas conc+ glacial- interglacial cycles!)
What is the carbon budget?
- Max amount of carbon that can be released into the atmosphere while keeping a reasonable chance of staying below a given temp rise (Gtc- gigatonnes of carbon)/(GtCO2- carbon dioxide)
-IPCC introduced
What is Spearman’s Rank?
-most common stat test
-assume no distribution in data
-find correlation between 2V
What are the strengths of Spearman’s Rank?
-Sig of data shown
-prove/dis correlation
-further analysis
-Not assume norm distrib
What are the weaknesses of Spearman’s Rank?
-Difficult
-Complicated Formula
-Misinterpreted
-2 data sets needed
Human interventions in carbon cycle- to influence carbon transfers+ mitigate climate c impacts?
-ADAPTATION- ways to cope with changes occuring from cc- to lower our vulnerability (EG-flood defences/drought resist crops)
-MITIGATION- take action to reduce cause of problem to minimize effects
What are some international agreements?
-RIO- HICs to stabilize carbon emissions
-KYOTO- pollution mitigation+ schemes to reduce emissions- separate targets- USA never signed- biggest polluters (would damage their ec)+ CHINA- now big polluters, some countries allowed to inc emissions (ICELAND)= carbon credits- major polluters bought credits
-COPENHAGEN- reduce global emissions- inc in temp below 2d
-PARIS- 195 countries-goals to reduce C emissions- CHINA- clean energy, US+EU- cut CO2 + reduce deforestation=Amazon carbon sink to absorb C- with plans=temp hit 2.7 by 2100.
How is carbon capture and sequestration used to reduce carbon + climate change?
HUMAN-
-technology to capture co2 emissions from coal-fired power stations+industry
-transport gas to site-store+prevent enter atmosphere- reduce C by upto 19%
BUT- v expensive
EG- QUEST, CANADA- capture, transport (pipeline+injected) store CO2 underground- 1st 2yr- 2m tonnes of Co2
DRAX- no profit/cash, so stopped- but could’ve trapped 90% C emissions.
NATURAL- peat bogs-stop veg decay
How is changing agricultural practices used to reduce carbon+ climate change?
-14% ems- from agric
- Deforestation-inc to 25% ems
-Agronomy- inc yields+ C ems
How is managing transport used to reduce carbon+ cc effects on carbon cylce?
-NY COUNCIL- footpaths, better pub transport, cycle paths, encourage walking=reduce traffic, congestion, less CO2.
-PARIS- ban cars- some free pub transport, walk or bike=reduce CO2, less cong, cleaner air
-FREIBURG- bike route, trams, cheap pub transport, high fees for cars, cheaper housing, free pub transport= reduce emissions, congestion=cleaner air
How to answer an evaluate 20M Q?
-Advantages
-Disadvantages
-Intro- define what talking about, mention methods etc, explain what things in Q are
-Main- each method- what is, s+w, link to Q- egs, stats
-Conclusion- summary main points, S outweigh W?
