Part 4.2 Flashcards
what information does the Keeling curve provide?
a record of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations
how is carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere?
geologic inputs (volcanes, mid-ocean ridges), biological inputs (respiration), human activities (deforestation, burning of fossil fuels)
what processes remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
geologic removal (chemical weathering, carbon dioxide in rain water reacts with exposed rock), biological removal (photosynthesis)
together, photosynthesis and respiration form a:
cycle that drives the short-term (days-decades) cycling of carbon through the biosphere
what explains the regular oscillation of carbon dioxide and its correlation to seasonality?
higher rates of photosynthesis in summer (lower CO2 in atmosphere), lower rates of photosynthesis in winter (higher CO2 in winter)-respiration stays constant throughout the year
what is the overall pattern of the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere
there is a sustained increase
atmosphere carbon dioxide inputs and outputs were approximately in balance until…
the Industrial Revolution (increased human activities)
correlation
the co-occurrence of two events or processes; correlation does not imply causation
causation
a relationship in which one event leads to another
reservoir
a supply or source of a substance. Reservoirs of carbon, for example, include organisms, the atmosphere, soil, the oceans, and sedimentary rocks
what are some major stores of carbon?
organic matter in soils reservoir, deep ocean water, reservoir, *sediments and sedimentary rock reservoir
flux
the rate at which a substance, for example carbon, flows from one reservoir to another
what determines the sensitivity of different reservoirs to change?
the relative size of the reservoir and the amount of movement of material into and out of it - ex. large flux relative to size of reservoir=reservoir size changes rapidly
chemical weathering can be linked to:
mineral precipitation in oceans-storing in sediments as CaCO3
biomineralization
the precipitation of minerals by organisms, as in the formation of skeletons
plate tectonics
the dynamic movement of Earth’s crust, the outer layer of Earth
greenhouse gase
a gas in the atmosphere that allows incoming solar radiation to reach the Earth’s surface, but absorbs radiation re-emitted as heat, trapping it in the atmosphere and causing the temperature to rise
latitudinal diversity gradient
the increase in species diversity from the poles to the equator
high diversity=
low population density
endemic species
species found in one place and nowhere else
what highlights the “hotspots” of biodiversity in tropical areas?
continued speciation and a limited ability to colonize new areas
ocean acidification
an increase in the abundance of carbon dioxide in the oceans that causes the pH of seawater to go down
