PMT - Carbon And Water

Question 1

What are inputs?

Answer 1

Where matter or energy is added to the system

Question 2

What are outputs?

Answer 2

Where matter or energy leaves the system

Question 3

What are stores?

Answer 3

Where matter or energy builds up in the system

Question 4

What are flows?

Answer 4

Where mater or energy moves in the system

Question 5

What are boundaries?

Answer 5

Limits to the system (e.g. watershed)

Question 6

What are open systems?

Answer 6

When systems receive inputs and transfer outputs of energy of matter with other systems

Question 7

What are closed systems?

Answer 7

When energy inputs equal outputs

Question 8

What is dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 8

In a system is when inputs equal outputs despite changing conditions

Question 9

What is positive feedback?

Answer 9

Occurs when a chain of events amplifies the impacts of the original event

Question 10

What is negative feedback?

Answer 10

Refers to a chain of events that nullifies the impacts of the original event

Question 11

What are carbon and water cycles on a local scale?

Answer 11

Open systems

Question 12

what are carbon and water cycles on a global scale?

Answer 12

Closed systems

Question 13

Explain how the water cycle on a local scale works

Answer 13

In a local drainage basin system water may be lost as an output through evapotranspiration and runoff, but more water may be gained through precipitation. As the inputs and outputs are not balconied, it is an open system. These inputs, outputs, flows and stores drives and cause changes to the water cycle over time.

Question 14

What is precipitation?

Answer 14

Rain, snow, hail

Question 15

What is conventional rainfall?

Answer 15

Due to heating by the sun, warm air rises, condenses at higher altitudes and falls as rain

Question 16

What is relief rainfall?

Answer 16

Warm air is forced upwards by a barrier such as mountains, causing it to condense at higher altitudes and fall as rain

Question 17

What is frontal rainfall?

Answer 17

Warm air rises over cool air when two bodies of air at different temperatures meet, because warm air is less dense and therefore lighter. It condenses at higher altitudes and falls as rain.

Question 18

What is evapotranspiration?

Answer 18

Compromised of evaporation and transpiration. Evaporation occurs when water is heated by the sun, causing it to become a gas and rise into the atmosphere. Transpiration occurs in plants when the respire through their leaves, releasing water they absorb through their roots, which then evaporates due to heating by the sun.

Question 19

What is streamflow?

Answer 19

All water that enters a drainage basin will either leave through the atmosphere, or through streams which drain the basin. These may flow as tributaries into other rivers or directly into lakes and oceans.

Question 20

What is infiltration?

Answer 20

This is the process of water moving from above ground into the soil. Infiltration capacity refers to how quickly infiltration occurs. Tree roots creates passages for water to flow through from the surface into the soil, increasing infiltration capacity. If precipitation occurs at a greater rate than the infiltration capacity then overland flow will occur.

Question 21

What is percolation?

Answer 21

Water moving from the ground or soil into the porous rock or rock fractures. The percolation rate is dependant on the fractures that may be present in the rock and the permeability of the rock.

Question 22

What is throughflow?

Answer 22

Water moves through the soil and into streams or rivers. Speed of flow is dependent on the type of soil. Clay soils have smaller pore spaces and a slower flow rate. Sandy soils drain quickly because they have larger pore spaces and natural channels from animals such as worms. Sports fields have sandy soils to reduce getting waterlogged.

Question 23

What is surface runoff (overland flow)?

Answer 23

Water flows above the ground as sheetflow (lots of water flowing over a large area) or in rills. - fast

Question 24

What is groundwater flow?

Answer 24

Water moves through the rocks. Ensures that there is water in rivers, even after a long, dry period of weather.

Question 25

What is streamflow?

Answer 25

Water that moves through established channels - fast

Question 26

What is stemflow?

Answer 26

Flow of water that has been intercepted by plants or trees, down a stem, leaf branch or another part of a plant - fast