Progress Check Hydro Cycle Amd Flashcards
Why is carbon useful for humans ?
Plants use it to grow
Crude oil - for plastic
Cars
Power _ coal and fossil fuels
Which processes take carbon in from the atmosphere .
Photosynthesis
Dissolving into the ocean
Which processes real ease carbon into the atmosphere .
Respiration
Decomposition
Volcanic eruption
Which process transfers carbon from the ocean into the lithosphere
Sedimentation into rock
Is there any overlap between the carbon cycle and hydrological cycle .
Water necessary fro photosynthesis
Oceans important store for water and carbon
How is carbon stored in the atmosphere .
Stored as the gas carbon dioxide
766 billions of metric tons
How is carbon stored in the biosphere ?
Stored as organic molecules in living anda dead plants and animals
Stored in the soil as organic matter from plant material
How is carbon stored in the oceans ?
Stored as dissolved carbon dioxide but also as calcium carbonate in the shells of Marie. Life which can fall to the sea floor
How is carbon stored in the lithosphere ?
Stored as fossil fuels and also in sedimentary rocks such as limestone and chalk
Why is carbon found in all living things ?
All cells contain proteins fat and carbohydrate molecules
These all contain carbon atoms
What is the carbon cycle ?
Movement of carbon between stores
What is the conc of co2 in the atmosphere +
<4 parts per 10,000
Why are green plants important ?
Remove co2 in the atmosphere and they make complex molecules
Why are microorganisms important ?
Decompose dead organic matter
How is carbon released back into the atmosphere ?
Burning wood and fossil fuels
Respiration in cells
What are some processes in the fast carbon cycle ?
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Decomposition
Respiration by de composers
Respiration by phytoplankton
What are some processes in the slow carbon cycle ?
Dissolve into oceans
Upwelling
Downweling
Sinking se creatures
Sedimentation
Dissolving and decay
Fossilisation
Weathering
Volcanic eruptio
How long does it take for carbon atoms to move through the slow carbon cycle ?
100-200 million years
Why is rainfall slightly acidic ?
Carbón dioxide combines with water vapour to form carbonic acid
What does acidic rain do to rocks ?
Reacts with minerals in the rock , causing chemical weathering
How does carbon end up in the ocean ?
Absorb carbon directly from the atmosphere
Washed down stream into rivers , lakes and oceans
What are shells and skeletons of marine creatures made of ?
CaCO3
How do sea creatures turn into rocks ?
Sink to the bottom of sea floor and build up in layers
Layers compact , sedimentation M turns into rock
What is sequestrian ?
If organic carbon gets trapped in between the layers , it makes fossil fuels
How does carbon sequestered in rocks eventually return to the atmosphere ?
Volcanic eruptions at subduction zones at a destructive boundary
Name the acid formed when co2 dissolves in rainwater
Weak carbonic acid
Why has acidity of ocean surface water increased ?
Rising concentration of co2 in the atmosphere due to anthropogenic emissions , have increased the acidity of rainfall
How much carbon is transferred by weathering ?
0.3 billion tonnes
What is the carbonation equation ?
Calcium carbonate +carbonic acid -> calcium bicarbonate
How does freeze thaw weathering affect chemical weathering ?
Increases the surface area exposed to a chemical attack
How many times faster is the fast carbon cycle compared to the slow cycle ?
100 to 1000 times
What do plants produce when they photosynthesis?
Carbohydrastes like glucose
Oxygen as a by product
Name the organism in the ocean that can photosynthesis ?
Phytoplankton
Why is respiration important?
Releases carbon back to the atmosphere
What is released during decomposition.
Co2
Methane
Name another way that carbon is released back to the atmosphere ?
Fire - combustion
How much carbon is cycled through the fast carbon cycle every year ?
Between 1,000 million and 100,000 million metric tonnes
Why is there so much carbon in peat ?
There’s no oxygen
Cos they are water logged or saturated so there’s no 02 for decomposition
What could happen to peat bogs as the earth warms ?
Could decompose microorganisms
They could dry out which would release more carbon
Where do surface oceans transport dissolved co2 ?
Poleward
What happens to cooled ocean water ?
Becomes more dense and skins
Where in the world does downwelling occur ?
One of the places is the North Atlantic between Greenland and Iceland
How long might carbon molecules remain in the deep ocean ?
For centuries
How long does the fats carbon cycle take ?
Minutes and hours
How long does the slow carbon cycle take ?
150 million years
What percentage of global water is found in the atmosphere ?
0.001%
What is the name of the lowest portion of the earths atmosphere ?
Troposphere
What is the average environmental lapse rate .
6 degrees for every 1000 M in height
