Spheres Flashcards
What is the carbon cycle?
The movement of carbon through land, water, air and living things.
What are the two main processes that occur in the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Where is carbon stored?
Living things
Oceans
Rocks and soil
Atmosphere
Carbon sinks
What is the photosynthesis equation?
Carbon dioxide+ water -> glucose+ oxygen
What is cellular respiration?
Organisms use oxygen to break down food molecules to get chemical energy for cell functions.
Respiration converts glucose into adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
What is the cellular respiration equation?
Glucose+ oxygen-> carbon dioxide+ water+ adenosine triphosphate
What is decomposition?
- Some carbon is trapped inside organisms, when the organism dies the carbon is broken down by microorganisms (decomposers)
- Remaining carbon is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
What is fossil fuels?
organic matter that is not decomposed stays underground for millions of years. Fossil fuels are dug up and combusted, this releases stoned carbon back into the atmosphere.
What is combustion?
When something containing carbon is burnt it is released back into the atmosphere this is known as combustion.
What is the greenhouse effect
the process through which heat is trapped near Earth’s surface by substances known as ‘greenhouse gases.’ Imagine these gases as a cozy blanket enveloping our planet, helping to maintain a warmer temperature than it would have otherwise.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
similar to the greenhouse effect but it is enhanced by combustion
What are the fossil fuels?
- Oil
- gas
- Coal
What impact does the carbon cycle have on the ocean?
- Two way gas exchange occurs at the ocean surface.
- Phytoplankton use dissolved CO2 in photosynthesis and other animals use carbonate to produce shells
What are the greenhouse gases?
Ozone
Nitrous oxide
Methane
Water
Carbon
What is climate?
the long term average of weather in an area.
What is weather?
A snapshot of what the air and conditions are like at a given time in a certain place.
What is climate change?
measurable changes in the climate over a long period of time
Why are extreme weather events happening?
changing climatic conditions are leading to more extreme weather
What happens when glaciers melt?
with increasing global temperatures, glaciers and ice-sheets begin to retreat. This helps sea levels to rise. White snow and ice reflect the sun, when it melts darker colours absorb the heat.
What are earth’s four spheres and how do they interact?
hydrosphere
lithosphere
atmosphere
biosphere
If one sphere has a slight change all other spheres will also change.
What effect does climate change have on sea levels?
As our climate warms, sea level rises mainly because of thermal expansion (when water warms up, it expands) and melting of snow, glaciers and ice caps (which increases the volume of ocean water).
What effect does climate change have on biodiversity?
It has caused the loss of local species, increased diseases, and driven mass mortality of plants and animals, resulting in the first climate-driven extinctions.
