Systems frameworks and their application Flashcards
What is atmospheric water?
What is cryospheric water?
What is the Hydrosphere?
Atmospheric water is found in the atmosphere mainly water vapour with some liquid water (cloud and rain droplets) and ice crystals
Cryospheric water is water that is locked up on Earths surface as ice
The Hydrosphere is a discountinous layer of water at or near the earths surface. E.g all liquid and frozen surface water and groundwater held in the soil and rock, also vapour in the atmoshphere
What is oceanic water?
What is Terrestrial water?
Oceanic water is the water in earths oceans and seas but not inland seas e.g Caspian sea.
Terrestrial water is groundwater, soil moisture, wetlands, lakes, and rivers.
What is a flow/transfer?
What is an input?
What is a store/component?
What is a system?
Flow/Transfer is a form of linkage between one store/component to another that involves movement of energy/mass
Input is the addition of matter/energy into a system
Store/component is a part of system where energy/matter is stored
A system is a set of interrelated components working together towards some sort of process
What are the three different types of property?
And describe what they are
Elements, attributes, and relationships
Elements are the things that make up the system of interest
Attributes are the perceived characteristics of the elements
Relationships are are descriptions of how the various elements (and attributes) work together to carry out some kind of process.
What are 3 things that most systems share some characteristics?
- They have a structure which lies within a boundary
- They function by having inputs and outputs of material( energy/matter) that is processed within the components causing it to change in some way
- They involve flow of material between components
Define the 3 ways systems can be isolated?
Isolated systems: These have no interactions with anything outside the system boundary. No input or output of energy e.g Laboratory experiments, very rare in nature.
Closed systems: Have transfers of energy both onto and beyond the system boundary but not transfer of matter. e.g the earth energy come in from solar energy balanced by radiant energy lost by the earth.
Open systems: These are where matter and energy can be transferred from the system across the boundary into surrounding environment e.g most ecosystems.
What is a dynamic equilibrium?
What is a feedback?
When there is a balance between the inputs and outputs.
Also means stores stay the same.
Feedback is if one element of the system changes e.g input with corresponding change in the outputs then stores change and equilibrium is upset.
What is positive feedback?
What is negative feedback?
Positive feedback is where the effects of an action (e.g increase in co2) are amplified or multiplied by subsequent knock-on or secondary effects.
Global temperature rise- increased oceanic temperatures-Dissolved co2 released by warmer oceans-More co2 in the atmosphere- back to warming of oceans
negative feedback is where effects of an action (e.g increase use of fossil fuels) are nullified by its subsequent knock-on effects
INCREASE IN ATMOSPHERIC CO2 __Global temperature increase-MORE PLANT GROWTH__Increase take up of co2-REDUCES ATMOSPHERIC CO2__Reduced co2 has ‘dampening’ effect and reduces global temperatures-
What are the earths major subsystems?
atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere
