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Geography Y13 - Water and Carbon > The Carbon Cycle > Flashcards

The Carbon Cycle Flashcards

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1
Q

What is carbon?

A
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2
Q

GIve a fact about carbon

A
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3
Q

Give an example of organic carbon.

A
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4
Q

Give an example of inorganic carbon.

A
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5
Q

How much carbon is stored in the atmosphere?

A

0.015% of all carbon is stored in the atmosphere

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6
Q

What does carbon form when mixed with rainwater in the atmosphere?

A

carbonic acid

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7
Q

How much carbon is stored in the lithosphere (and marine sediments)?

A

99.9% of all carbon is stored in the lithosphere.

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8
Q

Give 3 examples of carbon stores found in the lithosphere.

A
  1. Marine sediment
  2. Soil organic matter
  3. Peat
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9
Q

How much carbon is stored in the hydrosphere?

A

0.0076% of all carbon is stored here

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10
Q

Compare the storage of carbon in the intermediate layer with the storage of carbon in the surface layer of the ocean.

A
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11
Q

How much carbon is stored in the cryosphere?

A

0.0018% of all carbon is stored here

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12
Q

Compare the storage of carbon in the cryosphere with the storage of carbon in the atmosphere.

A
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13
Q

How much carbon does permafrost contain?

A

1400 gigatonnes

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14
Q

How much carbon is stored in the biosphere?

A

0.012% of all carbon is stored here

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15
Q

How does carbon enter the biosphere? Why is this important?

A
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16
Q

Describe the storage of carbon in the pedosphere (soil layer)

A
17
Q

What is the residence time in terms of carbon?

A

How long carbon can be stored.

18
Q

Describe the global pattern (distribution) of carbon storage in plants.

A
  • Tropical and subtropical forests, for example The Amazon Rainforest, store the largest amount of carbon out of any biome
  • Carniferous forests in the northern hemisphere store a high density of carbon (e.g in Russia and Canada)
  • There is a low carbon density in the Sahara since desert areas are completely deprived of vegetation.
19
Q

Give two examples of carbon stores with a long residence time.

A
  • Land plants (5 years)
  • Atmosphere (3 years)
20
Q

Give two examples of carbon stores with a short residence time.

A
  • Fossil fuels (650 years)
  • Sedimentary rocks (150 million years)
21
Q

What are the major stores of carbon in the pedosphere?

A
  • Carbon is mostly stored in the high latitudes towards the north in the form of permafrost.
22
Q

How does the distribution of carbon in the pedosphere compare to the biosphere?

A
23
Q

Why is the lithosphere an important carbon store?

A
24
Q

Why is the hydrosphere an important carbon store?

A
25
Q

Why is the cryosphere an important carbon store?

A
26
Q

Why is the pedosphere an important carbon store?

A
27
Q

Why is the atmosphere an important carbon store?

A
28
Q

Why is the biosphere an important carbon store?

A
28
Q

How might a carbon molecule move between the atmosphere and biosphere?

A
29
Q

How might a carbon molecule move between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere?

A
30
Q

How might a carbon molecule move between the lithosphere and the hydrosphere?

A
31
Q

How might a carbon molecule move between the atmosphere and the lithosphere?

A
32
Q

What kind of system is the carbon cycle?

A

The carbon system is closed since the volume of carbon in the world remains constant but it is transferred to different stores within the system.

33
Q

Give an example to support the fact that the carbon cycle is a cascading sub-system.

A

Carbon moves from the hydrosphere to the lithosphere through the decomposition of marine organisms.

34
Q

What is a carbon sink? Give 2 examples of carbon sinks.

A

Anything that outputs more carbon than it stores.
1. Marshland
2. Humans

35
Q

What is a carbon source? Give 2 examples of carbon sources.

A

Anything that stores more carbon inputs that it outputs.
1. Compost heap
2. Rockfall

36
Q

What are release agents? Give 2 examples of carbon sources.

A

Any processes that trigger the release of carbon.
1. Volcanic activity
2. Forest fires

37
Q

What are fluxes?

A

The rate of flow between carbon (and water) stores.

Geography Y13 - Water and Carbon (6 decks)

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