Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Physical Geography > The carbon cycle and energy security > Flashcards

The carbon cycle and energy security Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
U.S. Geography flashcards World Geography flashcards
1
Q

Petagram

A

A trillion kg

PgC = Petagram of carbon

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Anthropogenic

A

Human influenced

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

The carbon cycle

A

Bio-chemical cycle by which carbon fluxes from one sphere to another. It’s a closed system so the total amount of carbon is constant.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Residency time

A

How long carbon stays in one sphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Biggest carbon stores (PgC)

A

Sedimentary rock - 83m
Intermediate & deep ocean - 37,000
Soil - 2,000
Ocean floor ooze - 1,750
Permafrost - 1,700

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Biggest carbon fluxes
(PgC)

A

Photosynthesis - 123
Respiration & fire - 120
Atmosphere to ocean - 80
Ocean to atmosphere - 78
Fossil fuels and cement - 8

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

The four spheres

A

Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Biosphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Oil and natural gas formation

A

Phytoplankton and sea plants die and are covered by silt and sand. If organic content >= 2%, then over millions of years, heat, pressure and anaerobic processes creates oil/gas.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Formation of sedimentary rocks

A

Made of calcium carbonate, formed from shells/skeletons and coral.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How do volcanoes release CO2

A

CO2 is released from sedimentary rocks and water through subduction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What happens to sedimentary rocks like limestone

A

Buried
Melted
Pushed up into terrestrial sphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Biological pump

A

-Phytoplankton photosynthesise
-Passed through food chain and respired
-Carbon moves through the ocean via feeding, waste and decomposition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Carbonate pump

A

-Organisms use calcium carbonate to build their shells and create marine snow when they die
-Many shells dissolve, releasing carbon into ocean currents
-Shells that don’t dissolve build up on the sea floor and turn into limestone via high heat and pressure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Thermohaline conveyor

A

-Primary mechanism for distributing heat globally
-Water heats and rises at equator, releasing CO2
-Travels to poles, where it cools and sinks
-Travels back to equator through deep ocean, CO2 stays here for hundreds of years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Why are warming oceans an issue

A

-Water absorbs less CO2, enhancing GW
-Marine heatwaves that disrupt carbon cycle and marine life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Why is the thermohaline conveyor failing and why’s it bad

A

-Water doesn’t sink at the poles as much, so less circulation
-Less oxygen reaches deep sea, marine life at risk
-Less CO2 absorption via biological/carbonate pumps
-Since 1990, circulation has slowed by a third

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Net Primary Productivity

A

The balance between energy captured by photosynthesis and released by respiration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How does permafrost trap carbon

A

Too cold for microbes to decompose organic matter

19
Q

Permafrost positive feedback loop

A

-Climate warms
-Permafrost thaws
-CO2 and CH4 released
-Climate gets warmer

20
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

-Incoming short wave radiation from sun
-Some outgoing long wave radiation radiated back to space
-Some heat trapped by GrGases

21
Q

Natural systems and threshold risk

A

Stable state
>Positive feedback processes increase risk
>Reaches threshold (irreversible)
>New stable state (more risk)

22
Q

Formation of peatlands

A

Decomposing organic matter accumulates in watery environment without oxygen. Temps must be warm enough for plant growth but cold enough so microbes can’t break down plant matter. Takes thousands of years.

23
Q

Why are peatlands important

A

-30% of soil carbon store
-Home to endangered species
-Source of 70% of drinking water

24
Q

Coral bleaching

A

-Warmer water bleaches coral reefs
-Whole ecosystem suffers
-Less carbon stored

25
Q

Primary energy

A

Natural resources that haven’t been converted to energy. Fossil fuels, nuclear, renewables

26
Q

Secondary energy

A

What primary energy is converted into (electricity)

27
Q

Problems with fossil fuels

A

-Environment
-Finite
-Become more expensive to extract
-Most countries must import them, so are less energy secure

28
Q

Problems with wind and solar energy

A

-Don’t produce energy 24/7
-Can’t be stored efficiently
-Sudden spikes can’t be met

29
Q

Pros/cons of nuclear energy

A

Pros:
-Uranium will last 1000 years
-Less vulnerable
-Low emissions

Cons:
-Chernobyl (public perception)
-Nuclear waste can’t be dealt with long term
-High tech needed

30
Q

Biomass

A

Organic matter used as fuel. eg wood or methane

31
Q

Biofuel

A

Fuel derived from biological carbon fixations. eg sugar cane

32
Q

Biomass pros/cons

A

Pros:
-Renewable
-Not dependant on technology
-Carbon neutral

Cons:
-Takes land away from farming
-Encourages deforestation
-Reduces biodiversity
-Uses fossil fuels in transportation and ‘kick start burning’

33
Q

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

A

-Can capture up to 90% of CO2 from fossil fuels
-Transported by pipeline or ship
-Stored in depleted oil and gas fields or geological rock formations

34
Q

Decentralisation of energy

A

Generating electricity where it will be used, avoiding transport and less vulnerable

35
Q

Hydrogen cars

A

-Water is only waste product
-Has to be extracted which releases CO2
-Infrastructure not in place

36
Q

Electric cars

A

-Charged from main grid, often using fossil fuels
-Infrastructure easy to set up

37
Q

What is ocean acidification

A

CO2 dissolving in the ocean, making its pH closer to 7. By 2100, will be 150% more acidic than in 1861.

38
Q

Impacts of ocean acidification

A

-Weakens coral
-Loss of pteropods which are the main food source for marine creatures
-Algal blooms

39
Q

Energy mix of USA vs France (2015)

A

USA:
-84% fossil fuels
-9% nuclear
France:
-41% nuclear
-50% fossil fuels

40
Q

Canadian tar sands in Alberta

A

-3x more polluting than conventional oil
-Daily emissions equal to 1.3m cars
-Asthma and cancer in Fort Chipewyan

41
Q

Russia/Europe gas crisis

A

-Russia stopped exports to many EU nations
-UK cost of living crisis
-Example of vulnerable pathway and energy insecurity

42
Q

Deep sea oil off coast of Rio, Brazil

A

-Up to 8bn barrels
-Unconventional
-Members of fishing union killed in protest
-Potential for oil spill

43
Q

Ethanol production Brazil

A

-$50bn per year
-16% of energy mix
-No deforestation
-10m cars that run on ethanol
-Less land for farming

Physical Geography (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions