The Carbon Cycle Key Terms

Question 1

Anthropogenic CO2

Answer 1

Carbon dioxide generated by human adtivity

Question 2

Biosphere

Answer 2

The total sum of living matter

Question 3

Carbon sequestration

Answer 3

The capture of carbon dioxide from large scale stationary sources (e.g. power plants) before it is released into the atmosphere. Once captured, the CO2 is put into long term storage.

Question 4

Carbon sink

Answer 4

A store of carbon that absorbs more that it releases.

Question 5

Greenhouse gas

Answer 5

Any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere.

Question 6

Lithosphere

Answer 6

The crust and the uppermost mantle; this constitutes the hard and rigid layer of the Earth.

Question 7

Weathering

Answer 7

The breakdown of rocks in situ by a combination of weather, plants and animals.

Question 8

Enhanced greenhouse effect

Answer 8

The impact on the climate from the additional heat retained due to the increased amounts of greenhouse gases that humans have released into the atmosphere since the industrial revolution.

Question 9

Geo-sequestration

Answer 9

The technology of capturing greenhouse gas emissions from power stations and pumping them into underground reservoirs.

Question 10

Radiative forcing

Answer 10

The difference between the incoming solar energy absorbed by the Earth and the energy radiated back into space.

Question 11

Soil organic carbon (SOC)

Answer 11

The organic constituents in the soil; tissues from dead plants and animals, products produced as these decompose and the soil microbial biomass.

Question 12

Flow/ transfer

Answer 12

A form of linkage between one store/component and another that involves movement of energy or mass.

Question 13

Input

Answer 13

The addition of matter and/or energy into a stystem.

Question 14

Store/ component

Answer 14

A part of the system where energy/ mass is stored or transformed.

Question 15

System

Answer 15

A set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process

Question 16

Atmospheric water

Answer 16

Water found in the atmosphere mainly water vapour with some liquid water (cloud and rain droplets) and ice crystals

Question 17

Cryospheric water

Answer 17

The water locked up in the Earth’s surface as ice.

Question 18

Hydrosphere

Answer 18

A discontinuous layer of water at or near the Earth’s surface. It includes all liquid and frozen surface waters, groundwater held in soil and rock and atmospheric water vapour.

Question 19

Oceanic water

Answer 19

The water contained in the Earth’s seas and oceans but not including inland seas.

Question 20

Give and example of an inland sea.

Answer 20

The Caspian Sea

Question 21

Terrestrial water

Answer 21

This consists of groundwater, soil moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers.

Question 22

Interception storage

Answer 22

The precipitation that falls on the vegetation surfaces (canopy) or human-made cover and is temporarily stored on these surfaces. Intercepted water can either be evaporated directly into the atmosphere, absorbed by the canopy surfaces or transmitted to the ground.

Question 23

Overland flow

Answer 23

The tendency of water to flow horizontally across land surfaces when rainfall has exceeded the infiltration capacity of the soil and all surfaces stores are full and overflowing.

Question 24

Percolation

Answer 24

The downward flow of water within rock under the soil surface.

Question 25

Run- off

Answer 25

All water that enters a river channel and eventually flows out of the drainage basin.

Question 26

Stemflow

Answer 26

The amount of precipitation intercepted by the canopy that reaches the ground by flowing down stems, stalks or tree bole.

Question 27

Storm and rainfall event

Answer 27

An individual storm is a rainfall period separated by at least 24 hours of dry intervals.
An individual rainfall event is defined as a rainfall period separated by dry intervals of at least 24 hours.

Question 28

Throughfall

Answer 28

The portion of the precipitation that reaches the ground directly through gaps in the vegetation canopy and drips from leaves, twigs and stems.

Question 29

When does throughfall occur?

Answer 29

When the canopy- surface rainwater storage exceeds its storage capacity.

Question 30

Throughflow

Answer 30

The movement of water down-slope through the subsoil under the influence of gravity.

Question 31

When is throughflow particularly effective?

Answer 31

When underlying rock prevents further downward movement.

Question 32

Transpiration

Answer 32

The loss of water from vegetation through stomata.

Question 33

Water balance

Answer 33

The balance between inputs and outputs in a drainage basin.

Question 34

What is an input in a drainage system?

Answer 34

Precipitation

Question 35

Give some examples of outputs from drainage basins.

Answer 35

Run-off
Evapotranspiration
Soil and ground water storage

Question 36

Bankfull

Answer 36

The maximum discharge that a river channel is capable of carrying without flooding.

Question 37

Base flow

Answer 37

This represents the normal day-to-day discharge of the river and is the consequence of slow moving soil throughflow and groundwater seeping into the river channel.

Question 38

Discharge

Answer 38

The amount of water in a river flowing last a particular point in cumecs.

Question 39

Lag time

Answer 39

The time between the peak rainfall and peak discharge

Question 40

Peak discharge

Answer 40

The point of a flood hydrograph when river discharge is at its greatest.

Question 41

Storm flow

Answer 41

Discharge resulting from storm precipitation involving both overland flow, throughflow and groundwater flow.

Question 42

Storm hydrohpgraph

Answer 42

A graph of discharge if a river over the time period when the normal flow of the river is affected by a storm event.