The Carbon Cycle (Unit 1, Topic 3) Flashcards
Global distribution of major carbon stores- lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, atmosphere. Flows and transfers between plant, sere and continental scales. Changes in the carbon cycle over time. The carbon budget and the impact of the carbon cycle upon land, ocean and atmosphere, including global climate.
What different forms can Carbon be found in?
Co2- gas in the atmosphere, soil, water and rocks
Methane- gas in atmosphere, soil, water and rocks
Calcium Carbonate- solid compound, calcareous rocks
Hydrocarbons- found usually in all stores in sedimentary rock
Bio- molecules in complex compounds in living things
What is Carbon stored in, in the different spheres?
Hydrosphere- inorganic- oceans and people
Cryosphere- inorganic- ice sheets and bubbles
Atmosphere- inorganic- gas and Co2
Biosphere- organic- plants and animals
Lithosphere- inorganic- sedimentary rocks
What is the Fast Carbon Cycle?
Carbon is cycled quite rapidly through organic systems between the atmosphere, vegetation and soils this is called the Fast Carbon Cycle
What is the Slow Carbon Cycle?
The cycling of carbon between the surface bedrock and atmospheric or ocean stores is known as the Slow Carbon Cycle
What is a Store?
The total amount of the material of interest held within part of the system
What is a Carbon Flux?
Measurements of the rate of flow of material between the stores
What is a Carbon Process?
Physical mechanisms which drive the flux of material between the stores
What is the Sere Scale?
The stages between a plants succession, note that different sere’s are named after the starting point of succession
How does Weathering affect Carbon Fluxes?
Breakdown of rocks close to the surface, causes the carbon stored inside to return to the atmosphere. Acidic rain passes the carbon from the atmosphere to the soil and plants on the ground. It is also transported in the hydrosphere
How does Burial and Compaction affect Carbon Fluxes?
Organic matter dies and is buried by sediments and becomes compacted under immense pressure and by millions of years forms hydrocarbons
How does Photosynthesis affect Carbon Fluxes?
Process whereby plants use light energy to produce carbohydrates to form glucose. It converts absorbed Co2 into oxygen and glucose
How does Respiration affect Carbon Fluxes?
Opposite of photosynthesis, the breathing of living organisms causes Co2 to be released into the atmosphere after converting oxygen into energy and Co2
How does Decomposition affect Carbon Fluxes?
When organisms die they are consumed by decomposers such as bacteria, fungi and earthworms. Carbon escapes from their bodies into the atmosphere
How does Carbon Sequestration (Geological) affect Carbon Fluxes?
Co2 is captured at its source and injected as a liquid deep underground in a variety of stores
How does Combustion affect Carbon Fluxes?
Organic material stores carbon, when burned its released with water, the Co2 then is returned to the atmosphere
How does Carbon Sequestration (Terrestrial) affect Carbon Fluxes?
Use plants to capture Co2 and its stored in its stems and roots. But Co2 can be released if burnt
What Human Factors lead to change in the Carbon Cycle?
Burning Fossil Fuels
Deforestation
Agriculture
Urbanisation
Sequestration
What Physical Factors lead to change in the Carbon Cycle?
Volcanic Eruptions
Climate Change
Wildfires
How does Volcanic Activity lead to changes in the Carbon Cycle?
When volcanoes erupt magma consisting of Co2 is released as well as water vapour and sulfur. Even volcanoes that don’t erupt release Co2 through soil, fumaroles
How do Forest Fires lead to changes in the Carbon Cycle?
Trees are burned releasing Co2 but grow back bigger and stronger reabsorbing all the escaped Co2 back from the atmosphere causing a negative feedback loop.
How does Fossil Fuel Consumption lead to changes in the Carbon Cycle?
90% of human caused carbon is from fossil fuels, this is absorbed by trees and oceans. China, USA and India are all growing contributors of the worlds Co2. The Co2 we release is millions of years too early. Vegetation helps to absorb 50% combined with oceans
How does Farming Practices lead to changes in the Carbon Cycle?
The organic matter that decomposes like grass when ploughing. Cows produce lots of methane, rice paddies also generate lots of methane
How does Land Use affect the Carbon Cycle?
Co2 emissions from land use account for 30% of human induced carbons. Around 13 million hectares of forest are cut down. Carried out by subsistence farmers using the ‘slash and burn’ technique. Logging operations cut down desirable trees, they also build roads to make the process more efficient.
Equally they deforest due to urban sprawl. Overall, 3% of forests were lost between 1995 and 2005, lack of tress dries out soil as there is limited shade cover
Urban Growth focuses on more agricultural land and housing to be built on greenfield sites. Expected 60% of people in 2030 to be living in urban areas, 47% of Co2 emissions came from urban areas in 2012
What is the Carbon Budget Calculation?
Uses data to describe the amount of carbon that is stored and transferred within the carbon cycle. Measured in peta-grams (1 x 10 power of 15)
What is the Greenhouse affect?
Gases absorb long radiation from the earth and lower atmosphere trapping the heat and allowing life to form, Anthropogenic activities have increased Greenhouse Gases making them more effective at trapping heat this is known as the enhanced greenhouse effect. Since 1880 greenhouse temperatures have increased by 0.8 degrees
What Natural Factors of the Earth can affect Radiation Absorption?
There are natural variations such as the eccentricity cycle which determines how close or far we are from the sun, Obliquity cycle which determines how far we wobble and the precession of the equinoxes which is which way the earth is tilted towards the sun
What is a Countries Carbon Budget?
A Carbon Budget is the cumulative amount of Co2 emissions permitted over a period of time to keep within a certain temperature threshold
What are some Impacts of Changing Carbon Budgets?
Land- Desertification, Forest Fires
Ocean-Raising Sea Levels, Ice Caps Melting
Atmosphere-Enhanced Global Warming
