The Key Role Of Carbon And Water Stores And Cycles In Supporting Life On Earth With S To Climate Flashcards
Why is carbon important for stores
Atmosphere
Warms 23 degrees
W out no life on Earth
Human activities lead to more EGE
Land-
biosphere and lithosphere
Litter fall makes soil fertile = plant growth and production of food crop and livestock
Carbon forms energy in form of wood and fossil furls -> domestic and industrial activity
Biosphere
Plants take CO2 photosynthesis- animals and people get carbon through food chain - carbon supports food web, CO2 released in atmosphere through respiration and decomposition
Sea
CO2 -> phytoplankton can photosynthesise
Carbon can be converted to calcium carbonate
Used by some marine organisms to build 🐚
Why is carbon important for people
Makes up 18% of human body
Stored in form of glucose and assists cellular respiration
Trees carbon content in 50% of biomass
Plant growth through photosynthesis and food chain - essential
Why is water essential for life
Living organisms need water to survive as it is a SOE - drinking and irrigation from crops
SOE for economic activities like power, energy, water wheels in past and now Hydro-electric projects
It is essential for climate and weather processes - cloud formation, precipitation etc
Carbon and water in
Respiration and decomposition of humans, animals and plants add carbon to atmosphere store
More carbon -> more plant growth -> more water
More carbon = EGE = warmer = more rain
So carbon then dissolved in rain water in atmosphere
More CO2 in atmosphere = EGE = inc temp leading to more evapotranspiration and precipitation
Carbon and water in
Diffusion - process by which carbon is transferred between stores
Carbon is transferred between atmosphere and ocean store
Reduces amount of carbon in atmosphere
Should be 550ppm but 407ppm
Oceans are warmed by EGE caused my inc CO2
Oceans warmer
Permafrost melts
Release carbon from ice
Warmer oceans cannot store as much CO2
So carbon released to atmosphere
Rainwater which has absorbed carbon is more acidic and is a form of carbonic acid
Weathering of carbonic rocks such as limestone and chalk
Acidic rainwater converts calcium carbonate to calcium bicarbonate -> soluble
Dissolved carbon carried away by rivers to oceans where it is used for shell growth and to form new limestone
Deforestation reduces rainfall as their is less interception and transpiration
Deforestation leads to carbon in atmosphere and this warms oceans
Ice melts
Less trees means CO2 is stored in biomass store and so more CO2 enters atmosphere store
