Unit 7 - links between carbon and water

Question 1

What is the cause of global warming?

Answer 1

is linked to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Question 2

What was the highest figure of co2 concentration before 2016, compared to today?

Answer 2

2016 = 300ppm
Feb 2025 = 447ppm

Question 3

What does the Hockey stick graph show?

Answer 3

shows the rise in global average temperatures since the industrial revolution

Question 4

How does global warming link with the water cycle?

Answer 4

• increase in sea level rise, planet is less reflective = sea level rise
• increased evaporation = increase in clouds (could possibly add to reflectivity?)
• water vapor, most abundant greenhouse gas

Question 5

How does global warming link with the carbon cycle?

Answer 5

• C02 is the second most abundant greenhouse gas
• co2 is the main contributor to global warming and traps radiation from the sun
• production from burning fossil fuels

Question 6

What is the ‘energy budget’?

Answer 6

balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiated heat and reflected sun radiation

Question 7

How does the energy budget work?

Answer 7

1. incoming energy from the sun (shortwave radiation) = insolation
2. about half is absorbed, and some is reflected from the outer atmosphere
3. most of the insolation that reaches the Earth’s surface is absorbed and converted to heat energy (longwave radiation), some is reflected

Question 8

How does an increase in greenhouse gases impact on the energy budget?

Answer 8

there will be an increase in the amount of radiation absorbed and decrease in the amount that is reflected back into space 4
= increase in Earth’s temp

Question 9

What are the impacts caused by the levels of atmospheric carbon increasing?

Answer 9

1. changes to patterns and levels of precipitation/extreme weather events and river discharge
2. sea level rise and acidification of oceans

Question 10

How many weather related extreme events where there in 1980 compared to in 2013?

Answer 10

1980 = 350 in total
2013 = 850 in total
(seen a drastic increase in the number of extreme weather events)

Question 11

Out of he 10 warmest years, how many have there been since 2002?

Answer 11

8 of the 10 warmest years are since 2002

Question 12

What is the evidence to suggest that extreme weather is becoming more frequent?

Answer 12

In Atlantic (2017) there were 11 named storms and 6 were classed as Hurricanes

(avg. between 1981 and 2010 was 6 named storms and 2 hurricanes)

Question 13

What was the average global ocean temperature increase in 1880 compared to 2015?

Answer 13

1880 = -0.5 degrees below average
2015 = +0.75 degrees above average

Question 14

What is the case study for flooding, as an extreme weather event?

Answer 14

Red River Flooding of Fargo, 2004

Question 15

What is the case study for extreme precipitation, as an extreme weather event?

Answer 15

Boscastle Floods 16th August 2004 = extreme storm

Deforestation in Haiti

Question 16

What is the case study for drought as an extreme weather event?

Answer 16

California Central Valley, depletion of aquifers
1976 UK drought
‘Megadrought’ in Western U.S.A

Question 17

What is the case study for forest fires, as an extreme weather event?

Answer 17

Australian wild fires 2019
Canada 2023
Lincolnshire, UK wildfire 2022

Question 18

When did Rockhampton receive 349mm of rainfall in a day?

Answer 18

summer of 2012-13 in Australia

Question 19

What was the role of atmospheric carbon in Rockhampton?

Answer 19

increased co2 = increased absorption of insolation
= increased temp = high levels of evaporation = precipitation

Question 20

When did Birdsville Australia reach 49 degrees?

Answer 20

in the summer of 2012-13

Question 21

What was the role of atmospheric carbon in Birdsville?

Answer 21

increased co2 = increased absorption of insolation = increase in sea levels, less reflective surfaces
= increased temp

Question 22

What is a feedback system?

Answer 22

a series of responses that change the ‘steady state’ equilibrium of a system

Question 23

What is meant by positive feedback?

Answer 23

when a series of responses increases or amplifies the initial change

(like the domino effect)

Question 24

What is meant by negative feedback?

Answer 24

when a series of responses stops or reverses the initial change, as a result equilibrium could be restored

Question 25

How does positive feedback work for water vapor in the atmosphere?

Answer 25

1. anthropogenic activity increases co2 in the atmosphere 2. atmospheric warming occurs increasing evaporation 3. warmer air can hold more water vapor 4. water vapor = ghg

Question 26

How does negative feedback work for water vapor in the atmosphere?

Answer 26

1. anthropogenic activity increases co2 in the atmosphere 2. atmospheric warming occurs increasing evaporation 3. warmer air can hold more water vapor 4. more water vapor increases cloud cover 5. more insolation reflected back into space

Question 27

What type of feedback is global climate currently experiencing?

Answer 27

positive feedback, there is now wat to reach equilibrium

Question 28

What are the four feedback mechanisms within this unit?

Answer 28

1.Methane 2. Cryosphere 3. Marine Carbon 4. Terrestrial ecosystem

Question 29

Since the industrial revolution, what % increase has there been of methane?

Answer 29

250% increase in methane in the atmosphere

Question 30

Where does methane get released from?

Answer 30

Burning fossil fuels MELTING PERMAFROST

Question 31

Why is melting permafrost a concern?

Answer 31

stores carbon in frozen, organic rich soil, methane is 25x more potent that co2 and can be released fairly quicky

Question 32

What is the process by which methane is released from melting permafrost?

Answer 32

when dead organic matter falls to the bottom of lakes, microbes decompose them, releasing CH4 this floats to the surface as bubbles which are frozen in sea ice, when it melts releases these bubbles in large quantities

Question 33

What is the methane feedback loop?

Answer 33

1. high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causes global temperatures to increase 2. increasing temps = permafrost thaws 3. thawing exposes previously frozen dead organic matter to decay 4. as it decays co2 and CH4 is released into atmosphere 5. greenhouse gas levels increase

Question 34

Why is there a concern that melting permafrost could lead to a rapid climate change feedback loop?

Answer 34

- melting permafrost = more CH4 - more CH4 = more absorption of insolation - increase in global temps = triggers other + feedback loops - e.g. ice sheets melting, losing carbon sinks

Question 35

What is meant by albedo?

Answer 35

the reflectivity of a surface

Question 36

What is the albedo of ice and snow?

Answer 36

80%

Question 37

What is the positive feedback loop of the cryosphere?

Answer 37

(1. increased atmospheric co2) 2. increased absorption of insolation 3. increased melting of sea ice/glaciers 4. reduced albedo of the Earth's surface 5. increase in temps

Question 38

What is the current rate of Eustatic seal level rise?

Answer 38

3mm per year

Question 39

What is the feedback loop for sea level rise? (Marine carbon)

Answer 39

1. warmer ocean water absorbs less atmospheric carbon by diffusion 2. increase in ghg in the atmosphere 3. increase temps = increased melting of land and sea ice 4. lower alebdo of earths surface =more melting = sea level rise

Question 40

(Marine carbon) What is causing ocean acidification?

Answer 40

increase in hydrogen ions and massive amounts of co2 and CH4 being released

Question 41

What happens to the amount of carbonate ions in sea water when acidification occurs?

Answer 41

carbonate ions are reduced

Question 42

Why are carbonate ions important to marine organisms?

Answer 42

need it to make shells and skeletons

Question 43

What are the consequences of ocean acidification for marine ecosystems?

Answer 43

30% reduction in shell weight in microscopic organisms in southern ocean called Foraminifera (trap carbon) - going to impact food sources for commercial fish, whales, seals etc - coral reefs cannot survive, they bleach which affects oceans food chains

Question 44

Why are oceans in areas such as those surrounding Canada more vulnerable to ocean acidification?

Answer 44

co2 absorbed more easily in colder environments (seasonal upwelling- mixing of surface and deep ocean water = more acidification) melting of arctic sea ice = freshwater inputs

Question 45

What is the negative feedback loop for ocean acidification in arctic waters?

Answer 45

1. increased atmospheric co2 2. increased temps = increased melting of snow/ice 3. reduced albedo of land surface 4. rising air temps 5. influx of cold meltwater into oceans 6. increased diffusion of co2 into oceans 7. increased acidity of ocean 8. reduced co2 in atmosphere = reduction in air temp

Question 46

What are the two terrestrial ecosystems that are studied in carbon?

Answer 46

Tropical rainforest and peatlands

Question 47

What are the links between the carbon and water cycle in terms of a feedback loop for tropical rainforests?

Answer 47

1 deforestation 2. increased infiltration and flooding 3. cutting down trees = carbon source releases co2 4. less photosynthesis, litter evapotranspiration 5. less photosynthesis = co2 remains in atmosphere =increase global temps 6. temps increasing = droughts and affecting climate water cycle 7. climate change