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Geography > Water And Carbon > Flashcards

Water And Carbon Flashcards

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1
Q

Inputs into the water cycle

A
  • precipitation
  • channel fall
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2
Q

Definition : channel fall

A

Precipitation falling directly into a river

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3
Q

Stores in the water cycle

A
  • interception storage
  • vegetation
  • surface storage
  • soil storage
  • groundwater
  • channel storage
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4
Q

Flows in the water cycle

A
  • infiltration
  • overland flow
  • through flow
  • stem flow
  • percolation
  • groundwater flow
  • base flow
  • channel flow
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5
Q

Definition: infiltration

A

Vertical movement of water from the surface into unsaturated soil

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6
Q

Definition: percolation

A

Vertical movement from unsaturated soil to saturated soil (across the water table)

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7
Q

Definition: baseflow

A

Groundwater flow that flows into rivers

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8
Q

Outputs in the water cycle

A
  • Evaporation
  • transpiration
  • Evapotranspiration
  • river discharge/flow
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9
Q

Definition: Evapotranspiration

A

The process of evaporation and transpiration together

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10
Q

Definition: equilibrium

A

Inputs and outputs are balanced

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11
Q

Definition: positive feedback loop

A

A change to an input the amplifies the output of the system

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12
Q

Definition: negative feedback loop

A

A change to an input that nullifies the output of the system

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13
Q

Definition: input

A

When matter or energy is added to the system

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14
Q

Definition: output

A

When matter or energy leaves the system

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15
Q

Definition: Stores

A

Where matter or energy build up

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16
Q

Definition: flows

A

Where matter or energy move from one store to another

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17
Q

Definition: boundaries

A

Limits of the system

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18
Q

Definition: open system

A

Both energy and matter can enter and leave an open system - there are inputs and outputs of both

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19
Q

Example of an open system

A

Drainage basins
- Energy from the Sun enters and leaves the system
- Water is an input as precipitation and output as river discharge into the sea

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20
Q

Definition: closed system

A
  • Matter can’t enter or leave, it can only cycle between stores
  • Energy can enter and leave a closed system
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21
Q

Example of a closed system

A

Carbon cycle
- Energy is input (the Sun by photosynthesis) and output (by respiration)
- Amount of carbon stays the same because there are no input or outputs of matter

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22
Q

Definition: Dynamic Equilibrium

A

When there are minor input/output but they do little to change the overall balance of the system

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23
Q

Example of A positive feedback loop in the water cycle

A
  • Temperatures rise
  • Evaporation increases
  • Amount of water vapour in atmosphere increases
  • Greenhouse effect increases
  • temperatures rising
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24
Q

Example of a negative feedback loop in the water cycle

A
  • Temperatures rise
  • Evaporation increases
  • Amount of water vapour in the atmosphere increases, causing more clouds to form
  • Increased cloud cover reflects more of the suns energy back into space
  • Temperatures fall
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25
Q

Example of a positive feedback loop in the carbon cycle

A
  • Temperatures rise
  • Plant respiration rate increases
  • Amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increases
  • Greenhouse effect increases
  • Temperatures rise
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26
Q

Example of a negative feedback loop in the carbon cycle

A
  • CO2 in atmosphere increases
  • Extra CO2 causes plants to increase growth
  • Plants remove and store CO2 from atmosphere
  • Amount of CO2 in atmosphere reduces
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27
Q

Definition: river discharge

A

Volume of water in cubic metres, that flows in a river per second

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28
Q

Definition: hydrograph

A

Show how the volume of water flowing at a certain point in a river changes over a period of time

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29
Q

Definition: flood hydrograph

A

Show river discharge around the time of the storm event

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30
Q

Definition: peak discharge (hydrograph)

A

This is the highest point on the graph, when the river discharge is at its greatest

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31
Q

Definition: lag time (hydrograph)

A

The delay between peak rainfall and peak discharge

  • happens because it takes time for rainwater to flow into a river
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32
Q

Definition: rising limb (hydrograph)

A

This is the part of the graph up to the peak discharge

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33
Q

Definition: Falling limb (hydrograph)

A

Part of the graph after peak discharge

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34
Q

Factors that affect run-off and the shape of a hydrograph

A
  • Size of drainage basin
  • Shape of drainage basin
  • Ground steepness
  • Rock and soil type
  • Land use
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35
Q

How does the size of a drainage basin affect run off and hydrograph shape

A
  • Larger drainage basin can catch more precipitation = higher peak discharge
  • Smaller drainage basins generally have shorter lag times because precipitation has less distance to travel so it reaches the main channel more quickly
36
Q

How does the shape of the drainage basin affect run-off and hydrograph shape

A
  • Circular basins are more likely to have a flashy hydrograph than long narrow basins
  • This is because all points on the watershed, or roughly, the same distance from the point of discharge measurement
37
Q

Definition: drainage basin

A

Area surrounding the river, where the rain falling on the land flows into that river

38
Q

Definition: watershed

A

The boundary between neighbouring drainage basins

39
Q

Definition: water budget

A

Annual balance between inputs and outputs within a system

40
Q

Carbon cycle transfers

A
  • Photosynthesis
  • Combustion
  • Respiration
  • decomposition
  • carbon sequestration
  • weathering
  • Ocean uptake and loss
41
Q

Carbon sequestration (carbon transfer)

A
  • Catch carbon, turn into a liquid and inject underground
  • Carbon is transferred from the atmosphere to sedimentary rock or as fossil fuels
42
Q

Weathering (carbon transfer)

A
  • acid rain breaking down rocks which release carbon into oceans and the atmosphere
  • Transfers carbon from the atmosphere to the hydrosphere
43
Q

Ocean uptake and loss (carbon transfer)

A
  • co2 is directly dissolved from the atmosphere into the ocean, also transferred when it is taken up by organisms that live in them (plankton)
  • also transferred from ocean to atmosphere when carbon rich water from deep oceans rises to the surface and releases co2
44
Q

What are the earths subsystems

A
  • cryosphere
  • lithosphere
  • biosphere
  • hydrosphere
  • atmosphere
45
Q

Definition : cryosphere

A

Parts of the earth where it’s cold enough for water to freeze

46
Q

Definition : lithosphere

A

The outermost layer of the earth

47
Q

Definition : biosphere

A

The part of the earth where are living things are found

48
Q

Definition : hydrosphere

A

The part of the earth where all of the water is found

49
Q

Definition : atmosphere

A

The layer of gas between the earths surface and space

50
Q

What happens to the water balance in wet seasons

A
  • precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration
  • water surplus
  • ground store fill with water
    Leads to :
  • more surface runoff and higher discharge (river levels rise)
51
Q

What happens to the water balance in drier seasons

A
  • precipitation is lower than evaporation
  • water deficit
  • ground stores are depleted as water is used (by plants or humans) some flows into rivers
  • this water isn’t replaced by precipitation
52
Q

Physical factors that affect the water cycle

A
  • storms and precipitation
  • seasonal change and vegetation
53
Q

How do storms and precipitation affect the water cycle and hydrographs

A
  • intense storms have a greater peak discharge
  • large inputs of water increases flows and stores e.g. run off and groundwater
  • some flows may not occur rapid enough e.g. infiltration, increasing other flows e.g. run off
54
Q

How do seasonal changes and vegetation affect the water cycle and hydrographs

A
  • during winter temps may drop below freezing reducing flows through the drainage basin, when temps increase again flows through the basin are increased as the ice melts
  • vegetation intercepts precipitation stopping it from reaching the river, during spring and summer when leaves trees have lots of leaves interception is highest
  • more vegetation in drainage basin means more water is lost reducing run off and peak discharge
55
Q

Human factors affecting the water cycle

A
  • farming practices
  • land use change
  • water abstraction
56
Q

How does farming practices affect the water cycle

A

Affects infiltration by :
- ploughing breaks up the soil increasing infiltration, reducing run off
- crops increase infiltration and interception, reducing run off
- crops increase evapotranspiration which increases rainfall
- livestock trample on soil decreasing infiltration, increasing run off
- irrigation can increase run off if the soil is already saturated

57
Q

How do land use changes affect the water cycle

A
  • deforestation : reduces interception creating more saturated soils, reducing infiltration increasing run off
  • forested areas : have dead material on the floor which holds water allowing it to infiltrate rather than run off
  • construction of new buildings or roads : impermeable surfaces reducing infiltration, increasing run off
58
Q

How does water abstraction affect the water cycle

A
  • abstracted in areas with high population density to meet demands, reduces water in lakes or rivers etc
  • during dry seasons even more water is abstracted for consumption so stores are depleted further
59
Q

How much carbon is stored in the lithosphere

A

99.9% in sedimentary rocks

60
Q

How much carbon is stored in the atmosphere

A

0.001%

61
Q

How much carbon is stored in the hydrosphere

A

0.04% (2nd largest store)

62
Q

How much carbon is stored in the biosphere

A

0.004%

63
Q

How much carbon is stored in the cryosphere

A

Less than 0.01%

64
Q

Natural processes affecting the carbon cycle

A
  • wildfires
  • volcanic eruptions
65
Q

How do wildfires affect the carbon cycle

A
  • rapid transfer of carbon from biosphere to atmosphere
  • less vegetation = more co2 in atmosphere
  • in long term it can make soils more fertile which encourages plant growth, more co2 absorbed
66
Q

How does volcanic activity affect the carbon cycle

A
  • carbon stored in magma is released
67
Q

Human activity that impacts the carbon cycle

A
  • fossil fuel extraction and use
  • deforestation
  • farming practices
  • land use changes
68
Q

How does fossil fuel extraction and use affect the carbon cycle

A
  • extracting and burning releases co2
69
Q

How does deforestation affect the carbon cycle

A
  • reduced trees means more co2 in the atmosphere
  • burning of logs releases co2
70
Q

How does farming practices impact the carbon cycle

A
  • animals release co2 and methane
  • ploughing releases co2 stored in soils
  • growing rice releases methane
  • increased effects as population increases
71
Q

How does land use changes impact the carbon cycle

A
  • vegetation is removed for buildings
  • concrete production releases co2
72
Q

Definition : carbon budget

A
  • difference between inputs and outputs in a system
  • determines whether a system is a carbon store or carbon sink
73
Q

Definition : carbon sink

A

Inputs outweighs outputs

74
Q

Definition : carbon source

A

Outputs outweigh inputs

75
Q

How does the carbon cycle affect the atmosphere

A
  • affects the greenhouse gases :
    As concentration of them increase the temperature are expected to rise = global warming
    This leads to other climate changes such as more intense and frequent storms
76
Q

How does the carbon cycle affect the land

A
  • the carbon cycle allows plants to growth e.g. photosynthesis and decomposition
  • changes to the cycle and reduce the amount of co2 stored on land
    e.g. increased temps melts permafrost which releases co2
77
Q

How does the carbon cycle affect the oceans

A
  • increased co2 can increase the acidity of oceans which impacts marine life
  • global warming can increase sea temps reducing the number of plankton who absorb co2 from the atmosphere
  • higher sea temps are less able to dissolve co2
78
Q

How are the water and carbon cycles essential for life on earth

A
  • all living things contain carbon, all living things need water to survive
  • plants are the base of many food chains : they use carbon and water to photosynthesise whic requires both water and carbon
  • water is present as water vapour and carbon as carbon dioxide which are both greenhouse gases, they cause a natural greenhouse effect which allows earth to be at a temperature for living things to survive at
79
Q

Interactions between the carbon and water cycle

A
  • carbon and water combine in the atmosphere which leads to chemical weathering, this removes carbon dioxide
  • water for photosynthesis which removes carbon
  • amount of co2 in the atmosphere affects global temperatures which affects evaporation and precipitation
80
Q

How does climate change affect life on earth

A
  • pattern of precipitation : water shortages leading to conflict in future, floods leading to food shortages
  • extreme weather events expected to become more frequent, LICs will be worse affected and less able to deal with impacts
  • sea levels rising causing coastal flooding
  • biodiversity changes : new species in an area may damage other habitats causing extinction
  • plankton numbers decline due to rising temperatures or acidic waters, reducing the marine food chains
81
Q

What is the IPCC

A

Intergovernmental panel on climate change

  • set up to share knowledge about climate change
82
Q

Evidence that humans have influenced the carbon cycle

A

40% more carbon in the atmosphere than in 1750 due to the extraction and burning of fossil fuels

83
Q

Individual scale to mitigate climate change

A
  • people can use their cars less
  • buy fuel efficient / electric cars
  • make sure their homes are energy efficient (e.g. double glazing, insulation)
84
Q

Regional and national scale to mitigate climate change

A
  • governments can reduce the reliance on fossil fuels by reducing cost of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind or tidal
  • Government policies about deforestation m Brazil government policy to cut deforestation rates by 80%, landowners can be fined or punished if they don’t obey
  • planners can improve public transport and create more green spaces
  • governments can invest in carbon capture and storage, co2 emitted from burning fossil fuels can be stored underground
  • mangrove protection : Sri Lanka decide to protect all its mangroves in 2015 as they absorb more carbon than any other plant
85
Q

Global scale to mitigate climate change

A
  • Paris agreement : international treaties to control the amount of greenhouse gases released, participating countries control their emissions within a set limit
  • carbon trading schemes : if businesses produce less than the limit they are given they can sell the extra credits and if they produce more they need to buy the credits

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