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Geography - Physical > Water and Carbon > Flashcards

Water and Carbon Flashcards

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1
Q

Define a system

A

Assemblage of interrelated parts, mostly sharing the same common characteristics.

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2
Q

What is the residence time?

A

How long a store of energy/matter remains in that store for.

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3
Q

What is steady state?

A

Energy and matter entering a system is equal to energy or matter leaving the systems.

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4
Q

Define a boundary

A

Edge of a system.

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5
Q

Define an open system

A

Matter and energy can enter and leave this system.

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6
Q

Define a closed system

A

Matter cannot enter or leave a system, but energy can.

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7
Q

Define an isolated system

A

Neither energy nor matter can enter or leave a system.

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8
Q

What is a cascading system?

A

An output for one system becomes the input for another.

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9
Q

What are the five major systems on Earth?

A

Atmosphere
Biosphere
Cryosphere
Hydrosphere
Lithosphere

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10
Q

Approximately how much of Earth’s water is freshwater?

A

2.5%

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11
Q

Approximately how much of Earth’s freshwater is not stored in Ice caps or groundwater?

A

Around 1-2%

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12
Q

How much of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean?

A

72%

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13
Q

Why is evaporation and condensation important for water stores?

A

Evaporation allows hot air to rise, condensation allows it to fall and be transferred intoo the lithosphere and biosphere.

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14
Q

What are the changes of state from solid to gas and vice versa?

A

Sublimation
Deposition

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15
Q

What is adiabatic cooling?

A

The volume of air increases but the temperature stays constant.

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16
Q

When did the most recent interglacial period begin?

A

12,500 years ago.

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17
Q

What are the three Milankovitch Cycles?

A

Eccentricity
Obliquity
Precession

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18
Q

What is Eccentricity?

A
  • Affects shape of Earth’s orbit.
  • Orbit becomes circular to oval.
  • Takes around 100,000 years.
  • Earth is further away from sun at times.
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19
Q

What is Obliquity?

A
  • Affects Earth’s axis.
  • Angle from vertical changes from 22.5-24.5’.
  • Takes around 41,000 years.
  • Currently at 23.5’.
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20
Q

What is Precession?

A
  • Affects Earth’s axis.
  • The axis itself wobbles.
  • Takes around 19,000-24,000 years for one cycle.
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21
Q

What are aerosols?

A

Tiny particles of salt and dust in the air.

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22
Q

What happens when aerosols and water vapour collide with each other?

A

If air is cooled, water sticks to aerosols, forming large droplets.

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23
Q

How are clouds formed from water droplets?

A

Water droplets stick together, only happens when the air is saturated and cannot hold more water vapour.

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24
Q

What is convectional rainfall?

A

Ground heated by solar radiation, rapid evaporation leads to “sunshine and showers”.

Volume of rising air increases without heat (adiabatic cooling) and condenses.

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25
Q

What is a rain shadow?

A

Created on opposite side of mountain, where all precipitation has fallen on the other side of mountain.

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26
Q

Define soil moisture surplus

A

Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration. Excess water for plants, recharge, and runoff.

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27
Q

Define soil moisture utilisation

A

Evapotranspiration exceeds transpiration. Water stores used by plants or lost to evaporation.

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28
Q

Define soil moisture recharge

A

Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration. Soil fills up from infiltration.

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29
Q

What is river discharge?

A

The volume of water passing a measuring point in a given time. Measured in cumecs.

30
Q

What are some factors that affect river discharge?

A
  • Rock type
  • Soil type
  • Land use
  • Rainfall
  • Relief
31
Q

What is the difference between a flashy and subdued hydrograph?

A

Flashy hydrographs have a shorter lag time and steeper increase in river discharge compared to subdued hydrographs.

Flashy hydrographs also typically have a higher peak discharge.

32
Q

Define a drainage basin

A

Area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

33
Q

Define source

A

Where a river begins.

34
Q

Define confluence

A

Point at which two rivers join.

35
Q

Define tributary

A

Where a river joins a larger river.

36
Q

Define estuary

A

Last section of a river influenced by tidal flows and salt water.

37
Q

Define a river mouth

A

Where river meets an ocean, sea, or lake.

38
Q

Define antecedent conditions

A

Conditions in the air before an extreme weather event.

39
Q

How does a drainage basin size affect its drainage?

A

If drainage basin is small, takes less time for water to reach river, so lag time is shorter - flash floods.

40
Q

Why does irrigation have an effect on rivers?

A

Channel levels are lowered, as well as groundwater levels if they are the irrigation source.

41
Q

What do urban landscapes typically have more of that reduces infiltration?

A

Impermeable surfaces.

42
Q

What is an indented landscape and how does it affect runoff?

A

Collect water and reduce runoff rates, increasing infiltrationW

43
Q

What does saturated ground and melting snow lead to more of?

A

Surface runoff and increased river discharge.

44
Q

Is the carbon cycle a closed or open system at a global scale?

A

Closed system

45
Q

Define a carbon source

A

An environment where more carbon is given out than taken in.

46
Q

Define a carbon sink

A

A place where more carbon is absorbed than is emitted.

47
Q

What is the carbon budget?

A

Total amount of carbon stored and transferred in the carbon cycle. Earth has a certain “amount” of carbon that can be emitted while keeping to agreed temperature goals.

48
Q

What is the difference between the slow and fast carbon cycle?

A

Slow cycle - takes millions of years.
Fast cycle - takes seconds to thousands of years.

49
Q

What is an example of a slow carbon cycle?

A

Volcanic eruption.

50
Q

What is an example of a fast carbon cycle?

A

Photosynthesis in plants.

51
Q

What are some social impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A
  • 6m sea level rise (10 vulnerable megacities).
  • New marine species in different areas
  • Extreme weather becoming more frequent.
52
Q

What are some political impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A
  • Global bread baskets threatened.
  • More competition over oceans for aquaculture.
  • Taxes and corruption brought on by increasing prices for goods.
53
Q

What are some environmental impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A
  • Melting permafrost causing irreversible damage to the Artic.
  • Habitats damaged by decaying coral reefs.
  • Desertification risks.
54
Q

What are some economic impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A
  • Sharp increase in food prices.
  • Coral provides food for 500 million (destroyed).
  • Water shortages and supply from rapid urbanisation.
55
Q

How is carbon stored in the lithosphere?

A

Inorganic forms of carbon: fossil fuels.
Organic forms of carbon: litter and humic substances in soils.

56
Q

How is carbon stored in the hydrosphere?

A

Mainly in oceans. Some on the surface but most in deep water. Organisms also contribute to this when they die.

57
Q

How is carbon stored in the biosphere?

A

Half of carbon stored in high latitude forests.
31% of carbon stored in biomass and 69% in the soil itself.

Animals do not store much carbon but are important for the transfer of it.

58
Q

How is carbon stored in the atmosphere?

A

0.04% of atmosphere is currently carbon but is rising by 2ppm each year.

59
Q

Why are hydrocarbons leading to changes to the carbon cycle?

A

NEEs causing emission rates to increase by 100% because of development.

60
Q

What will happen to the carbon cycle as urbanisation continues?

A

Local hotspots for increased carbon emissions.

Smog.

61
Q

What is radiative forcing?

A

The process of absorbing long wavelength radiation. Without this, global temperatures would be -18’C. It is caused when the balance of incoming and outgoing heat is disrupted.

62
Q

What has been encouraged in Malaysia to reduce ecosystem damage?

A

Selective logging

63
Q

What are some advantages of carbon capture and storage (CCS)?

A
  • Could cut global emissions by a fifth.
  • Can be safely stored in depleted reserves.
  • Technology could make the process easier.
64
Q

What are some disadvantages of carbon capture and storage (CCS)?

A
  • Not demonstrated at large scales.
  • Expensive and long term impacts are unknown.
  • Large scale environmental impacts are unknown.
65
Q

What is crop rotation?

A

Allowing of nutrients in the soil to be used and replenished by different crops.

66
Q

What are some of the challenges of political initiatives in mitigating climate change?

A
  • Massive investments needed to support developing countries.
  • Agreements often take time and collaboration to work on.
67
Q

How do water and carbon interact in the oceans?

A
  • Ocean acidity increases with CO2.
  • Solubility decreases with sea temperature.
  • Close links between sea and air temperatures.
68
Q

What is the process of carbonation?

A

Acidic rainwater converting calcium carbonate rich rocks such as chalk and limestone into calcium bicarbonate which is soluble

69
Q

What does REDD+ stand for?

A

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation

70
Q

What are two of the REDD programmes?

A

1) Land owners given money if they conserve areas of forest.
2) Government reforms to include recognition of land tenure and protecting rights.

71
Q

What is a moratorium?

A

A ban on something.

72
Q

Which two products have been impacted by moratoriums and in what way?

A

Soy and Cattle. They shouldn’t be reared in recently deforested areas.

Geography - Physical (18 decks)

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