Water and Carbon Flashcards
Define a system
Assemblage of interrelated parts, mostly sharing the same common characteristics.
What is the residence time?
How long a store of energy/matter remains in that store for.
What is steady state?
Energy and matter entering a system is equal to energy or matter leaving the systems.
Define a boundary
Edge of a system.
Define an open system
Matter and energy can enter and leave this system.
Define a closed system
Matter cannot enter or leave a system, but energy can.
Define an isolated system
Neither energy nor matter can enter or leave a system.
What is a cascading system?
An output for one system becomes the input for another.
What are the five major systems on Earth?
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Cryosphere
Hydrosphere
Lithosphere
Approximately how much of Earth’s water is freshwater?
2.5%
Approximately how much of Earth’s freshwater is not stored in Ice caps or groundwater?
Around 1-2%
How much of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean?
72%
Why is evaporation and condensation important for water stores?
Evaporation allows hot air to rise, condensation allows it to fall and be transferred intoo the lithosphere and biosphere.
What are the changes of state from solid to gas and vice versa?
Sublimation
Deposition
What is adiabatic cooling?
The volume of air increases but the temperature stays constant.
When did the most recent interglacial period begin?
12,500 years ago.
What are the three Milankovitch Cycles?
Eccentricity
Obliquity
Precession
What is Eccentricity?
- Affects shape of Earth’s orbit.
- Orbit becomes circular to oval.
- Takes around 100,000 years.
- Earth is further away from sun at times.
What is Obliquity?
- Affects Earth’s axis.
- Angle from vertical changes from 22.5-24.5’.
- Takes around 41,000 years.
- Currently at 23.5’.
What is Precession?
- Affects Earth’s axis.
- The axis itself wobbles.
- Takes around 19,000-24,000 years for one cycle.
What are aerosols?
Tiny particles of salt and dust in the air.
What happens when aerosols and water vapour collide with each other?
If air is cooled, water sticks to aerosols, forming large droplets.
How are clouds formed from water droplets?
Water droplets stick together, only happens when the air is saturated and cannot hold more water vapour.
What is convectional rainfall?
Ground heated by solar radiation, rapid evaporation leads to “sunshine and showers”.
Volume of rising air increases without heat (adiabatic cooling) and condenses.
What is a rain shadow?
Created on opposite side of mountain, where all precipitation has fallen on the other side of mountain.
Define soil moisture surplus
Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration. Excess water for plants, recharge, and runoff.
Define soil moisture utilisation
Evapotranspiration exceeds transpiration. Water stores used by plants or lost to evaporation.
Define soil moisture recharge
Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration. Soil fills up from infiltration.
What is river discharge?
The volume of water passing a measuring point in a given time. Measured in cumecs.
What are some factors that affect river discharge?
- Rock type
- Soil type
- Land use
- Rainfall
- Relief
What is the difference between a flashy and subdued hydrograph?
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.
Define a drainage basin
Area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.
Define source
Where a river begins.
Define confluence
Point at which two rivers join.
Define tributary
Where a river joins a larger river.
Define estuary
Last section of a river influenced by tidal flows and salt water.
Define a river mouth
Where river meets an ocean, sea, or lake.
Define antecedent conditions
Conditions in the air before an extreme weather event.
How does a drainage basin size affect its drainage?
If drainage basin is small, takes less time for water to reach river, so lag time is shorter - flash floods.
Why does irrigation have an effect on rivers?
Channel levels are lowered, as well as groundwater levels if they are the irrigation source.
What do urban landscapes typically have more of that reduces infiltration?
Impermeable surfaces.
What is an indented landscape and how does it affect runoff?
Collect water and reduce runoff rates, increasing infiltrationW
What does saturated ground and melting snow lead to more of?
Surface runoff and increased river discharge.
Is the carbon cycle a closed or open system at a global scale?
Closed system
Define a carbon source
An environment where more carbon is given out than taken in.
Define a carbon sink
A place where more carbon is absorbed than is emitted.
What is the carbon budget?
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.
What is the difference between the slow and fast carbon cycle?
Slow cycle - takes millions of years.
Fast cycle - takes seconds to thousands of years.
What is an example of a slow carbon cycle?
Volcanic eruption.
What is an example of a fast carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis in plants.
What are some social impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect?
- 6m sea level rise (10 vulnerable megacities).
- New marine species in different areas
- Extreme weather becoming more frequent.
What are some political impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect?
- Global bread baskets threatened.
- More competition over oceans for aquaculture.
- Taxes and corruption brought on by increasing prices for goods.
What are some environmental impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect?
- Melting permafrost causing irreversible damage to the Artic.
- Habitats damaged by decaying coral reefs.
- Desertification risks.
What are some economic impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect?
- Sharp increase in food prices.
- Coral provides food for 500 million (destroyed).
- Water shortages and supply from rapid urbanisation.
How is carbon stored in the lithosphere?
Inorganic forms of carbon: fossil fuels.
Organic forms of carbon: litter and humic substances in soils.
How is carbon stored in the hydrosphere?
Mainly in oceans. Some on the surface but most in deep water. Organisms also contribute to this when they die.
How is carbon stored in the biosphere?
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.
How is carbon stored in the atmosphere?
0.04% of atmosphere is currently carbon but is rising by 2ppm each year.
Why are hydrocarbons leading to changes to the carbon cycle?
NEEs causing emission rates to increase by 100% because of development.
What will happen to the carbon cycle as urbanisation continues?
Local hotspots for increased carbon emissions.
Smog.
What is radiative forcing?
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.
What has been encouraged in Malaysia to reduce ecosystem damage?
Selective logging
What are some advantages of carbon capture and storage (CCS)?
- Could cut global emissions by a fifth.
- Can be safely stored in depleted reserves.
- Technology could make the process easier.
What are some disadvantages of carbon capture and storage (CCS)?
- Not demonstrated at large scales.
- Expensive and long term impacts are unknown.
- Large scale environmental impacts are unknown.
What is crop rotation?
Allowing of nutrients in the soil to be used and replenished by different crops.
What are some of the challenges of political initiatives in mitigating climate change?
- Massive investments needed to support developing countries.
- Agreements often take time and collaboration to work on.
How do water and carbon interact in the oceans?
- Ocean acidity increases with CO2.
- Solubility decreases with sea temperature.
- Close links between sea and air temperatures.
What is the process of carbonation?
Acidic rainwater converting calcium carbonate rich rocks such as chalk and limestone into calcium bicarbonate which is soluble
What does REDD+ stand for?
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
What are two of the REDD programmes?
1) Land owners given money if they conserve areas of forest.
2) Government reforms to include recognition of land tenure and protecting rights.
What is a moratorium?
A ban on something.
Which two products have been impacted by moratoriums and in what way?
Soy and Cattle. They shouldn’t be reared in recently deforested areas.
