Water and Carbon Flashcards
1
Q
Closed system
A
Energy can freely leave and enter but matter can not
2
Q
Dynamic equilibrium
A
A system is maintaining balance
3
Q
Open system
A
Where matter and energy can be transferred from the system across the boundary into to the surrounding environment
4
Q
Positive and negative feedback
A
Adds to problem or takes away from problem
5
Q
Exacerbate
A
Make worse
6
Q
What are the 5 spheres
A
Cryosphere ( frozen), lithosphere ( rock), atmosphere (gases), hydrosphere (water), biosphere (organisms)
7
Q
Describe water cycle
A
Water evapotranspirates, cools condensed, rains, water travels as surface run off or infiltration through porous rocks, groundwater flow, water ends up back in sea
8
Q
how does humidity affect evaporation SPATIAL
A
Less as the closer the air is to saturation point, the slower it is
9
Q
warmer air hold more or less a water vapour
A
More
10
Q
Condensation - is this temporal or spatial
A
Temporal
11
Q
What is the temp and pressure like at the ITCZ, what does it lead to?
A
High temps and low pressure leading to high rates of evaporation
12
Q
What are the two ways clouds form? What are they?
A
Diabatic - change in temp but volume is constant
Adiabatic - volume increases but no addition of heat
13
Q
What are the three types of rainfall? What are these?
A
orographic - rises over land due to prevailing winds
Frontal - warm air and cool air meet
Conventional- sun heats ground and water rises and condenses
14
Q
Why does the ITCZ migrate and where
A
Due to earth tilting, north in summer and south in winter
15
Q
How does cloud formation and the ITCZ etc drive the climate
A
global circulation model determines cloud formation and distribution of rainfall, between the Hadley and Ferrell cell air sinks causing dry weather
16
Q
Regional rain patterns - how does it determine the climate regionally INDIAN OCEAN DIAPOLE
A
Indian Ocean diapole , negative diapole causes drought in Eastern Africa, extreme weather
POSITIVE is warm and wet in the west but hotter and drier in the east
Opposite for negative
17
Q
how does the ENSO cycle drive climate regionally
A
Positive el nino and cool La Niña episodes happen every few years in tropical Pacific Ocean
Extreme = more frequent = more extreme droughts and rainfall events
El Niño is drought in India and Australia and increased rain in USA - opposite for El Nina
18
Q
How do cryospheric processes drive the climate
A
Ice melting leads to sea level rise less storage in crysoohere
19
Q
How does water abstraction impact WC
A
abstracted faster than replenished resulting in sinking water table
20
Q
How does deforestation impact WC
A
less trees less interception so overland flow increases soil is too saturated meaning lack of nutrients = no trees grow so less évapotranspiration less moisture less clouds local climate is drier
21
Q
How does soil drainage impact water cycle
A
Less excess water so more through flow meaning more flooding lessening to nitrate loss which is eutrophication
22
Q
Where has afforested incorrectly and his
A
Ireland, planted evergreens so no decomposition from leaf litter
23
Q
water balance
A
balance between inputs and outputs
24
Q
Lag time
A
Difference between peak rainfall and peak discharge
25
How does afforestation or deforestation impact hill slope
Afforestation = more interception and stem flow more through flow and less groundwater flow
Deforestation = less interception more groundwater flower soil becomes saturated decrease in transpiration
26
How does urbanisation and agriculture impact hill slope
Urbanisation = less or no interception more surface run off soil may reach infiltration capacity
Agriculture = soil erosion no interception meaning more surface run off soil reaches infiltration capacity
27
How will crop and cattle agriculture impact hill slope differently
Crops will under cultivate area meaning more interception and insufficient irrigation more evaporation
Cattle means soil is compacted so more overland flow
28
How does precipitation/plantsimpact hill slope
Soil reaches infiltration capacity if high precipitation
More plants means more transpiration less overland flow
29
How does deforestation impact drainage basin
Less interception and infiltration meaning more overland flow leads to FLASHY HYDROGRAPH meaning more erosion so sedimentation into channel meaning flooding
Everything else same as hill slope
30
How does water abstraction and farming impact drainage basin
Reduces base flow so more water will reach channel before it reaches bank full
Farming like ploughing breaks up soil increasing infiltration
31
How does urban sprawl and afforestation impact drainage basin
Urban sprawl leads to large impermeable surfaces
Afforestation leads to more interception meaning slow process of water to river channel
32
How does precipitation impact drainage basin
Basin already saturated meaning infiltration capacity reaches so overland flow increases
33
How does photosynthesis, respiration, weathering and out gassing impact carbon cycle
photosynthesis sequesters CO2 and respiration releases it
Weathering and carbonation release CO2
Out gassing of CO2 from volcanic eruptions and animals respire returning it to the atmosphere
34
Explain the physical pump
Mixing of surface and deep ocean waters by vertical currents vertical mixing occurs, dissolves CO2
35
Explain the biological pump
Phytoplankton absorb CO2 through photosynthesis can sometimes die and accumulate sediment meaning decomposition occurs
36
How do humans contribute to carbon cycle
Combustion
37
How is carbon stored in lithosphere
Inorganic deposits include coal oil and natural gas in the soil, including litter and organic matter
38
How is carbon stored in hydrosphere
Processes including dissolution (CO2 dissolved into water) biological uptake (through photosynthesis) and sedimentation (marine organisms decompose on ocean floor)
39
How is carbon stored in biosphere
Vegetation biomass and plant litter soil humus which originates from decomposition
40
How is carbon stored in atmosphere
Gases like methane, respiration from animals and out gassing
41
How is carbon stored in the cryosphere
Permafrost thaws
42
What are the five processses that make up the slow carbon cycle
Weathering, outgassing, diffusion and vertical mixing, biological pump
43
How is the rock cycle linked to the transfer of carbon
Carbonation
44
How is carbon transferred from ocean sediments to atmosphere
Upwelling brings CO2 to surface
45
What are the five fast carbon cycle processes
Photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, combustion, carbon sequestration
46
How do humans contribute to the fast carbon cycle
Rearing cattle logging combustion respiration transport
47
How much carbon does wood hold
50%
48
Describe what happens in the lithosere
1) first pioneers are lichens and mosses and are tolerant of extreme conditions then form thin soil
2) next is grasses and herbs, these add more roots so soil holds more water
3) larger plants like shrubs and bushes grow, outgrowing other plants
4) trees grow slowly = climax community
49
Chelation
Humus wears down rock
50
Diurnal changes to WC
Photosynthesis in the day
Respiration at night
More carbon released at night
51
Annual/seasonal changes to WC
growing season can be seen by the way carbon fluctuates in atmosphere
Higher NPP in summer
52
Long term changed to WC
Nature tends to keep it balanced which allows planet to remain hospitable for life, humans upset balance through fossil fuel burning
53
Natural and human processes for carbon sequestration
Oceans absorbing through biological pump
Carbon capture and storage
54
How do humans impact carbon stores at local scale
Photosynthesis = afforestation or deforestation
Combustion = urbanisation and slash and burn
55
What is the other word for human emissions
Anthropogenic emissions
56
Impacts of cold conditions in carbon stores
Holds more carbon so more chemical weathering, forest coverage woukd be different which impacts photosynthesis and respiration meaning lower NPP , less water flows in ocean as it’s locked up in Ice
57
How does warm conditions impact carbon stores
Permafrost thaws
58
Milankovitch cycle
Slight variation in suns radiation meaning temp increases
59
Orbital cycles
Variations in suns radiation
60
How do volcanos emit CO2
Eruptions and underground magma eg outgassing
61
How do volcanos impact albedo affect
Release ash meaning it reflects sunlight so it’s cooler short term it also reduces photosynthesis
62
How were volcanoes significant over time
Past: flood basalts
Present: degassing
Future: perhaps less volcanic activity
63
How do wildfires start
Lightning strikes
Human activity
64
How can wildfires burn beneath the ground
Peat
65
Indonesia - what is the population like? What does this lead to?
Densely populated - deforestation- drier material is more likely to combust
66
Indonesia: how much of the worlds carbon does it store in its tropical pet land
55%
67
Indonesia: wildfires occur in period of what? What are they closely linked to?
Drought - land use
68
Canada: wildfires can turn the forests from a what to a what? What insect has migrated?
Sink to source - bark beetle as they thrive in warmer conditions
69
Boreal forests contain how much carbon? What is it underlain by?
300 billion tonnes - permafrost which is flammable if deforestation occurs
70
What do bark beetles lead to
Decomposition
71
How much of anthropogenic emissions are because of fossil fuels making
90%
72
How does cement manufacturing impact carbon cycle
Burns fossil fuels for the process
73
How does hydrocarbon extraction in the tundra impact the carbon cycle
Permafrost thaws and ash flares release soot which impacts albédo making it warmer
74
What is the name of the pipeline in the tundra
Trans Alaska pipeline
75
How does ploughing and harvesting impact WC
Introduces air to soil meaning more decomposition so carbon is released
76
Rearing livestock impacts
Enteric fermentation
77
Rice farming impacts
Rice paddies generate methane meaning fields must be flooded which blocks oxygen which releases Methane
78
How do farms sequester carbon
Raise level of organic matter within soil which stores more carbon
79
Example of sustainable farming? What is the relationship between rice and fish?
Nigeria - symbiotic meaning it reduces methane by reducing anaerobic conditions that are necessary to methane production
80
How does the farming in Nigeria do nutrient cycling and reduce chemical use?
Fish provide natural fertiliser so reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers
81
Land use change: forestry, how long do forests sequester carbon for
Increases carbon stores
Sequester carbon but are only sinks for the first 100 years
82
What is the great greenwall? How much carbon does it sequester
In Africa - 250 million tonnes
Reverse desertification
83
Land use change: farming
Clears forest
Less photosynthesis
Soil erosion and arable farming reduces carbon content
84
Land use change: urbanisation
Usually caused by growing population
Deforestation
Less sequestration
Concrete production uses fossil fuels
85
How many mega cities pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050
25
86
5 ways to manage deforestation
Selective logging and replanting
Conservation
Education
Ecotourism
International agreements
87
Radiative forcing
Difference between incoming solar energy absorbed by the earth and energy radiated back to space
88
What is carbon fertilisation
Plants grow more
89
Less carbon in ocean means
Shells are more fragile
90
Acidic ocean leads to
Ocean warming
Less phytoplankton
Habitats lost due to melting of sea ice
91
How does burning fossil fuels mess to more precipitation
Enhanced GHE = warmer oceans = more evaporation
92
how does deforestation lead to more evaporation and precipitation
More carbon released = enhanced GHE
93
how does more rain mean more sequestration
More plant growth more sequestration higher NPP
94
Why is carbon important to land
Formation of soil
Carbon in the form of organic matter introduces nutrients and provides structure
Essential for plant growth
Provides energy
95
Why is carbon important to oceans
Carbon converts to calcium carbonate which is used to build shells
Impacts presence of phytoplankton
96
Why is carbon important to atmosphere
Warms earth so its habitable
97
Water is important to land
Needed for crop growth
Fresh drinking water
98
Water needed for oceans, what is the circulation called
Provides habitat
Thermohalene circulation moves nutrients around planet
99
Water needed for atmosphere
Water vapour leads to GHE
, weather and temp regulation
100
Positive feedback loop for water
Ice reflects heat from sun so less heat absorbed
Less Ice means less reflection
Affects rain patterns
101
6 main impacts of climate change
Precipitation patterns change
Extreme weather
Agricultural productivity
Seal level rise
New species damage local ecosystem
Less plankton
102
What will happen if we have a 2 degree increase in temp
Permafrost thaws
More rain means soils will absorb less methane
Biome shifts
103
When was the Paris agreement
2015
104
Where is doing CCS
Uk or Canada
105
Who is protecting mangrovez
Sri Lanka
106
Who is modifying deforestation
Malaysia selective management system
107
Who is doing government policies
Brazil
108
How to mitigate climate change
Solar renewable energy, less meat, sustainer travel, CCS,afforestation
109
What city is nicknames the green city
Freiburg Germany
110
What are 5 minutgatuon strategies
International agreements (eg Paris 2015)
Modifying industrial combustion
Modifying photosynthesis
Modifying lang use change
Modifying combustion
111
How much does it rain annually in the Amazon
2300mm
112
What are the soils like in the Amazon
Latosols, nutrient poor
113
Amazons warm wet environment is ideal for
Decomposition
114
In theory the soil shouldn’t support the amount of trees there are but why does it
High decomposition and fèces
115
What are the main impacts of slash and burn
Reduces humidity of soils so top layer facilitates evaporation
Increases albedo
116
How does climate change impact WC
Rainfall patterns on a local/regional scale
Less évapotranspiration meaning less humidity
More decomposition due to warmer conditions
117
How does vegetation changed impact WC
Drought and high temp kills trees meaning more decomp
118
How does soil changed impact WC
Forest clearance means soil is exposed making it saturated
119
Where is the river Eden
Between Pennines and lake district
120
What urban place is near river Eden
Carslile
121
What is rainfall, relief, geology and vegetation/ soils like near the river
1) higher than national average
2) steep and long relatively narrow increases lag time
3) impermeable rocks
3) extensive peat bog souls and dominated by mosses and ferns means low interception
122
How does farming impact river Eden
Intense livestock and machinery compact soils meaning flooding increases
123
How does construction impact the river
Build on floodplains
124
How does deforestation impact the river
Flooding due to less interception
125
When was storm Desmond and what were the impacts
2015
M6 flooded
40 schools in Cumbria closed
