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geography > water and carbon > Flashcards

water and carbon Flashcards

1
Q

What is a system?

A

set of interrelated components working together towards the same process

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2
Q

What is an isolated system?

A

These systems have no interaction with anything outside the system boundary. There is no input or output of energy or matter. These systems are rare in nature.

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3
Q

What is a closed system?

A

These systems have transfers of energy both into and beyond the system boundary but not transfer of matter.
E.g. The Carbon Cycle

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4
Q

What is an open system?

A

These systems are where matter and energy can be transferred from the system across the boundary into the surrounding environment.
E.g. The Drainage Basin

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5
Q

What is throughflow?

A

movement of water through subsoil

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6
Q

What is infiltration?

A

downard movement of water from surface to soil

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7
Q

What is percolation?

A

downward movement of water within rock under soil surface

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8
Q

What is an example of positive feedback?

A

-temp. rises
-ice cover melts
-less ice coverage reduces albedo effect
-more energy absorbed

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9
Q

What is an example of negative feedback?

A

-Large amounts of CO2 emitted
-CO2 in atmosphere increases
-Extra CO2 causes plants to increase growth
-Plants remove and store more CO2 from atmosphere
-Amount of CO2 in atmosphere reduced

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10
Q

What is dynamic equilibrium?

A

When both inputs and outputs are balanced

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11
Q

What are the earth’s 4 major subsystems?

A

The Atmosphere
The Lithosphere
The Hydrosphere
The Biosphere

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12
Q

What are key points about the atmosphere?

A

It is a mixture of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%) and other gases such
as carbon dioxide (1%)
The atmosphere is always in constant interaction with the
hydrosphere, giving rise to the planets weather conditions

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13
Q

What are key points about the lithosphere?

A

outermost part of the earth - It includes the crust and the upper parts of the mantle
surface is uneven due to landforms such as mountains and deep valleys
The crust is made of loose soil and rocks whereas the mantle is made of dense rock made up of nickel and iron in the form of silicate rocks

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14
Q

What are key points about the hydrosphere?

A

The hydrosphere includes all water on earth. It can be in liquid, solid
or gas form and can be saline or fresh
It stretches into the lithosphere and atmosphere. Most of the water in the atmosphere is in a gaseous form and falls as precipitation.
97% of earth’s water is saline (oceans carry most) while lakes and
rivers carry freshwater

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15
Q

What are key points about the biosphere?

A

Part of the Earth’s system where all living things are found e.g.
plants, animals, birds, fungi
The Biosphere interacts with the physical aspects of the earth
including the hydrosphere, lithosphere and the atmosphere

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16
Q

What is a drainage basin?

A

an area that supplies a river with its water

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17
Q

What is the soil water budget?

A

shows the annual balance between inputs and outputs in water cycle and impact on soil water availability

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18
Q

What are the 4 stages of the soli water budget?

A

-recharge
-surplus
-utilisation
-deficit

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19
Q

What is a river regime?

A

annual variation or discharge of a river

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20
Q

What factors effect river regimes?

A

-geology
-precipitation
-rainfall
-vegetation cover
-land use

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21
Q

What are the inputs / outputs/ stores/ flows of the water cycle

A

precipitation
evapotranspiration and runoff
interception, surface, soil water, groundwater, channel storage stemflow, infiltration overland flow, channel flow

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22
Q

What are the 2 types of hydrographs and their properties ?

A

flashy - short lag time and high peak discharge
flat - long lag time and low peak discharge

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23
Q

Describe the features of a flood hydrograph

A

discharge- volume of water passing through a point in the river
Rising limb - discharge increasing
Falling limb - discharge decreasing
Lag time - The time taken between peak rainfall and peak discharge
Baseflow - level of groundwater flow
stormflow - overland flow and through flow

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24
Q

What is lag time?

A

The time taken between peak rainfall and peak discharge

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25
Q

What is water abstarction?

A

the process of taking water from any source either temporarily or permanentley for human use

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26
Q

What is an aquifer?

A

layer of rock that is porous to store groundwater and permeable enough to let it flow through

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27
Q

How does deforestation affect the water cycle?

A

prevents a store of water and reduces evapotranspiration

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28
Q

How can natural factors affect the water cycle?

A

can increase the amount of precipitation so therefore the amount of channel flow and surface runoff . Vegetation can be destroyed reducing interception

29
Q

Hoe do wildfires affect the carbon cycle?

A

fallen litter decomposes in soil and burining of forests increasing CO2

30
Q

How does volcanic activity affect the carbon cycle?

A

sulphur dioxide and CO2 released into atmosphere

31
Q

How does hydrogen extraction affect the carbon cycle?

A

-cement manufacturing produces 5% of worlds CO2 emissions
-animal remains turn into fossil fuels

32
Q

How do farming practices affect the carbon cycle?

A

-plughing breaks down organic matter
-1/3 of all soils are degraded
-above ground biomass being burned
- forestry and agriculture causing 25% of all emissions

33
Q

What are the 4 major stores of water?

A

lithosphere - water stored in crust and upper mantle
hydrosphere - any liquid water
cryosphere - any water that is frozen
atmosphere - water vapour

34
Q

What are the 4 water stores in the hydrosphere?

A

Oceanic Water
Cryospheric Water
Terrestrial Water
Atmospheric Water

35
Q

What are key points about oceanic water?

A

covers approximately 72% of planets surface
Only about 5% has been explored.
It consists of saline water (97%)
It needs it to stay as liquid water below 0 degrees

36
Q

What are key points about cryospheric water?

A

95% of cryospheric water is locked up in two ice sheets
If Greenland melted sea level would rise by 6m. If Antarctic Ice Sheet melted sea levels would rise by 60m

37
Q

What are key points about terrestrial water?

A

They are areas where water covers the soil or is present at or near to the surface
Found on every continents except Antarctica
Groundwater: is water that collect underground in pore spaces of rock.
Soil water: is water that is held together in unsaturated upper weathered layers of the Earth
Biological water: water stored in all biomass. The role of animals to store water is minimal

38
Q

What are key points about atmospheric water?

A

Most common is water vapour and is key in keeping the atmosphere a temperature that can maintain life
A small increase in water vapour will lead to an increase in atmospheric temperatures.

39
Q

What factors affect the water cycle?

A

storm events
seasonal changes
farming practices
land use change
water abstraction
deforestation
seasonal change

40
Q

How does soil drainage affect the water cycle?

A

Soil drainage removes excess water from the soil profile

41
Q

What is water abstraction?

A

the process of taking water from any source, either
temporarily or permanently, for irrigation, industry, recreation, flood control or treatment to produce drinking water

42
Q

What are aquifers?

A

underground water stores that are globally unevenly spread

43
Q

What is a plant scale?
Explain movement of carbon around this scale

A

Carbon is cycled through photosynthesis and respiration

At plant scale, carbon is moved through the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. Photosynthesis is when plants take in CO2 from the atmosphere and reacts with chlorophyll to produce glucose and releases oxygen as a by-product. Respiration is the reverse of photosynthesis where oxygen is used to break down sugars and glucose and release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

44
Q

What is a sere scale?
Explain movement of carbon around this scale

A

Also known as the ecosystem scale. Carbon is also cycled through decomposition and combustion

Carbon is moved through the process of decomposition and combustion. Decomposition returns carbon from the biosphere to the atmosphere due to living things such as bacteria and fungi breaking down organic matter which releases carbon. Combustion is the process of burning organic matter to release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This can occur naturally due to wildfires or deliberate fires caused by humans.

45
Q

What is a continental scale?

A

Carbon is cycled through all types of movement including sequestration

46
Q

What are examples of transfers in the carbon cycle?

A

photosynthesis
respiration
decomposition
combustion
carbon sequestration
weathering

47
Q

What are the main stores of carbon?

A

atmosphere - carbon dioxide and carbon compounds e.g. methane
hydrosphere - dissolved carbon dioxide
lithosphere - carbonate in limestones, chalk and fossil fuels
biosphere - in living and dead organisms.

48
Q

What is carbon sequestration?

A

transfer of carbon from atmosphere to other store e.g. photosynthesis or Carbon capture and Storage

49
Q

What factors cause changes in the carbon cycle over time?

A

natural wild fires
volcanic activity
hydrocarbon fuel extraction and burning
farming practices
deforestation
land use changes

50
Q

What is the carbon budget?

A

the amount of carbon stored and transferred within the carbon cycle on global or local scale that is changed by human and natural factors

51
Q

What is the relationship between the water and carbon cycle?

A

-An increase in atmospheric CO2 levels can cause higher rates of evapotranspiration
-Water can transfer CO2 from atmosphere to lithosphere/hydrosphere through precipitation in the form of acid rain
-For decomposition to occur, water is needed by the decomposers. Decomposition is essential for the transfer of carbon from biomass to the atmosphere

52
Q

What are human interventions in the carbon cycle? designed to influence carbon transfers and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

A

Carbon capture and Storage
renewable energy sources
low carbon technology
international policies

53
Q

What is the global atmospheric circulation model?

A

factor that determines cloud formation and rainfall
different zones of falling and rising that lead to precipitation

54
Q

What is El Nino and La Nina?

A

El Nino - warming period taking place every 2-7 years
La Nina - cooling period taking place every 2-7 years

55
Q

Case study of a tropical rainforest

A

Amazon Rainforest -
locted in South America, covers Brazil, Peru, Bolivia etc.
hold’s world’s largest river
70% located in Brazil
5.3 million km2
Mejura Project conserving 900,000 hectares of land

56
Q

How is water affected in the Amazon Rainforest

A

very high rainfall providing high biodiversity
warm temps increase evaporation
dense canopy increases interception
increased surface runoff due to deforestation
risk of drought due to reduced evapotranspiration
leaching causes removal of nutrients

57
Q

How is carbon affected in the Amazon rainforest

A

76 billion of carbon stored in 2019
1% of tree species hold 50% of world’s carbon
dead amazonian trees release 1.9 million tonnes of co2
Brazil as world’s 4th largest polluter
19,000 km2 deforested per year
30-60% of carbon is lost to atmosphere during deforestation

58
Q

What are the threats to the amazon rainforest

A

Climate change predicted to increase by 2-3 degrees by 2050
WWF estimates 20% of Amazon has been lost
clearing land for beef and soy production
soy industry losing $3.5 billion due to heat spikes
75% of deforested area is used for cattle/ agriculture

59
Q

Case study of a river catchment

A

The River Eden - flows through Eden District of Cumbria, England
near Penines mountain range
passes through Carlisle and Solway Firth
basin is long narrow and steep (reducing lag time)
has sandstone and limestone - permeable rock increasing percolation

60
Q

What is relief rainfall?

A

rain caused by land varying in height

61
Q

What storm event happened in River Eden

A

Storm Desmond 2005
‘ a one in 170 years event’
highest rainfall on 5th Dec - 340 mm
Impacted wales, soctland and northern england

62
Q

What did the Met Office predict about rainfall

A

‘an increase in frequency and intensity of rainfall across the UK’

63
Q

What human changes have took place in the River Eden?

A

Construction - development creating 10,000 new homes - Garden Village
Farming - cattle trampling leading to compacted soils - 30% increase
deforestation - forest removed, 35% increased predicted by 2080

64
Q

What does the water balance consist of?

A

Recharge
Surplus
Utilisation
Deficit

65
Q

How does the carbon cycle affect oceans?

A

-Ocean acidification
-Ocean warming
-Melting Sea Ice
-Ocean Salinity
-Sea Level Rise
-Melting of Terrestrial Ice
-Thermal Expansion

66
Q

What are the impacts of ocean acidification?

A

Dissolving CO2 in the ocean creates carbonic acid. This changes the pH of the ocean - 30% decrease in acidity has been seen
-cause coral reef loss
-less carbonate available for marine animals to make shells
-destruction of marine ecosystems due to increase in acidity

67
Q

What are the impacts of ocean warming?

A

-decrease the abundance of phytoplankton
-lessen the effectiveness of the oceans as a carbon sink
-kills off the symbiotic algae which coral needs in order to grow, leading to bleaching and eventual death of reefs

68
Q
A

geography (6 decks)

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