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Physical Geography > Water and Carbon > Flashcards

Water and Carbon Flashcards

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1
Q

System

A

An assemblage of interrelated parts that work together by way of some driving force
Made up of elements - physical objects existing in the system
Attributes - characteristics of the elements that can be perceived and measured
Relationships - the associations between elements and attributes based on cause and effect

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2
Q

Positive feedback

A

Effects of an action are amplified by secondary effects

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3
Q

Negative feedback

A

Effects of an action are nullified by subsequent effects

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4
Q

Hydrosphere

A

Water on the surface of the earth

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5
Q

Cryosphere

A

Frozen water

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6
Q

Lithosphere

A

Rock layers of the earth

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7
Q

Biosphere

A

All life on earth - plants and animals

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8
Q

Atmosphere

A

The air

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9
Q

Atmospheric water

A

Water exists in all three states
Approximately 13,000km^3
0.001% of global water

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10
Q

Terrestrial water

A

Includes soil, groundwater, biomass
Amount of water stored terrestrially depends on the ecosystem

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11
Q

Cryosphere water

A

Sea ice, ice shelf, permafrost
Ice caps cover less than 50000km^2, ice sheet if more

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12
Q

Oceanic water and carbon

A

1.3billion km^3
Only 5% explored
72% of earths surface
Contains estimated 40000 GtC -2nd largest store
Absorbs ~40% of anthropically produced CO2
Carbon can converted into Calcium Carbonate which is used to make shells

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13
Q

Ice - water

A

Melting

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14
Q

Water - ice

A

Freezing

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15
Q

Ice - water vapour

A

Sublimation

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16
Q

Water vapour - ice

A

Deposition

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17
Q

Water vapour - water

A

Condensation

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18
Q

Water - water vapour

A

Evaporation

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19
Q

Surface tension

A

As a result of the hydrogen bond, water has very high surface tension, some creatures use this to move around the surface of a pond

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20
Q

Latent heat

A

The sun’s rays do not have enough energy to evaporate the water so the water takes energy from the surroundings to supply it with enough energy to break the bonds.
Condensation - latent heat released by water molecules so warms environment

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21
Q

Why do clouds form

A

Clouds form when warm air cools. This makes water vapour condense into water droplets and clouds. Water vapour gathers around condensation nuclei which are small particulates that the water can cling on to

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22
Q

Frontal precipitation

A

Warm air is less dense than cool. When a warm air mass meet a cool air mass, the warm air rises which makes it cool down and condense.

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23
Q

Orographic rainfall

A

When warm air meets mountains it is forced to rise. This cools it and it starts to condense. For example, Manchester and the Pennines

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24
Q

Convective precipitation

A

Sun heats up the ground and water evaporates, as the air gets higher it condenses

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25
Q

Influence of precipitation and storms on water cycle

A

Big difference between antecedent levels and storm levels of precipitation will lead to vastly increased inputs → flooding

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26
Q

Influence of seasonal changes on water cycle

A

Winter - some water will freeze meaning it can no longer flow out of the system
Plants often die/lose leaves in Winter - reduce interception which increases surface run-off and increases water entering the river channel

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27
Q

Influence of vegetation on water cycle

A

The more vegetation, the more water is evapo-transpirated off the leaves reducing run-off and peak discharge

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28
Q

Influence of farming practices on water cycle

A

Ploughing breaks up the surface, more water can infiltrate.
Crops increase infiltration + interception, reducing run-off
Livestock trample the ground and compact it, decreasing infiltration + increasing run-off
SO depends what the farmland is used for

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29
Q

Influence of urban land use on water cycle

A

Construction of new buildings and roads create impermeable surfaces which massively increase run-off

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30
Q

Influence of deforestation on water cycle

A

Reduces amount of water intercepted by vegetation, dead plant matter on the floor also holds water. When it is removed the amount of infiltration decreases.

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31
Q

Influence of water abstraction on water cycle

A

Reduces water stores in lakes, rivers and reservoirs. This is prevalent in dry season.

32
Q

Water Balance

A

Within a drainage basin, the balance between inputs and outputs is known as the water balance
Precipitation = overland flow + evapotranspiration + change in stores
Water surplus - precipitation is greater
Water deficit- precipitation is lower

33
Q

Antecedent

A

Normal conditions before an event

34
Q

Carbon

A

One of the most chemically versatile elements. It forms more compounds than any other element.
Needed by all plants and animals to survive
Primary source of carbon is the earth’s interior, where it is stored in the mantle from when earth formed. It escapes at plate boundaries.

35
Q

Forms of carbon within the carbon cycle

A

CO2 - gas in the atmosphere, soils and water
CH4 - gas in atmosphere, soils, ocean, and sedimentary rocks
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) - solid compound - white
Hydrocarbons - solids, liquids or gases usually in sedimentary rocks
Bio molecules - complex carbon compounds in living things e.g. proteins
The carbon cycle is a closed system

36
Q

Organic carbon

A

In living things such as plants and animals.

37
Q

Inorganic carbon

A

Non-living - sedimentary rocks

38
Q

Global distribution of carbon

A

Carbon is most abundantly found just below the arctic circle and along the equator. For example, northern parts of Canada and Siberia. Places along the equator with abundant stores of carbon include the Amazon rainforest and Indonesia.

39
Q

Main stores of carbon

A

Hydrosphere - dissolved CO2 - 26%
Cryosphere - bubbles of CO2 trapped in ice
Atmosphere - CO2 + CH4
Biosphere - all living things
Lithosphere - marine and sedimentary rocks - 69%
Pedosphere (part of lithosphere) - soil - organic matter, broken down minerals

40
Q

Carbon sink

A

A store that absorbs more carbon than it releases

41
Q

Carbon source

A

Releases more carbon than it stores

42
Q

GtC

A

Gigatonnes of carbon

43
Q

Anthropogenic CO2

A

CO2 generated by human activity

44
Q

Sequestration

A

Carbon locked in long term stores - e.g. sedimentary rocks

45
Q

Stores/stocks

A

The total amount of carbon held within a part of a system

46
Q

Fluxes

A

Measurements of the rate of flow of material between the stores

47
Q

Processes

A

The physical mechanisms which drive the flux of material between stores

48
Q

How is carbon transferred at different scales

A

Plant - between plant and the atmosphere
Sere (smaller, more specific than a sphere) - between the stages of plant succession, different sere are named after the starting point of succession
Continental - global scale, between oceans and continents and between continents

49
Q

Weathering in the carbon cycle

A

Breakdown or decay of rocks, carbon stored in rocks, mainly as CaCO3. As the rocks break down, the carbon stored within is returned to the carbon cycle. When CO2 is absorbed by rainwater it forms carbonic acid which dissolves more carbon from rocks. This is then transported through the water cycle to the oceans

50
Q

Burial and compaction

A

Organic matter dies and is buried and compacted by sediments and becomes compacted. Over millions of years these sediments from hydrocarbons like oil and coal.

51
Q

Photosynthesis

A

Process whereby plants use light energy from the sun to produce glucose
CO2 + H20 → O2 + CH12 + O6

52
Q

Respiration

A

Opposite of photosynthesis, consumers eat plants and convert it to energy
O2 + C6H12O6 → energy + H20 + CO2

53
Q

Decomposition

A

When organisms die they are consumed by decomposers such as bacteria, fungi and earthworms. During this process of decomposition, carbon from their bodies is returned to the atmosphere in CO2

54
Q

Combustion

A

Organic material contains carbon. When it is burned in the presence of oxygen it is converted into energy, CO2 and water

55
Q

Geological sequestration

A

CO2 is captured at its source and injected as a liquid deep underground - this technique is still experimental. The ocean can absorb more additional carbon than terrestrial systems. Ocean sequestration also means the carbon sinks to frat depths, meaning it can join the geological cycle

56
Q

Terrestrial sequestration

A

Involves use of plants to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and stored in the stems and roots of the plants. Added benefits to local ecosystem, land based plants are slow growing and require monitoring. In this system the carbon is never permanently removed from the atmosphere

57
Q

Volcanic activity in the carbon cycle

A

Releases gases when they erupt - magma made up of water vapour, CO2 and sulphur dioxide
Has little contribution to greenhouse effect
Sulphuric acid reflects radiation from the sun into space - albedo effect

58
Q

Wildfires in the carbon cycle

A

Forests are a carbon sink so if they are burnt their carbon is released back into the air as CO2
Forest fires can be critical for new growth and rejuvenation - negative feedback
Human caused fires can threaten this balance

59
Q

Fossil fuel combustion in the carbon cycle

A

90% of human-caused carbon released comes from combustion of fossil fuels. Vegetation and the ocean help to re-absorb 50% of this
2013 - China - 28% of CO2 emissions, USA - 14%, India - 7%

60
Q

Agriculture in the carbon cycle

A

10% of carbon emissions
When soil is ploughed, air is mixed in with the soil, increasing microbial activity meaning more organic matter is decomposed
Enteric fermentation - methane belched by livestock during digestion
Biological processes in rice paddies generate

61
Q

Deforestation in the carbon cycle

A

CO2 emissions from land use change (mainly deforestation) account for 30% of human-based carbon emissions. Approx. 13 million ha of forest cut down each year, mostly driven by need for agricultural land. Also logging, building roads, urban sprawl, wildfires.
1990-2005 - 3% of world’s forest lost
Forest soils are dry without tree shade.
Trees help return water vapour to atmosphere, maintaining water cycle

62
Q

Urban growth in the carbon cycle

A

More than half of the world lives in urban areas - expected to reach 60% by 2030
Emissions from energy consumption has increased
21 most polluting cities release 10% of global emissions - expected to go to top 10

63
Q

Carbon budgets

A

Global warming is fundamentally linked to the absolute concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. To stabilise global temperature at any level vs pre0industrial, then there is a finite amount of emissions that can be replaced before net emissions need to reach zero.
Uses data to describe the amount of carbon that is stored and transferred within the carbon cycle. It is measured petegrams (Pg) = 1x10^15 g
The overall outcome is to limit levels of CO2 so that temp. rise is limited to 2°C above pre-industrial levels. The global budget is 1000 PgC - 1 trillion tonnes.

64
Q

Impacts of carbon cycle: Ocean acidification

A

Carbonic acid is produced when CO2 diffuses into the ocean, making it less alkaline -pH has dropped 0.1 since 1750 - carbonic acid reacts with carbonate to form bicarbonate, reducing the amount of carbonate ions which are needed for shells and corals (coral reefs provide food or livelihood for 500million people
On the other hand, the acidic water will be better at dissolving calcium carbonate rocks, meaning over time, the ocean will soak up more excess CO2

65
Q

Impacts of carbon cycle: melting sea ice

A

Highly reflective ice is replaced by more absorbent water → ocean absorbs more solar radiation → temperatures increase → sea ice cover melts + shrinks → temperatures increase - positive feedback loop
Since the 1990s, sea levels have risen at a rate of 3.5mm/year
Warmer temperatures mean increased rate of ice melting in summer and reduced snowfall in Winter, resulting in an imbalance → net gain of water
Thermal expansion - when water heats up, it expands. 50% of the past century’s rise in sea level is attributed to this

66
Q

Impacts of carbon cycle: ocean salinity

A

↓ in salinity in deep North Atlantic:
- More freshwater being added to the ocean
- Slowing down of large scale oceanic circulation in the NE Atlantic

67
Q

Impacts of carbon cycle: atmosphere

A

↑ atmospheric CO2:
Currently 400ppm, highest in 800,000 years
Up to 20% additional CO2 will remain in the atmosphere for millions of years
Enhanced greenhouse effect
Radiative forcing:
Energy is constantly flowing from the atmosphere in the form of sunlight - 30% reflected into space, 70% absorbed by earth. Increased CO2 in the atmosphere is changing the balance

68
Q

Mitigation of climate change

A

Reduce and prevent the emission of GHG to limit global warming
Global mitigation (countries work together to reduce emissions, Paris Agreement) → regional/national mitigation (government can reduce reliance on fossil fuels, improve public transport) → individual mitigation (use car less)

69
Q

Adaptation to climate change

A

Ways of increasing our capacity to cope with the changing climate to reduce the severity of the impacts

70
Q

IPPC - Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change

A

The IPCC is an intergovernmental body of the UN. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about anthropological climate change.

71
Q

Carbon trading

A

The buying and selling of credits that permit a company to emit a certain amount of CO2 or other GHG

72
Q

Rio Earth Summit

A

1992
UN conference developed an action plan for sustainable development that can be implemented on global, national, and local scales

73
Q

Kyoto Protocol

A

1997
The first international treaty to become law. Over 170 countries agreed to reduce carbon emissions.

74
Q

Copenhagen Accord

A

2009
World leaders met to tackle climate change. They pledged to reduce emissions by giving financial support to LICs/ No legally binding agreement

75
Q

Agenda 2030

A

2015
17 sustainable development goals were developed by the UN general assembly for a more sustainable

76
Q

Paris Agreement

A

2015
195 countries adopted first legally binding global climate deal in Paris

77
Q

How do water and carbon cycles support life

A

Animals drink water
Fish live in water
Plants take in water through the roots
Water vapour
Ocean currents
Atmospheric circulation
All life is carbon based
GHG - CO2, CH4
Water is able to dissolve CO2

Physical Geography (3 decks)

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