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geography > water and carbon > Flashcards

water and carbon Flashcards

1
Q

carbon definition

A

most abundant element in earth
90% co2
humans half carbon
diamond, graphite

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2
Q

lithosphere and marine sediment

A

largest store of carbon
long term store- sedimentary rocks
covers 72% of earth surface
99.9% all carbon store here

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3
Q

hydrosphere

A

2nd largest store of carbon
organic matter and surface layer
total 40,000 million gigatonnes

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4
Q

cryosphere

A

permafrost- tundra regions contain vast stores of organic carbon in permafrost

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5
Q

pedosphere

A

soils containing rotting organic matter are imoortant carbon stores
carbon remains in soil for hundreds of years
deforestation and land use change can release co2

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6
Q

biosphere

A

vital for all life on earth

convert sun energy into carbohydrates

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7
Q

residence times

A

land plants- 5yrs
atmosphere- 3yr
soils-25
fossil fuels-650
deep ocean water-200/1000
sedimentary rocks- 150 mil

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8
Q

largest store in biosphere

A

tropical rainforest at 547.8 gigatonne

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9
Q

cascading sub systems

A

transfer of mass and energy along chain of component sub systems

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10
Q

atmosphere in the water cycle

A

mainly water vapour
0.4%

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11
Q

lithosphere in water cycle

A

continental and oceanic

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12
Q

hydrosphere

A

all liquid and frozen surfacer water

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13
Q

cryosphere

A

water locked up as ice

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14
Q

biosphere in water

A

biotic and abiotic forms in the biosphere and energy cycle within entire ecosystem

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15
Q

short residence time

A

short time spent by water in transit through the atmosphere results in short term fluctuations in regional weather patterns

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16
Q

long residence time

A

amount of water in a store divided by either the rate of addition of water to the store or the rate of loss from it.

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17
Q

latent heat

A

energy that is absorbed or released during a phase change ie. from a gas to a liquid.

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18
Q

arographic rainfall

A

relief rainfall

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19
Q

topography precipitation

A

when warm air meets moutains, its forced o rise causing it too cool. this results in orographic rainfall

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20
Q

other air mass precipitation

A

when air is less dense than cool air. as a result, when warm air is forced up above th cool sir, it cools down as it rises.
this results in frontal rainfall.

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21
Q

convection precipitation

A

when the sun heats up the ground, moisture evaportates and rises in a column of warm sir. as it gets higher it cool and results in confectionary rainfall.

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22
Q

sublimation

A

solid to a gas

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23
Q

desublimation

A

gas to a solid

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24
Q

accumulation- cryospheric processes

A

input exceeds the outputs so more mass id gained than lost over a year

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25
Q

albation-cryospheric processes

A

melting
outputs exceed inputs

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26
Q

short term events that change the water cycle on a local scale

A

high surface run off
high river Chanel flow
high surface water sotrage

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27
Q

seasonal changes to water cycle

A

Amazon rainforest- dry season low precipitation
wet season- precipitation exceeds EVT

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28
Q

milankovitch cycle

A

reason for glacial cycle change

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29
Q

obliquity

A

tilting of earth

most important

as tilt decreases seasons are milder
slightly warmer winters and cooler summers= accumulation

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30
Q

eccentricity

A

from circular orbit to elliptical orbit

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31
Q

precession

A

260000 year cycle, wobble

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32
Q

ENSO CIRCULATION

A

enso- neutral
high precipitation in Australia

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33
Q

la nina

A

super3 strong trade winds
much wetter, flooding in aus

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34
Q

el nino

A

drought and wildfires in Australia
winds not as powerful

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35
Q

hunga Tonga impact on water

A

change in water storage
the water from the explosion was held in the stratosphere for 2 years
less eval due to ash fall

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36
Q

climate change and water cycle

A

inc in droughts meaning an increase in evaporated and precipitation will inc

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37
Q

human impact to changes in the water cycle- land use

A

legal deforestation is 1.5 mil a year

40% occurs in the amazon rainforest

10% South American rainforests has been lost.

beef production is the biggest driver of change in the amazon rainforest.

38
Q

segregation

A

fragmentation of forest

39
Q

land use change-urbanisation

A

increased surface run off- less permeable surfaces so less infiltration and more surface run off

decreased infiltration- impermeable surfaces and inc in roads

increased evaporation- URBAN HEAT - concrete retains heat due to lack of infiltration the wat4e4r id more exposed to sun on roads so increased eval

pollution- from cars, factories and waste which contaminates rivers lake and groundwater effects water quality and cycle

40
Q

impacts of farming: soil drainage

A

subsurface draining-
removes excess water from soil
carries out by network of perforated tubes installed 120cm below the soil

41
Q

advantages of farming on water cycle

A

build up of improved soil structure making the land easier to work. it allows roots to grow longer and faster

improved aeration of the soil which means microorganisms have better conditions to thrive. nutrient break down quicker aiding the farmer.

improved aeration of soil means that the soil can be warmed quicker. it means that seed germination can occur quicker

heavy machinery can work on the land without compacting it. this means the risk of overland flows caused bay heavy machinery is reduced.

42
Q

what causes global warming

A

ozone pollution
urbanisation
rice paddies
cow methane
infrared radiation is absorbed in all directions by ghg molecules.

43
Q

how have humans impacted the carbon cycle

A

rainforest clearance
rearing livestock
urbanisation

44
Q

anthropogenic definition

A

human relatied carbon release comes from burning fossil fuels
90% comes from burning of fossil fuels

45
Q

hydrocarbons in the carbon cycle

A

coal was formally plants
died and then burried under heat and pressure which turns into coal

46
Q

cement manufacturing CC

A

5% anthropogenic co2 emissions

900kg co2 emitted for every 1000kg of cement produced

47
Q

farming practice CC

A

ploughing introduces air into soil, decomposition accelerates and carbon is released.
tractors include co2
rice paddies generate methane
livestock releases methane gas into the atmosphere as by product of digestion

rice farming - water blocks co2 from penetrating the soil creating idea conditions for bacteria to emit methane

48
Q

deforestation cc

A

40% deforestation in Amazon
1.5 mil hectare of legal deforestation

logging
road building
hydroelectric power
mining
cattle ranching
slash and burn
population pressure
palm oil palntation

49
Q

slow carbon cycle

A

long term storage of carbon. marine organisms decomposition into sed rocks
release co2 as chemically weathered

50
Q

fast carbon cycle

A

transfer between oceans atmosphere and is 10-1000 times faster. absorbed by photosynthesis.

51
Q

key carbon processes- volcanic activity

A

emit co2 into atmosphere but not enough to impact on climate change.
reflect suns radiation and counteract co2

52
Q

slow compostion - key carbon processes

A

dead plant material doesn’t fully decompose because its too soggy. peat builds up as spongy dark soil thats sometimes referred to as turf. thick layers of peat accumulate and trap huge amounts of carbon helping to cool climate

53
Q

humus

A

top layer of soil

54
Q

detrovories

A

decompose

55
Q

key carbon processes

A

photosynthesis
respiration
decomposition
combustion
slow decomposition
volcanic activtiy
weathering
lithifaction

56
Q

combustion cc

A

wildfires and smouldering peatlands.
occur naturally due to lightening strikes.
wildfires ensure carbon balance. they consume and emit only 10-20 % of forests

57
Q

lithifaction

A

compaction and burial of rocks

58
Q

diffusion service mixing

A

turbulent sea=fast gas exchange
calm sea=slow gas exchange

59
Q

vertical deep mixing

A

dissolved and carried deep into aortic and antarctic oceans even as far as seabed.
co2 moves from the atmosphere to the ogress by a process called diffusion. at high latitudes cold water sinks carbon deep onto ocean. warm water looses co2.

60
Q

biological ocean pump

A

93% of co2 is stored in the ocean eg plankton and coral
small changes in oceanic carbon cycle can have significant global impacts when marine organisms die, their organic matter sinks deeper and decay, releasing carbon.

61
Q

drainage basin

A

component of the global hydrological cycle. they are local open systems.

62
Q

watershed

A

separate drainage basins usually on High land

63
Q

confluence

A

the junction of two rivers especially rivers of approximately equal width

64
Q

tributary

A

a river or stream flowing into different river basins or seas

65
Q

groundwater storage

A

storage of water in permeable rock strata

66
Q

leaf drip

A

the precipitation that penetrates through the canopy snd reaches the soil surface by canopy drip

67
Q

stemflow

A

process that directs precipitation down plant branches and stems

68
Q

deudicious trees

A

have less stem flow than coniferous vegitation

69
Q

through flow

A

water flowing downhill through permeable rock above the water table.

70
Q

positive change in water balance

A

moisture is added to the store

71
Q

negative changes in water balence

A

moisture is removed from the store

72
Q

soil moisture discharge

A

when water is being added into the soil or drainage basin

73
Q

soil utilisation

A

soil moisture is being used for plants to grow

74
Q

soil moisture deficit

A

outputs are exceeding inputs so the soil is dry and in deficit. plants may wilt or stop growing

75
Q

soil moisture surplus

A

inputs exceed outputs. the soil wil;l be wet and there might be water stored on the surface of the ground…puddles.

76
Q

rising/falling limb

A

inc or dec of discharge

77
Q

baseflow

A

water flowing to a river through underground rocks which maintains

78
Q

factors causing the shape of a flood hydrographic

A

relief
lithology
prior weather conditions
volume rainfall

79
Q

relief

A

steep slopes mean that rain water is likely to run straight over the surface before it can infiltrate
on gentle slopes infiltration is more likely to occur

80
Q

lithology

A

impermeable rock -clay- lead to grater overland flow. through floe then caused decreasing lag time.
permeable rocks -sandstone- lag time id greater.

81
Q

volume- type of rainfall

A

intensity can effect storm hydrographs
heavy storms with lots of water enter drainage basil over a short time -higher discharge

82
Q

prior weather conditions

A

antecedent rainfall- precipitation that has fallen before.

of soil. is already saturated by heavy rain, it infultration capacity will be reduced and further rain will go as surface run off.

if soil is dry, it will be able to absorb more water during infiltration and lag time

frozen surface is short as water can’t infiltrate and passes quickly to river as run off.

83
Q

drainage basin size and shape

A

lag time is smaller in smaller drainage basins. as the volume of water is lower than in a large basin so peak discharge is lower than in a larger basin.

84
Q

human factors changing shape of hydrographic

A

urbanisation
veg coverage

85
Q

veg coverage

A

deforestation reduced interception rates allowing water to hit the surface directly.

lack of plant roots decrease infiltration- rapid overland flow

forestation has the opposite effect making it a useful flood prevention technique

86
Q

flashy hydrograph

A

shorter lag time

steep
urbanisation
impermeable surfaces
deforestation
high rain density

87
Q

flat or curved hydrograph

A

longer lag time

shallow
aforestation
sandstone
snow
gentle relief

88
Q

river regimes

A

annual variation in discharge or flow of a river at a particular point and is measured in cumecs

oceanic temperate has a peak in EVT in July and peak precipitation in December.

mediteranian temperate has peak levels of EVT in the summer months and high levels of precipitation in winter

nordic temperate ha peak levels of EVT in summer months, precipitation fluctuated as it freezes as snow in winter months and accumulates as ice.

89
Q

disadvantages of farming on the water cycle

A

insertion of drains inc the speed off through flow in the soil. much more water reaches rivers quicker. this increases the risk of flooding. since. flood plain has been drained in the uk people have found the rivers harder to navigate.

larger numbers of animals can graze on the land inc profitt but also inc the risk of compacting the land and inc the risk of inc overland flow.

the dry topsoil is subject to wind erosion. this c an decrease the productivity of the land.

nitrates in the soil can be lost as the water removes them from the soil in the drainage process. the can trigge4r eutrophication as more nitrogen and phosperhous get into water ways causing plant life to grow quicker. this disrupts about of oxygen in water and quality go ecosystem can change.

90
Q

London basin case study

A

artesian aquifer- hardest aquifer to maintain as water balance. this is bc there is only a small recharge area and so takes a long time to recharge.

water abstraction and salt water intrusion- when outputs exceed inputs, more water is taken in than recharged near coasts, salt water is pulled in, known as salt water intrusion.

ground level water has fallen 2-5m as a result of abstraction.

91
Q
A

geography (23 decks)

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