Water and Carbon Cycle Flashcards
System
A set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process
Closed systems
These have no interactions with anything outside the system boundary. There are no inputs or outputs
Open system
These are where matter and energy can enter and exit a system
Dynamic equilibrium
A state of balance
Positive feedback loop
Where the effects of an action are amplified by knock-on effects
Negative feedback loops
Where the effects of an action a nullified by its subsequent knock-on effects
Name the 4 major subsystems (spheres)
Atmosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere and biosphere
Cryospheric water
The water on earth’s surface that is ice
Discharge
The amount of water in a river flowing past a particular point
What percentage of water is fresh water
3%
What percentage of fresh water is easily accesible
1%
What is the current PH of the ocean
8.14
Permafrost
Ground the remains at or below 0 degrees for at least two consecutive years
Terrestrial water
This consists of groundwater, soil moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers
Cyrosphere
Those areas of the earth’s surface where water is in solid form
What are the 4 classes of terrestial water
-Surface water
-Groundwater
-soil water
-Biological water
Surface water
The free-flowing water of rivers as well as the water of ponds and lakes
Water table
The upper level at which the pore spaces and fractures in the ground become saturated
Sublimation
The process of a solid turning into a gas
Accumulation
The process of adding snow and ice to a glacier
ablation
the process of removing snow or ice from a glacier or snowfield through melting, evaporation, sublimation, or wind
What are the two cryospheric processes
-Accumulation
-Ablation
Condensation
The process by which water vapour changes to liquid water
Cryospheric processes
Those processes that effects the total mass of ice at any scale
Drainage basin
This is an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries
Evapotranspiration
The total output of water from the drainage basin directly back into the atmosphere
Groundwater flow
The slow movement of water through underlying rocks
Infiltration
The downward movement of water from the surface to the soil
Interception
The precipitation that falls on the vegetation surfaces or human-made cover and is temporarily stored there
Overland flow/Surface run-off
The tendency of water to flow horizontally across land surfaces
Percolation
The downward movement of water within the rock under the soil surface
Run-off
All the water that enters a river channel and eventually flows out of the drainage basin
saturated
This applies to any water store that has reached it’s maximum capacity
Stemflow
The portion of precipitation that reaches the ground by flowing down stems, stalks and tree boles
Throughfall
The portion of precipitation that reaches the ground directly through the gaps in the vegetation canopy
Throughflow
The movement of water downslope through the sub-soil under the influence of gravity
Transpiration
The loss of water from vegetation through pores (stomata) on their surfaces
Water balance
The balance between the inputs and output of the drainage basin
Aquifer
A body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater
River Regime
The annual variation in the amount of water flowing through a river or its discharge
Precipitation equation
Precipitation (P) = discharge (Q) + evapotranspiration (E) + or - changes in storage (S)
Potential evapotranspiration
The maximum amount of water that would evaporate and transpire from a certain area, if there was enough water available
What are the four stages of the water balance graph
1) Soil moisture recharge
2) Soil moisture surplus
3) Soil moisture utilisation
4) Soil moisture defecit
Bankfull
The maximum discharge that a river channel is capable of carrying out without flooding
Base flow
This represents a normal day-to-day discharge of the river
Lag time
The time between peak rainfall and peak discharge
Peak discharge
The point on a flood hydrograph when river discharge is at its greatest
Storm flow
discharge resulting from storm precipitation involving both overland flow, throughflow and groundwater flow
Storm hydrograph
A graph of discharge of a river over the time period when the normal flow of the river is affected by a storm event
What has occured when a storm hydrograph has a short lag time
A flashy flood
What has occured when a storm hydrograph has a long lag time
A subdued flood
What physical attributes cause flashy floods (4 points)
-Steep banks
-Drainage basins that are more circular
-High drainage density (Lots of tributaries)
-Large drainage basin
Anthropogenic CO2
Carbon dioxide generated by human activity
Carbon sequestration
The capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or capturing anthropogenic CO2
Carbon sink
A store of carbon that absorbs more carbon that it releases
Weathering
The breakdown of rocks in situ (stationary) by a combination of weather, plants and animals
Examples of Inorganic stores of carbon in the lithosphere
Coal, oil, natural gas
Examples of organic forms of carbon in the lithosphere
Litter, organic substances, humic substances (created when plant and animal remains decompose)
What are the main stores of carbon in the biosphere (5 points)
-Living vegetation
-Plant litter
-Soil humus
-Peat (partially decayed vegetation)
-Animals
How much carbon is in the ocean
40,000 GtC
Carbon source
Where more carbon enters than exists
Photosynthesis equation
CO2 + H2O + sunlight = CH2O + O2
Respiration equation
O2 + CH2O = energy + H2O + CO2
What is CH2O
Carbohydrate
Decomposition
Physical, chemical and biological mechanisms that transform organic matter into increasingly stable forms
Physical mechanisms (Decomposition)
Animals, wind and other plants can cause this fragmentation
Chemical Mechanisms (Decomposition)
These include oxidation and condensation
Biological mechanisms (Decomposition)
Feeding and digestion aided by the catalytic effect of enzymes
What are the three types of decomposition
-Physical mechanisms
-Chemical Mechanisms
-Biological mechanisms
Decomposers
Organisms whose special role is to break down the cells and tissues of dead organisms
Vertical deep mixing
The important movement of carbon in the ocean as it gets absorbed by warm water and released by cold water
Combustion
When any organic material is burned in the presence of oxygen to give off products of carbon dioxide, water and energy
What percentage of anthropogenic CO2 output comes from land use change
30%
Geological sequestration
CO2 is captured at its source and then injected in liquid form into store underground
Terrestrial sequestration
This involves using plants to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and then to store it as carbon in the stems and roots of plants as well as in the soil
Two types of carbon sequestration
-Geologic and terrestrial sequestration
-Biologic sequestration
How much has the PH of the ocean changed since 1750
A drop of 0.1
What is the current rate of sea ice melting
12.8 percent per decade
Enhanced greehouse effect
The impact on the climate from the additional heat retained due to the increased amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that humans have released into the earth’s atmosphere
Geo-sequestration
The technology of capturing greenhouse gas emissions from power stations and pumping them into underground reserves
What percentage of water is stored as ice
1.7%
