water and carbon cycle 2 Flashcards
what are systems composed of
inputs, outputs, stores, flows and boundaries
input def
Where matter or energy is added to the system
output def
Where matter or energy leaves the system
stores def
Where matter or energy builds up in the system
flows def
Where matter or energy moves in the system
boundaries def
Limits to the system (e.g. watershed)
open system def
when systems receive inputs and transfer outputs of energy or matter with other systems
closed system def
when there are no external inputs or outputs. outputs from one part of the system become the input to another part.
dynamic equalibrium def
when input equals output despite changing conditions.
positive feedback def
when a chain of events amplifies the impact of the orginal event. a system that diverges away from the equalibrium.
negative feedback def
a chain of events that cancle out the orginal event, leading to equalibrium.
is the water and carbon cycle a closed or open system
on a local scale the water and carbon cycle are open systems. but on a global scale the water and carbon are closed systems.
example of the water cycle on a local scale
drainage basins
what type of system is a drainage basin
an open system. water may be lost as an output through evapotranspiration and runoff and water may be gained as an input through precipitation.
water cycle inputs
precipitation
water cycle outputs
Evapotranspiration, Streamflow
water cycle flows
Infiltration, Percolation, Throughflow, Surface runoff (Overland flow), Groundwater Flow, Streamflow, Stemflow
water cycle stores
soil water, ground water, river channel, interception, surface storage
precipitation def
any water that falls to the surface of the earth from the atmosphere. including rainfall, snowfall and hail
types of rainfall
Convectional, relief, frontal
convectional rainfall def
due to heating from the sun, warm air rises, conddenses at higher altitudes and falls as rain
relief rainfall def
warm air is forced upwards by abrrires such as mountians, causing it to condense at higher altitudes and falling as rain
frontal rainfall def
warm air rises over cool air when they meet as the warm is less dense and lighter. therefore it condenses at a higher altitude and falls as rain
evapotranspiration def
made of evapouration and transpiration. evapouration occurs when water is heated by the sun causing it to become a gas and rise to the atmosphere. transpiration occurs in plants when they respire through leaves, releasing the water they absorb through roots, wich then evapourates.
streamflow def
all water that enters a drainage basin will be released through the atompshere or streams wich drain the basin. these may flow as tributries into toher rivers or diretly into oceans and lakes.
infiltration def
proccess of water moving from ground into soil. MODERATE/FAST
infiltration capacity
Inflitration capacity refers to how quickly inflitration occurs. Grass crops and tree roots create passages for water to flow through from the surface to the soil increasing inflitration capacity. If capacity is reached overlnd flow will occur.
percolation def
water moves from the soil or ground into porous rock or rock fractures. SLOW
what is percolation capacity
how quickly percolation occurs. it depends on how many fracture there are in the rock or the permiability of the rock.
through flow def
water moves through soil into streams and rivers. MODERATE/FAST
through flow rate def
clay soils with a high feild capacityand smaller pore spaces have a slower rate. sandy soils drain quickly as they have a lower feild capacity, larger pore spaces and natural channels.
surface runoff def
water that flows above ground as sheetflow(lots of water flowing over a large surface) or in rills (small channels that are unlikley to carry during periods of no rainfall). FAST
groundwater flow def
water moves through rocks. ensures there is water in rivers, even after long periods of no rain. Jointed rocks in Krast enviroments where there are many underground caves and streams, may transfer water rapidly. USUALLY SLOW BUT VARIABLE
streamflow def
water that moves through establihed channels. FAST
stemflow def
flow of water that has been intercepted by plants or trees, down stem, leaf, branch, or other parts of the plant. FAST
soil water def
water stored in soil which is utlalised by plants. MID TERM STORE
groundwater def
what stored in the pore spaces of rock. LONG TERM STORE
river channel def
water that is stored in a river. SHORT TERM STORE
interception def
water intercepted by plant on their branches or leaves before reaching the ground. SHORT TERM STORE
surface storage def
water in puddles, ponds and lakes ect. VARIABLE STORE
the water table def
the upper level at wich the pore spaces and fractures in the ground become saturated. it is used by researchers to assses drought conditions, health of wetland systems, success of forest restoration programmes ect.
water balance def
used to express the the proccess of water storage and transfer in drainage basin systems.
how can the water balance of an area change
it can change depeding on physical factors, especially during seasonal variations of temp and precipitation.
what affects the change in storage
the amount of precipitation in comprassison to run off and evapotranspiration
how does deforestation affect the water cycle
there is less interception from trees so surface run off increases. the soil is no longer held together by roots so water storgae decreases and transpiriation decreases as there are fewer plants
how does large amounts of rainfall affect the water cycle
large amounts of rainfall quickly saturate the ground to its feild capacity so no more water can infiltrate and it increases runoff
how can storms affect the water cycle
strorm events are less affective at recharging water stores than prolonged rainfall.
seasonal changes on the water cycle
spring-more interception from vegetation
summer- harder ground/ impermeable wich increases surface runoff
how does pastoral farming effect the water cycle
live stock such as pigs, cows and sheep trample the ground reducing inflitration
how does arible farming affect the water cycle
plowing increases inflitration as it loosens the soil and decreases surface runoff. however digging drainage dicthes increases surface runoff and streamflow
how does hillside terracing affect the water cycle
it is done for rice padi feilds and it increases surface wtaer storage andtherefore decreases runoff
how does irragation affect the water cycle
it can lead to gorundwater depletion
howdoes urbanisation affect the water cycle
building roads and buildings creates impermeable surface and thre are likely to be drains these increase surface runoff, decrease infiltration, reduca lagtime and increase flood risks.
how can we reduce the effects of urbanisation on the water cycle
green roofs and sustainable urban drainage systems use grass and soil to reduce the amount of impermeable surfaces and are helping urban flooding in some cities
what is the soil water budget
it shows tthe annual balance bwtween inputs and outputs in the water cycle and their impact on soil storage/availability
what does the soil budget depend on
the amount of rainfall/dry weather and the type depth and permiability of the soil and beadrock
fwhat is the feild cap
the maximum possible level of storage in the soil. Once it is reached any rainfall will not infiltrate and lead to surfaced runoff and flooding.
how does autum affect the soil budget
autum: there is more input of precipitation and output of evapotranspiration and decidous trees loose their leaves. the cooler weather means less photosynthesis and the soil ,moisture levels increase and water surplus occurs
how does winter affect the soil budget
the potnetial evapotransiration plants reaches a minimum the precipitation contiues to refill the soil water stores. infiltration and perculation also refill the water table.
how does spring affect the soil budget
plants start to grow again and otential evaportransipration increases as temperatures get higher and plants start to photosynthesise there is still water surplus in these times
how does summer affect the soil budget
utilisation of of soil water evaportransipiration reaches its peak and rainfall is at a minimum. the evapotranspiration output in greater than the input from precipitation so soil water stores are depleating. water defecit may occur.
the global water cycle
the glabal water cycle is comprised of many stores such as lakes rivers seas and oceans
% of each type of water in the global water store
oceans = 97%, fresh water = 2.5% of wich 69% = glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets and the otehr 30% is groundwater
what are the 4 areas water can be stored
hydrosphere - any liquid water
lithosphere - any water stored in the crust or upper mantle
cryopshere - any water that is frozen
atmosphere - water vapour
what are aquifers
underground water stores and shallow groundwater aquifers can store water for upto 200 years and deeper fossil aquifers may last for 10,000 years
how long do glaciers store water
20-100 years
how long do rivers store and seasonal snow cover store water
50-100 years
how long do lakes store water
2-6 months
how long does soilstore water
1-2 months
how do storm events affect the water cycle
cause sudden increase in rainfall leading to flooding and replenishment of some water stores. they are unlikely to cause long term affects
how do droughts affect the water cycle
cause major water stores to be depleted and the flows acting within the water cycle to be decreased. may cause more long term affects as they are becoming more common with climate change
what if the El Nino effect
it occurs every 2-7 years and causes warm temperatures in a predictable way
the La Nina effect
it occurs every 2-7 years and causes cooler temperatures in a predictable way
what are the cryospheric processes
in the past glaciers and ice caps have stored significant amounts of fresh water through the amount of accumulation. currently all the glaciers are shrinking causing sea levels to rise.
how does farming impact the cryosphere
-ploughing breaks up the surface increasing infiltration
- arable farming increase evapotranspiration and interception
-pastoral farming compacts soil decreasing infiltration then increasing surface runoff
-irrigation removes water from local rivers affecting their flow
how does land use impact the cryosphere
- deforestation decreases interception, evapotranspiration but increases infiltration
- construction increases runoff but decreases evapotranspiration and infiltration
how does water abstraction impact the cryosphere
- reduces the amount of water in surface stores
-increases dry seasons
-the output of water from aquifers to reach human demands is greater than the input, leading to decline in global water stores
what is a flood graph used for
to represent the rainfall for the drainage basin of a river and the discharge of the same river on a graph
what is a flashy hydrograph
a short flash time and high peak discharge, mostly occur is storm events, with favorable drainage basin characteristics
what is a subdued hydrograph
a long flash time and low peak discharge
features of a flashy hydrograph
- steep rising and falling limb
- short lag time
- higher flood risk
- high peak discharge
features of a subdued hydrograph
- long lag time
- gradual rising and falling limb
-lower flood risk
-low peak discharge
what natural factors would create a flashy hydrograph
- high rainfall intensity: makes more likely for soil to reach field capacity therefore leading to surface runoff and a decreased lag time
- impermeable underly geology: decreases percolation and therefore increases throughflow
- high drainage density: increases speed of drainage decreasing lag time because of there are many tributaries leading to the river
- small basin: means rainfall reaches the river more rapidly, decreasing lag time
- circular basin: rainfall reaches the central river more rapidly decreasing lag time
- low temperatures: decreases evapotranspiration so there’s greater peach
what a human factors that create a flashy hydrograph
- urbanization: more impermeable surfaces so runoff increases and infiltration and surface are decreased
- pastoral farming: ground is trampled so there is less interception and more runoff
- deforestation: less interception by trees and more surface runoff so the water reaches rivers faster increasing flood risks
photosynthesis is the carbon cycle
living organisms convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and glucose using light energy in photosynthesis. Plants sequestrate carbon by removing CO2 from the atmosphere and reduce impacts of climate change.
respiration in the carbon cycle
occurs when living organisms convert oxygen and glucose into energy, which then produces the waste products of water and CO2
are plants net carbon and oxygen producers or absorbers
in the day plants photosynthesis absorbing more CO2 than they emit. But during the night they release more CO2 then they absorb as they only respire. but overall the absorb more then they release making the net carbon absorbers and net oxygen producers.
combustion in the carbon cycle
when fossil fuels and organic matter are burnt they emit CO2 into the atmosphere that was previously stored inside of them.
decomposition in the carbon cycle
when living organisms die they are broken down by decomposers (like bacteria) which respire returning CO2 into the atmosphere. some organic matter also returns to the soil where its stored adding carbon matter to the soil
diffusion in the carbon cycle
the oceans absorb from the atmosphere which has increased the acidity of oceans by 30% since preindustrial times. the ocean is the biggest carbon store but as it stores more it can harm aquatic life by coral bleaching.
weathering and erosion in the carbon cycle
rocks are eroded on land and brocken down by carbonation weathering. carbonation weathering occurs when CO2 in the air mixes with rain water to create carbonic acid wich aids erosion of rocks such as limestones. the carbon is moved through the water cycle and into the oceans. marine organisns in the oceans use the carbon to build their shells.
burial and compaction in the carbon cycle
when shelled marine organisms die, their shell fragments fall to the bottom of the oceans and compact overtime to form limestone. organic matter is compacted overtime on land or the oceanto form fossil feuls
what is carbon sequestration
the natural and artifical transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to another store. a plant sequestrates carbon when it photosynthesises. fatories are also strating to ue carbon sequestration in the form of carbon capture and storage (CCS). carbon is captured and transported via pipleine to depleeted gas feilds and saline aquifers.
advantages to carbon capture and storage (CCS)
- can be fitted to existing coal power stations
- captures 90% of carbon released
- there is a demand for CO2 (coca-cola, plant growth,beer ect) so transporatio through pipelines in liquid form already existed
- potential to capture half the worlds carbon emissions
disadvantages to carbon capture and storage (CCS)
- high cost
- increases enrgey demand for power stations
- may not be space to fit in current power stations
- economically viable in some cases as it is used to push oil out of the ground, thus further increasing fossil fuel usage
what is a sere
a sere is a stage of vegetation succession and can relate to specific enviroments. A vegetation succession occurs when a plant community develops and becomes more complex overtime.
whatis the climatic climax
the final stage of the sere where envoromental equalibrium is achieved. when a sere reaches this, the ecosystem is fully devloped and stable and it will not dramaticaly change as the equalibrium will conteract the change
what enviroments do different seres relate to
lithosere - bare rock
halosere - sand coastal enviroments
hydrosere - freshwater enviroments
what is a carbon sink
any store wich takes in more carbon then it emits
what is a carbon store
any store wich emits more carbon than it stores
what are the main carbon stores in order of magnitude
- marine sediments and marine sedementary rocks
- oceans
- fossil fuel deposits
- soil organic matter
- atmosphere
6.terrestrial plants
features of marine sediments and marine sedementary rocks carbon store
it is in the lithosphere and is along term store. it is the biggest store holding up to 66,000 - 100,000 million billion metric tones of carbon. the rock cycle and continental drift recylce rock overtime but this may take thousnads even millions of years
features of the oceans carbon store
in the hydrosphere and is dynamic. the second biggest store and contains 38,000 billion meteric tons of carbon. the carbon is constantly being utilised by marine organisms, lost as an output to the lithosphere or gains as an inpt from rivers and erosion
features of fossil fuel deposits carbon store
it is in the lithosphere and is long term but currently dynamic. fossil fuel deposits used to be rarely chaning over short periods of time buthumans have developed technology to exploitthem rapidly, however 4000 billion metric tonnes still remain as fossil feuls.
feature of soil and organic matters carbon store
it is in the lithosphere and is midterm. soil can store carbon for hundreds of years but things like agriculture, deforestation and more are affecting this. however it still stores 1500 billlion metric tones of carbon.
features of the amtospheres carbon store
it is dynamic. human activity has increased the CO2 in the atmosphere by 40% since the industrial revolution. it now stores 750 billion metric tonnes of carbon
features of terrestrial plants carbon store
it is in the biosphere and is mid term but very dynamic. it is vunrable to climate change and deforestation and as a result carbon storage in forests in declining. it holds about 560 billion metric tones of carbon.
wich sphere is the main source of carbon
the lithosphere is the main source of carbon
what natural processes change the carbon cycle over time
wildfires: transfer carbon from the biosphere to to the atmosphere as CO2 is released through carbon. the burning can encourage the growth of palnts in the long term. wildfires play an important role in the carbon cycle however the can destroy homes.
volcanic activity: carbon stored within the earth is relreased during volcanic eruptions, mainly as CO2 gas. they contribute relativly low proportion of CO2 to the cycle.
how did the 1815 Mt Tambora eruption effect global temperatures
it produced suphur dioxied gas, wich then entered the atmosphere blocking sun radiation and lowering global temperatures by 0.4-0.7*C in 1816. However this can reduce photosynthesis wich effects the carbon cycle.
how do human impacts change the cabon cycle
fossil fuel use: combustion transfers CO2 to the atmosphere from a long-term carbon sink.
Deforestation: often used to clear land for farming/housing, rapidly releases carbon stored in plants using slah and burn techniques and interruoting the forest carbon cycle.
farming practices: pastoral farming releases CO2 as animals respire, affecting the carbon cycle. Ploughing can release CO2 stored in the soil. Farm machienery such as tractors may release CO2.
what are carbon fluxes
changes to the magnitude of carbon stores over time are called fluxes and may happen very rpaidly or over thousands of years. Human activity is causing an enprecidented flux in the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere directly from fossil feul combustion.
carbon budget def
the balance between carbon inpus and carbon outputs to store at any scale or balance exchanges between the four major stores of carbon.
car sink def
a store that absorbs more carbon then it emits e.g. a virgin rainforest
carbon source
a store that emits more carbon than it absorbs
e.g. damaged rainforest
what is the enhanced greenhouse effect
the proccess that is currently causing global warming as abnormally high levels of grennhouse gases are being produced by humans, trapping radiation from the sun, causing global warming and leading to climate change.
radiative forcing def
the differnece between incoming solar radition absored by the earth and the energy radiated back out into space. this has increased in the recent years, leading to more heat being trapped.
how do increases in the global tempratures due to alteration of the carbon cycle affect the water cycle
leads to greater levels of evapotransiration. the increase in global temperatures may make summer storms more likely but decrease the amount of rainfall in summer on average, yet increase the average winter rainfall.
how does land use cause the enhanced green house effect
land use accounts for a tenth of carbon release annually and impacts on short-term stores in the carbon cycle, such as soil and atmosphere.
how does defrorestation cause the enhanced green house effect
it accounts for about 20% of all global greenhouse emissions. the main impacts is when the cycle os innterupted and the land is used for other purposes, which then reduces carbon sequestration and land become a carbon source rather than a carbon sink.
how does urbanisation cause the enhanced greenhouse effect
it affects local and global carbon cycles, by replacing vegetation and covering soils. urban areas occupy 2% of the worlds land mass, but these areas account for 97% of all human caused global CO2 emmisions. cement releases carbom during production contributing 7% to global carbon dioxide emissions each year.
what is rewilding
where populated or managed human areas are beung reduced or replaced by wildlife. this will hopefully restore enviroments in years to come and the trees that are planted will help mitigate global warming
how does the carbon cycle impact tropical rainforests
-high rates of photosynthesis and respiration in forest lead to greater humidity, cloud cover and precipitation
-deforestation reduces photosynthesis and respiration, further reducing humidity and cloud cover and decreasing precipitation.
how does the carbon cycel affect oceans
-warmer oceans cause more plankton growh and through plankton chemical producation, cause clouds to potentially form
- warm oceans also store less CO2, as carbon sequestration is depedent on a cooler ocean. this means higher temperatures could lessen the effects of oceans as carbon sinks.
-this creates a positive feedback loop
feedback loop def
a type of chain reaction, where one proccess leads to another proccess, leading to another process and so on. there are 2 types of feedback loops positive and negative.
negative feedback def
when the process that occurs is counteracted by an opposing process, causing the effects to cancleeachother out and nothing to change
positive feedack def
a process wich causes another process to occur, wich starts a chain reaction that heughtens the first process
how are wildfires examples of positibe feedback
they are more likley to occur is hotter and drier climates created by globalwarming wich release large quantities of CO2 into atmosphere, wich then increases the warming effect
how is ice melting an example of positive feedback
ice refelects radiation from the sun, reducing surface warming. as sea temperatures rise and ice melts the warming ffect is amplified as there is less ice to reflect the radiation.
how is thawing of permafrost an example of positive feedback
higher temperatures are thawing the permafrost releasing CO2 and methan causing warming on a local and global scale. permafrost is frozen ground that remains at a temperature of 0*C or lower for atleast 2 consecutive years. the higher temperatures cause more permafrost to melt, causimg further gas releases and further watming
