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Physical geography > Water and carbon cycle 5 - The carbon cycle > Flashcards

Water and carbon cycle 5 - The carbon cycle Flashcards

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1
Q

Where is carbon found

A

In organic and inorganic stores

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2
Q

What’s an organic store

A

Living things

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3
Q

What’s an inorganic store

A

Rocks gases and fossil fuels.

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4
Q

What 5 systems is carbon found in

A
  • Lithosphere
  • Atmosphere
  • Biosphere
  • Cryosphere
  • Hydrosphere
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5
Q

How much of the earths carbon is stored in sedimentary rocks

A

99.9%

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6
Q

How much of the earths carbon is stored in fossil fuels

A

0.004%

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7
Q

How is carbon stored in the atmosphere

A

As carbon dioxide and in small quantities as methane

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8
Q

How much of the earths carbon is stored in the atmosphere

A

0.001%

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9
Q

How does carbon enter the hydrosphere

A

Through dissolving into ocean water

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10
Q

How do the organisms use carbon

A

To produce shells

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11
Q

How much of the earths carbon is stored in the hydrosphere

A

0.0076%

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12
Q

How is carbon stored in the biosphere

A

In the tissue of living organisms

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13
Q

How is it transferred to the soil

A

When living organisms die and decay

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14
Q

How much of the earths carbon is stored in the biosphere

A

0.004%

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15
Q

How much of the earths carbon is stored in the cryosphere

A

0.1%

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16
Q

What is carbon like in the cryosphere

A

Most in soil in areas of permafrost where decomposing plants and animals have frozen into the ground

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17
Q

What happens in the carbon cycle process

A

Carbon is stored and transferred

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18
Q

What kind of system is it

A

A closed system - there’s inputs and outputs of energy, but the amount of carbon remains the same

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19
Q

What happens to some of the carbon

A

It is locked away in long term stores like rocks and fossil fuels deep underground

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20
Q

What are the 7 flows of carbon between stores

A

1) photosynthesis
2) Respiration
3) Decomposition
4) Weathering
5)Sequestration
6) Ocean uptake and loss
7) Combustion

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21
Q

What stores does photosynthesis transfer between

A

From the atmosphere to biomass

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22
Q

How does photosynthesis work

A

Plants and phytoplankton use energy from the sun to change CO2 and water into glucose and oxygen enabling plants to grow

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23
Q

How is carbon moved

A

Passed through the food chain and released through respiration and decomposition

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24
Q

What stores does respiration transfer between

A

Living organisms to the atmosphere

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25
Q

How does respiration work

A

Plants and animals break down glucose for energy, releasing CO2 and methane in the process

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26
Q

What does decomposition do

A

Transfers carbon from dead biomass to the atmosphere and the soil

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27
Q

What happens after the organism is dead

A

Bacteria and fungi break down organisms and CO2 and methane are released

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28
Q

Where does some of the carbon of the decomposition go

A

It’s transferred to the soil in the form of humus

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29
Q

Where does chemical weathering transfer carbon?

A

From the atmosphere to the hydrosphere and biosphere

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30
Q

How does chemical weathering work

A

Atmospheric carbon reacts with water vapour to form acid rain. This acid rain falls onto rocks and causes a chemical reaction which dissolves the rocks. The molecules resulting from this reaction maybe washed to the sea. Here they react with CO2 dissolved in the water to form calcium carbonate which is used by sea creatures

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31
Q

What does sequested mean

A

Captured and held

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32
Q

How is carbon sequestered

A

Carbon from the atmosphere is sequestered in rocks or fossil fuels

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33
Q

How long is carbon sequestered in fossil fuels for

A

Until we burn them

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34
Q

How is carbon transferred in ocean uptake and loss

A

It’s directly dissolved from the atmosphere into the ocean

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35
Q

When else is it transferred to the ocean

A

When it’s taken up by organisms that live in them

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36
Q

When else is it transferred from the ocean to atmosphere

A

When carbon-rich water from deep in the oceans rises to the surfaces and releases CO2

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37
Q

What does combustion do

A

Transfers carbon stored in living, dead or decomposed biomass to the atmosphere by burning

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38
Q

What causes carbon flow

A

Wildfires

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39
Q

How long do fast carbon flows take

A

They’re fast - a matter of minutes, hours or days

40
Q

What are 4 examples of fast carbon flows

A

1) Photosynthesis
2) Respiration
3) Combustion
4) Decomposition

41
Q

What’s an example of a slow carbon flow

A

Sequestration

42
Q

How long does sequestration take

A

Millions of years

43
Q

What else does the carbon flow depend on

A

The spatial scale

44
Q

What is it like on an ecosystem scale

A

Carbon flows like combustion and decomposition also occur

44
Q

What is it like on a plant scale

A

Respiration and photosynthesis are the main flows

45
Q

What’s it like on a continental scale

A

All carbon flows such as sequestration occur

46
Q

What alters the magnitude of the carbon stores

A

Natural events like wildfires and volcanic eruptions

47
Q

What do wildfires do?

A

Rapidly transfer large quantities of carbon from biomass to the atmosphere

48
Q

What does loss of vegetation do

A

Decreases photosynthesis so less carbon is removed from the atmosphere in the long term

49
Q

What can fire encourage

A

The growth of new plants, which take carbon in from the atmosphere for photosynthesis

50
Q

When can fires have a neutral effect on atmospheric carbon

A

The amount and type of regrowth

51
Q

What happens during volcanic eruptions

A

Carbon stored in the earths magma is released during eruptions, the majority enters the atmosphere as cO2

52
Q

What would happen if there is a large volcanic eruption

A

Would destroy the carbon cycle significantly

53
Q

What has happened since the Industrial Revolution

A

The impact humans have on then carbon cycle has increased hugely

54
Q

What are we causing

A

Carbon flows from the lithosphere and biosphere to the atmosphere to happen much quicker than they normally would

55
Q

What are the 4 main causes of change

A

1) Hydrocarbon extraction and use
2) Deforestation
3) Farming practices
4) Land use changes

56
Q

What does hydrocarbon extraction and use cause

A

Releases CO2 into the atmosphere

57
Q

What would happen without human intervention

A

The carbon would remain sequestered in the lithosphere for thousands or millions of years

58
Q

Why are forests cleared

A

For agriculture, logging or to make way for developments

59
Q

What does clearance do

A

Reduces the size of the carbon store

60
Q

What happens if the clear forest is burned

A

There’s a rapid flow of carbon from the biosphere to the atmosphere

61
Q

What 3 ways does agricultural activities release carbon into the atmosphere

A

1) Animals release CO2 and methane when respire and digest food
2) Ploughing can release CO2 stored in soil
3) Growing rice in rice paddies releases a lot of methane

62
Q

What has happened as the worlds population has increased

A

food production has increased

63
Q

What has happened as a result of this

A

carbon emissions from farming have increased

64
Q

what else has increased CO2 emissions

A

Mechanization of farming

65
Q

Give 2 reasons for this

A

1) Vegetation is removed to make way for new buildings - reducing carbon storage in the biosphere
2) Concrete production releases lots of CO2 and lots of concrete is used when urban areas expand

66
Q

What else is a major source of carbon

A

The change of land use from natural or agricultural to urban

67
Q

What is carbon budget

A

The difference between inputs of carbon into a sub system and outputs of carbon

68
Q

Give an example of this

A

In the atmosphere inputs of carbon come from volcanic eruptions, burning fossil fuels, respiration and ocean loss and outputs through photosynthesis, sequestration, decomposition, chemical weathering and ocean uptake

69
Q

What does the balance of the sub system determine

A

Whether it acts as a carbon sink or a carbon source

70
Q

Whats a carbon source

A

The outputs of carbon outweigh the inputs so it releases more carbon than it absorbs

71
Q

Whats a carbon sink

A

The inputs of carbon outweigh the outputs, so it absorbs more carbon than it releases

72
Q

What happens when there is a change to the carbon cycle

A

Has significant impacts on the atmosphere, land and oceans

73
Q

How does the carbon cycle affect the atmosphere

A

Affects the amount of gases containing carbon in the atmosphere

74
Q

What are these gases called

A

Greenhouse gases

75
Q

Why are they greenhouse gases

A

They trap some of the sun’s energy, keeping some of the heat and keeping the plant warm

76
Q

Why are concentrations of greenhouse gases increasing

A

Due to the burning of fossil fuels

77
Q

What is happening because of this

A

Temperatures are expected to rise

78
Q

What is this called

A

Global warming

79
Q

What does changes in temperatures across the globe cause

A

Affect other aspects of the climate eg - more intense storms are predicted

80
Q

What dies the carbon cycle allow for

A

Allows plants to grow

81
Q

What would happen if there was no carbon in the atmosphere

A

Planets wouldn’t photosynthesise

82
Q

What would happen if there was no decomposition

A

Dead plants would remain where they fell and their nutrients would never be recycled

83
Q

What happens to the changes in carbon cycle

A

Reduce the amount of carbon stored in the land

84
Q

What do warmer temperatures cause

A

Permafrost to melt

85
Q

What happens as there is an increase in global temperatures

A

Increase in the frequency of wildfires

86
Q

What happens to the CO2 as part of the carbon cycle

A

CO2 is dissolved directly into the oceans from the atmosphere

87
Q

How is CO2 in oceans used

A

Used by organisms like phytoplankton and seaweed during photosynthesis by other marine organisms to form calcium carbonate shells and skeletons

88
Q

What does the increase levels of CO2 in the atmosphere cause

A

Increase the acidity of the oceans as they initially absorb more CO2.

89
Q

How does this affect marine life

A

Can have adverse effects

90
Q

What else affects oceans

A

Global warming

91
Q

Why do some numbers of plants decrease

A

Some organisms are sensitive to temperature such as phytoplankton may not be able to survive high temperatures

92
Q

What does this mean

A

Less CO2 is used by them for photosynthesis, so less carbon is removed from the atmosphere

93
Q

What happens as temperatures rise

A

The amount of CO2 that could potentially be dissolved in the sea decreases

94
Q

Why is this

A

Because warmer water is less able to absorb CO2

Physical geography (16 decks)

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