Water and Carbon Cycle

Question 1

First stage of water cycle

Answer 1

Evaporation: Heat from Sun makes oceans evaporate into water vapour
Transpiration: plants lose water through leaves

Question 2

Second stage of water cycle

Answer 2

Condensation: Water vapour cools, producing clouds of tiny drops of water

Question 3

Third stage of water cycle

Answer 3

Precipitation: Clouds rise, further cooling. Become heavy and fall as rain

Question 4

Fourth stage Plan A of water cycle

Answer 4

Collection: water collects in streams and rivers, flowing to the sea, receiving treated sewerage and industrial waste

Question 5

Fourth stage Plan B of water ccyle

Answer 5

Some water is diverted to reservoirs; purified in water treatment works and used for homes and industry , after use it is treated in sewerage works and returned to rivers

Question 6

3 things that can happen after precipitation

Answer 6

Infiltration, glacier or run-off

Question 7

What’s infiltration

Answer 7

Rain that soaks deep into the earth and is stored there

Question 8

what’s run off

Answer 8

rain that collects in streams and rivers

Question 9

How does carbon enter the atmosphere

Answer 9

respiration, burning fossil fuels, industrial processes (eg making lime)

Question 10

How is carbon removed from atmosphere

Answer 10

photosynthesis, dissolving in rain and oceans

Question 11

How is limestone made and how does it relate to the carbon cycle

Answer 11

the sea creatures use dissolved carbon dioxide to make their shells, after they die the shells can be turned into limestone, limestone can be heated to make lime- this releases co2

Question 12

What is carbon stored as?

Answer 12

coal, oil, gas in the ground: made from the bodies of plants and animals that died millions of yrs ago

Question 13

What happens with plants that are eaten by animals?

Answer 13

they help them grow, the animals die and are turned into fossil fuels, which when burned release co2

Question 14

What’s the problem with the carbon cycle today?

Answer 14

More carbon being released into the atmosphere than is being dissolved into oceans or photosynthesis

Question 15

What is the greenhouse effect? Why is it important?

What’s happening now?

Answer 15

Gases in the atmosphere like co2 act as an insulator and slow down heat loss from Earth into space. Without it there may be no life, if it’s not warm enough.
Too much co2 in the atmosphere causes an enhanced greenhouse effect, leading to global warming

Question 16

What is global warming caused by?

Answer 16

Too much co2 in the atmosphere leading to an enhanced greenhouse effect- the earth cannot lose enough heat and so it becomes trapped here
excessive burning of fossil fuels
deforestation

Question 17

what do cows release and how? why is it bad?

Answer 17

methane, by digesting grass . Has same effect as carbon dioxide, ratio of 1:30

Question 18

What will global warming cause?

Answer 18

climate change
rising sea levels from melting glaciers
storms, floods, rain in Ireland

Question 19

What is being done by the govt to prevent further global warming?

Answer 19

Improved building standards
grants for solar panels and insulated houses
motor tax :more fuel, more tax
carbon tax on fuels
grants to convert grassland to forest -plant trees
cycle to work scheme- subsidies to workers

Question 20

What has worked so far against climate change?

Answer 20

LED streetlights in cork halved its electricity use and carbon footprint
new houses have better insulation and all have solarpanels
motor tax discouraged people from buying cars w powerful engines