Water And Carbon Cycle. Alevel 6markers (2) Flashcards
Using figure 2 and your own knowledge, assess the challenges associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions (2018)
The challenge has been around obtaining agreement in what is clearly not an equal situation. The richest countries, such as some in Europe and the USA, make a disproportionately high contribution to global warming. This is combined with the fact that USA has sought to pull out of the Paris agreement.
For most countries, economic development is synonymous with increased carbon emissions. Restricting emissions to achieve a climate of below 2oC is likely to harm many developing economies. If USA were to pull out this would inevitably raise questions of fairness and place national pressure on sovereign governments to make the same decision.
Some may argue that USA stands to gain comparative advantage. By pulling out of the Paris Agreement, the commitment to green energy production schemes and carbon emissions reduction strategies (as part of the Paris Agreement) are also likely to be dispensed with. This is likely to relieve the burden of substantial economic cost upon the USA. In this sense the biggest polluter will continue to gain economic advantage from burning fossil with none of the costs and arguably responsibility for mitigation.
Using Figure 2a, Figure 2b and your own knowledge, assess the potential impact of changing vegetation cover upon the runoff in this area. (2019)
Variation in runoff volume is a product of a number of factors. These include antecedent rainfall, vegetation cover, underlying bedrock and relief. Human activity is also a significant factor.
It is clear that where forest is replaced by mixed vegetation, grassland, built up areas or bare soil, runoff is likely to increase. In 2001, for most areas within the watershed, the run off has increased compared to 1976. This is best exemplified with areas 5, 6 and 11. In the rehabilitated area, runoff is lower suggesting increased interception and evapotranspiration. In area 10, the mixed vegetation appears to have reduced the runoff substantially. Similarly area 6 has appears to have undergone significant rehabilitation and this has reduced runoff to below the rates seen in 2007.
The removal of forest is likely to lead to decreased canopy, less interception, reduced transpiration and possibly soil compaction depending upon how the land is subsequently used. Area 6 is a good example of this.
However, there is no information provided about precipitation levels or relief. For example, in areas 1 and 2 there is little variation between the periods or the rehabilitated condition.
Using Figure 2 and your own knowledge, assess the predicted 6
impact of climate change upon life in this region. (2020)
It is clear from the evidence that the west is set to experience an increase in area where plant growth days are low. Apart from the coastal region there is almost a 50/50 in coverage where there is precipitation facilitating less than 60 days’ plant growth.
A typical growing season is around 3–5 months depending on the crop. With growing days of less than 60 days, this is sure to impact on farming yields, affecting crop growth but also livestock. This will possibly to food shortage in the region and increased reliance on the imported food, impacting lives of residents of the region.
Whilst this information is not provided it is implicit that there must be less rainfall predicted by 2050. This is likely to impact negatively upon reservoirs and water storage for human consumption. Lack of available water sources will directly negatively affect not only farming yields but as well every day life of many local residents, reducing quality of life in the region
Using figure 2 and your own knowledge, assess the implications of the data for attempts to manage carbon transfers
Management of carbon transfers seeks to control the release of carbon from forests into the atmosphere as well as increase the uptake of carbon by expanding forests and increasing rates of photosynthesis.
The data suggests that European forests absorb more carbon than is released, acting as a carbon sink. It also suggests that more could be done to help with the absorption of carbon especially considering the amount that is released through burning fossil fuels. Fires release 7 TgC. A strategy to reduce wildfire could help reduce the amount released by uncontrolled burning or wildfire.
better use of waste from wood products could reduce decomposition and the burning of this could reduce fossil fuel use. In this sense some may argue that burning wood as a fuel source is carbon neutral as only a small amount is stored following decomposition. The wood burning for fuel could reduce emissions from burning fossil fuels ie an indirect benefit.
Using Figure 2 and your own knowledge, assess the natural and human induced causes of the 2005 flood in Carlisle. (Specimen)
There is a range of causes of the 2005 flood in Carlisle. Mentioned in figure 2 high amount of precipitation to be more specific ‘Rainfall was very high for the period 6 to 8 January, during which two months’ worth of rainfall was released in 24 hours’ is one of the key factors in cause it the 2005 flood. Especially considering the antecedent rainfall prior to the 6-8 rainfall, as the groundwater storage of water was full and the soil was saturated with water from prolonged rain and following the rainfall event of 6-8 January. Surface runoff speed up, exacerbating impacts of the storm.
Drainage basin characteristics such as gradient of the river catchment ‘the head of the catchment is around 690 m, falling rapidly to 160 m’, would increase the speed of surface runoff. The land use of the area with a wide range of agricultural activity, with limited vegetation due to the winter month when the land is not covered with crops and mentioned in figure ‘small amoun of managed forestry’ would likely mean that there is limited interception store in the drainage basin, meaning more precipitation would end up on the surface of already saturated with prolonged rainfall land. Human induced factor of significant urbanization of the area, would mean significant amount if impermeable surfaces (concrete) in the drainage basin as well as quick chanelling of the rainfall to the river with urban drainage system.
Therefore it is a combination of atmospheric, local land use and human induced causes which led to the flooding in 2005. Nevertheless, heavy prolonged rain prior the storm event and high precipitation rates during the storm event can be viewed as one of the key factors contributing to the onset of flooding.
