Water and carbon cycles (3.1.1.3 the carbon cycle) Flashcards
what are the 4 major stores of carbon?
- hydrosphere
- biosphere
- lithosphere
- atmosphere
how does the hydrosphere store carbon?and size of store? 3
- oceans
- surface Layer photosynthesis by plankton (700Gy)
- deep layer- carbon passes through food chain and sinks to the ocean bed (38,000 Gt)
how does the biosphere store carbon?and size of store? 3
- organic matter in soil (2300Gt)
- living/ dead organisms
- terrestrial biomass (560 Gt)
how does the lithosphere store carbon?and size of store? 2
- sedimentary rock deposits (6,000,000- 10,000,000 Gt)
- fossil fuel deposits (4130 Gt)
how does the atmosphere store carbon?and size of store? 1
-Co2 gasses in atmosphere (600Gt)
what are the 6 factors driving change in magnitude of carbon store over time?
- photosynthesis
- respiration
- decomposition
- combustion
- carbon sequestration
- wheathering
how does photosynthesis change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?
-plant uses energy from sun and combines co2 from atmosphere with h20 from soil (carbohydrates) carbon is sequestrated for long time
how does respiration change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?
-plants release co2 back to atmosphere due to respiration (in soil aswell)
how does decomposition change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?
- decomp of fungi and bacteria returns co2 to atmosphere
- produces soluble organic compounds dissolved in runoff from land surface
- GHG released as a by product
how does combustion change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?
- co2 from air to water (diffusion)
- low alt warm water absorbs co2
- high alt cold water sinks= carbon transferred deep into ocean
- where cold ^ and warm looses Co2 to atmosphere
- oceanic carbon pump= name of process
how does weathering change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?
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what are the 4 wildfire effects that increase CO2 in atmosphere?
- carbon enters atmosphere in event if wildfire
- dense areas of carbon where plants been removed
- vegetation replaced by young vegetation which holds less carbon
- soil exposed= releases carbon from decaying matter
what is most important role of CO2 ?
controlling the earth temp, process of GH heating is accelerating
what are the 2 changes that are happening over time with wildfires?
- UCS (union of concerned scientists) said ^ in number of annual wildfires in W US
- largest fires in W US occurring 5x more often since 70/80, burning 6x more land, and lasting 5x longer
what are wildfires link to global warming? 1
-warmer climate= earlier snowmelt= soil becomes drier for longer, dry soil susceptible to fire
what are wildfires effect on carbon budget?
-emit 8bil tonnes of CO2 per year over last 20 yrs
what are the 4 potential effects of volcanic eruption on the carbon cycle?
- eruption release large amount of sulphur dioxide into atmosphere
- reduces solar radiation
- counter balanced by absorption of outgoing terrestrial radiation by greenhouse gases (CO2)
- resulting climate change remains uncertain
explain process of volcanic eruptions and its emission of carbon?
- carbon transferred from lithosphere to atmosphere through volcanoes
- land and ocean sit on plates, when plates collide one sinks, rock melts under heat/ pressure.
- heated rock recombines into silicated minerals, releasing co2
- when erupt vent gas into atmosphere & covers land with fresh silicate rock to begin cycle again
- carbon emitted minimal
what is the potenial cooling effect that volcanoes can have?
acid with dust= reflect radiation from sun back to space & eventually cool earth e.g. mount pinatubo cooled earth by 0.6
whta are 4 ways that farming practises produce carbon?
- ploughing introduces air into soil, decomposition accelerates & C is released into atmosphere
- emission from tractors ^ CO2 levels
- livestock produce methane
- rice paddies generate methane
name 4 impacts farming has on the carbon budget?
- ^ in livestock densities (methane)
- rice paddies produce methane when flooded from bacteria
- ploughing feels releases carbon
- cleared vast areas of natural biomes replaced with pasture and vegetation which do take in carbon just not as much
what are two types of land use change that effect the carbon cycle?
- urban growth
- deforestation
what 3 ways does deforestation impact the carbon cycle?
- waste from deforestation is burned= releasees carbon through combustion
- biomass store of trees and vegetation is removed and replaced by something inferior in terms of carbon storage
- soil carbon is exposed to atmosphere= please of stored soil carbon through decomposition
what three impacts does urban growth have on the carbon cycle?
- reduces amount of surface vegetation (less carbon storage)
- CO2 from domestic use ^
- ^ in emissions from cement manufacturing
top two contries for producing GHG emissions?
- America- 7,107 mil tCO2e
- China- 4,058 mil tCO2e
what is carbon sequestration?
capture of carbon from atmosphere 7 replacing it in long term storage
what are the 3 achievements of carbon sequestration?
- geological sequestration (CO2 captured at source and injected in liquid form deep underground)
- oceans absorbs co2 sinks deep into ocean ground and stored there
- biological sequestration using plants to capture and store co2
what is the carbon budget?
-how much carbon is emitted by various processes compared to what can be absorbed by nature or captured by people.
2 ways land is having a positive impact on the carbon cycle?
- in high- mid lat areas reverting to forested areas, store more carbon then crops
- some parts of world intensive farming= dense vege= bigger store of carbon
name 2 ways land is having a negative impact on the carbon cycle?
- in areas of water scarcity tress slow growth= less carbon taken in
- hot countries dry trees= susceptible to forest fire= CO2
one way in which global warning and the land is having a positive effect on the carbon cycle?
-CO2 increase temp, extending growth season and ^ humidity= additional plant growth & plant stores
2 ways in which global warming is having a negative effect on the carbon cycle?
- higher temp= soil breaks, allows rate of carbon seeping out increases
- permafrost is thawing (rich carbon store) when soil warms organic matter decays and carbon is form of methane/ CO2 seeps back into atmosphere
what is the GHE?
natural balance between ingoing and outgoing solar radiation
what does the Enhanced green house effect cause?
radioactive forcing, changes ot the earths climate altering earths radioactive equilibrium= ^ or dec temp
how does the ocean and melting ice amplify the warming process?
when sea ice melts, the reflective ice is replaced by more heat absorbent water; ocean takes in more sunlight= amplifies warming process
what effect does a warmer ocean have on phytoplankton?
warmer oceans area. product of the GHE phytoplankton grows better in cool places and so oceans ability to take in C reduces
