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physical geo > Water and carbon cycles (3.1.1.3 the carbon cycle) > Flashcards

Water and carbon cycles (3.1.1.3 the carbon cycle) Flashcards

1
Q

what are the 4 major stores of carbon?

A
  • hydrosphere
  • biosphere
  • lithosphere
  • atmosphere
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2
Q

how does the hydrosphere store carbon?and size of store? 3

A
  • oceans
  • surface Layer photosynthesis by plankton (700Gy)
  • deep layer- carbon passes through food chain and sinks to the ocean bed (38,000 Gt)
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3
Q

how does the biosphere store carbon?and size of store? 3

A
  • organic matter in soil (2300Gt)
  • living/ dead organisms
  • terrestrial biomass (560 Gt)
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4
Q

how does the lithosphere store carbon?and size of store? 2

A
  • sedimentary rock deposits (6,000,000- 10,000,000 Gt)

- fossil fuel deposits (4130 Gt)

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5
Q

how does the atmosphere store carbon?and size of store? 1

A

-Co2 gasses in atmosphere (600Gt)

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6
Q

what are the 6 factors driving change in magnitude of carbon store over time?

A
  • photosynthesis
  • respiration
  • decomposition
  • combustion
  • carbon sequestration
  • wheathering
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7
Q

how does photosynthesis change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?

A

-plant uses energy from sun and combines co2 from atmosphere with h20 from soil (carbohydrates) carbon is sequestrated for long time

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8
Q

how does respiration change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?

A

-plants release co2 back to atmosphere due to respiration (in soil aswell)

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9
Q

how does decomposition change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?

A
  • 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
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10
Q

how does combustion change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?

A
  • 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
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11
Q

how does weathering change the magnitude of carbon stores over time?

A

FILL ME INNNNNNNNNN

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12
Q

what are the 4 wildfire effects that increase CO2 in atmosphere?

A
  • 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
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13
Q

what is most important role of CO2 ?

A

controlling the earth temp, process of GH heating is accelerating

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14
Q

what are the 2 changes that are happening over time with wildfires?

A
  • 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
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15
Q

what are wildfires link to global warming? 1

A

-warmer climate= earlier snowmelt= soil becomes drier for longer, dry soil susceptible to fire

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16
Q

what are wildfires effect on carbon budget?

A

-emit 8bil tonnes of CO2 per year over last 20 yrs

17
Q

what are the 4 potential effects of volcanic eruption on the carbon cycle?

A
  • 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
18
Q

explain process of volcanic eruptions and its emission of carbon?

A
  • 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
19
Q

what is the potenial cooling effect that volcanoes can have?

A

acid with dust= reflect radiation from sun back to space & eventually cool earth e.g. mount pinatubo cooled earth by 0.6

20
Q

whta are 4 ways that farming practises produce carbon?

A
  • ploughing introduces air into soil, decomposition accelerates & C is released into atmosphere
  • emission from tractors ^ CO2 levels
  • livestock produce methane
  • rice paddies generate methane
21
Q

name 4 impacts farming has on the carbon budget?

A
  • ^ 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
22
Q

what are two types of land use change that effect the carbon cycle?

A
  • urban growth

- deforestation

23
Q

what 3 ways does deforestation impact the carbon cycle?

A
  • 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
24
Q

what three impacts does urban growth have on the carbon cycle?

A
  • reduces amount of surface vegetation (less carbon storage)
  • CO2 from domestic use ^
  • ^ in emissions from cement manufacturing
25
Q

top two contries for producing GHG emissions?

A
  • America- 7,107 mil tCO2e

- China- 4,058 mil tCO2e

26
Q

what is carbon sequestration?

A

capture of carbon from atmosphere 7 replacing it in long term storage

27
Q

what are the 3 achievements of carbon sequestration?

A
  • 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
28
Q

what is the carbon budget?

A

-how much carbon is emitted by various processes compared to what can be absorbed by nature or captured by people.

29
Q

2 ways land is having a positive impact on the carbon cycle?

A
  • 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
30
Q

name 2 ways land is having a negative impact on the carbon cycle?

A
  • in areas of water scarcity tress slow growth= less carbon taken in
  • hot countries dry trees= susceptible to forest fire= CO2
31
Q

one way in which global warning and the land is having a positive effect on the carbon cycle?

A

-CO2 increase temp, extending growth season and ^ humidity= additional plant growth & plant stores

32
Q

2 ways in which global warming is having a negative effect on the carbon cycle?

A
  • 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
33
Q

what is the GHE?

A

natural balance between ingoing and outgoing solar radiation

34
Q

what does the Enhanced green house effect cause?

A

radioactive forcing, changes ot the earths climate altering earths radioactive equilibrium= ^ or dec temp

35
Q

how does the ocean and melting ice amplify the warming process?

A

when sea ice melts, the reflective ice is replaced by more heat absorbent water; ocean takes in more sunlight= amplifies warming process

36
Q

what effect does a warmer ocean have on phytoplankton?

A

warmer oceans area. product of the GHE phytoplankton grows better in cool places and so oceans ability to take in C reduces

physical geo (17 decks)

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