Water and Carbon Cycles

Question 1

What percentage of carbon is in each of the spheres?

Answer 1

Lithosphere        99.9%
Hydrosphere      0.04%
Cryosphere         0.01%
Biosphere            0.004%
Atmosphere        0.001%

Question 2

Photosynthesis

Answer 2

When plants take in CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in the biosphere

Question 3

Respiration

Answer 3

When plants release CO2 from the biosphere into the atmosphere

Question 4

Decomposition

Answer 4

When plants and animals break down and transfer carbon from biosphere to soil (lithosphere) and atmosphere. Also can run into rivers (hydrosphere)

Question 5

Combustion

Answer 5

When biomass (plants and animals) are burnt and release CO2 into atmosphere from biosphere

Question 6

Sequestration

Answer 6

When CO2 is taken from the atmosphere, and locked away in sedimentary rocks in the lithosphere
(Through diffusion into ocean?)

Question 7

Diffusion

Answer 7

When CO2 is exchanged between the atmosphere and ocean. Uptake and loss

Question 8

Weathering

Answer 8

When rocks are broken down, transferring carbon from lithosphere to atmosphere, and soil.

Question 9

Burial and Compaction

Answer 9

When marine plants and animals die, and are buried under sand in the ocean. Lots of pressure turns them into rocks

Question 10

Carbon budget

Answer 10

The amount of carbon that a store can hold e.g. ocean can only absorb so much carbon.

Question 11

Carbon sink

Answer 11

A store that absorbs more carbon than it releases

Question 12

Carbon source

Answer 12

A store than releases more carbon than it absorbs

Question 13

Mitigation

Answer 13

Reducing the effects of climate change

Question 14

Carbon Capture and Storage

CCS

Answer 14

When CO2 is liquified and stored away underground

Question 15

Renewable energy

Answer 15

Energy that it not used up like wind, solar, tidal

Question 16

Carbon farming

Answer 16

….

Question 17

Hydrocarbons

Answer 17

Chains of hydrogen and carbon molecules of differing lengths includes coal, gas, and oil

Question 18

Lithosere

Answer 18

A plant community being developed on bare rocks

Question 19

Seral stage

Answer 19

A stage of increasingly bigger and more varied vegetation.

Question 20

Sere

Answer 20

…

Question 21

Vegetation succession

Answer 21

The order the plants take over the area. Pioneers then moss and shrubs then trees

Question 22

Climatic climax

Answer 22

The most varied, biggest vegetation you can get in that climate. Desert won’t be able to get a full forest but most climates can

Question 23

Humus

Answer 23

The organic soil matter

Question 24

Milankovitch cycles

Answer 24

The natural temperature cycles that occur. Due to earths orbit

Question 25

Enhanced greenhouse effect

Answer 25

Increasing the green house effect. So less short solar rays can get out of the earths atmosphere. Cause global warming and climate change. Caused by more greenhouse gases.

Question 26

Explain the process of burial and compaction?

Answer 26

Dead plants are covered in sediment and squashed under the pressure, taking out the air, and under extreme heat, forms rock.