Water and Carbon Cycles as Natural Systems Flashcards
What is an open system? What scale are these usually? - Natural Systems
An open system is a system which allows inputs and outputs of both energy and matter. Open systems usually exist at small/local scale, as they allow inputs and outputs of components between neighbouring systems.
What is a closed system? What scale are these usually? - Natural Systems
A closed system is a system which allows inputs and outputs of energy but not matter. Their scale is usually at a global level, as energy can enter the system in the form of solar energy, but all of the components are always within the Earth and atmosphere.
What is an isolated system? - Natural Systems
An isolated system is a system which doesn’t allow the input or output of energy or matter. It is quite literally isolated.
What is an example of an open system? - Natural Systems
An example of an open system is a drainage basin, which allows inputs and outputs of water from the atmosphere, as well as energy.
What is an example of a closed system? - Natural Systems
An example of a closed system is the global water cycle, as all of the world’s water which is distributed between smaller, open systems (eg local drainage basins), is contained within the Earth’s 5 subsystems.
What examples are there of stores in a water cycle? - Natural Systems
Atmosphere, groundwater storage, vegetation storage, surface storage, channel storage, soil moisture, interception.
What examples of flows are there in a water cycle? - Natural Systems
Percolation, infiltration, groundwater flow, throughflow, throughfall, interflow, evaporation, precipitation, transpiration.
What is dynamic equilibrium? - Natural Systems
Dynamic equilibrium is where a system is balanced yet undergoing constant inputs, outputs, transfers and stores of its components.
What is positive feedback? - Natural Systems
Positive feedback is the process by which an initial change occurs, leading to subsequent changes. These subsequent changes amplify the impacts of this initial change.
What is an example of positive feedback? - Natural Systems
An example of positive feedback is the melting of permafrost due to increased temperatures in polar regions. This permafrost is entrapping methane, which is released, resulting in the increase in greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere and further enhancing global temperatures.
What is negative feedback? - Natural Systems
Negative feedback is where an initial change occurs, which leads to subsequent changes. These subsequent changes, however, result in the initial change being nullified.
What is the lithosphere? In what stores does it store water? - Natural Systems
The lithosphere is the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. It stores water in soil (soil moisture) and groundwater.
What is the biosphere? In what stores does it store water? - Natural Systems
The biosphere is the collection of all living things in the Earth. Stores water in vegetation storage, surface storage, interception storage.
What is the atmosphere? In what stores does it store water? - Natural Systems
The atmosphere is the layer of gas surrounding the Earth. It stores water as condensation in the form of water vapour.
What is the cryosphere? In what stores does it store water? - Natural Systems
The cryosphere is the collection of all of the Earth’s frozen water stores. It stores water in the form of ice caps, ice sheets, glaciers and snow.
