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Water & Carbon Flashcards

1
Q

What are inputs?

A

Inputs is matter or energy which enters a system.

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2
Q

What are outputs?

A

Outputs is matter and energy which leaves a system.

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3
Q

What is energy?

A

Energy is the driving force behind a system’s processes.

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4
Q

What are open systems?

A

Open systems let both energy and matter enter or leave the system.

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5
Q

What are closed systems?

A

Closed systems can only exchange energy, not matter.

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6
Q

What are stores?

A

Stores are places where matter or energy is held within a system.

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7
Q

What are flows?

A

Flows is the movement of matter or energy between stores.

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8
Q

What is a positive feedback loop?

A

Positive feedback loops are where the effects of a change are amplified

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9
Q

What is a negative feedback loop?

A

Negative feedback loops are where the effects of a change are nullified.

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10
Q

What is dynamic equilibrium?

A

Dynamic equilibrium is where the inputs and outputs to a system remain balanced.

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11
Q

What are the three largest water stores?

A

1= Hydrosphere (Oceans) (97%)
2= Cryosphere (Ice + Snow) (1.9%)
3= Terrestrial water (1.11%)

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12
Q

What are the words for these changes:

Water -> Vapour
Vapour -> Water
Water -> Ice
Ice -> Water
Ice -> Vapour
Vapour -> Ice

A

Evaporation
Condensation
Freezing
Melting
Sublimination
Deposition

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13
Q

What is latent heat?

A

Latent heat is the energy required to change state.

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14
Q

Explain the formation of clouds

A

Clouds form when moist air cools. Evaporation is dependent on air temperature, humidity and moisture content. The atmospheric circulation model identifies locations of rising and falling air.

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15
Q

What are drainage basins?

A

A drainage basin is the area of land surrounding a river, from which the river recieves water.

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16
Q

What is the source?

A

The source is where the river starts.

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17
Q

What is a confluence?

A

A confluence is where the river and a tributory meet.

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18
Q

What are tributories?

A

Tributories are smaller rivers that flow into the main river.

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19
Q

What is the mouth?

A

The mouth is where the river meets the sea.

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20
Q

What is watershed?

A

Watershed is the boundary line of the drainage basin.

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21
Q

What is a floodplain?

A

A floodplain is the area of land which floods when the river overflows.

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22
Q

What is precipitation?

A

Precipitation is the transfer of water from the atmosphere to the ground, which can take many forms.

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23
Q

What is evapotranspiration?

A

Evapotranspiration is the transfer of water from liquid to gas.

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24
Q

What is interception?

A

Interception is water intercepted and stored by leaves.

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25
What is overland flow?
Overland flow is the transfer of water over land surface.
26
What is infiltration?
Infiltration is the transfer of water from the ground surface into soil where it may perculate rocks.
27
What is groundwater flow?
Groundwater flow is the transfer of water very slowly through rocks.
28
Are drainage basins open or closed systems? Why?
Drainage basins are open systems. This is because water can leave the system via groundwater flow.
29
What is a water surplus?
Water surplus is where the water supply is greater than the usage.
30
What is soil water utilisation?
Soil water utilisation is the process operating in summer in which water is drawn to the surface through capilliary action.
31
What is soil water recharge?
Soil water recharge is the process operating in autumn where precipitation exceeds potential evapotranspiration.
32
What is the water balance formula?
Precipitation (P) = Streamflow (Q) + Evapotranspiration (E) +/- changes in storage (S) or = P = Q + E +/- S
33
Factors affecting the water budget
Soil type Soil depth Presence of bedrock Permeability of rocks Porosity of rocks Surrounding land use
34
Factors affecting runoff variation
Soil water Rock type / geology Vegetation cover Precipitation (amount and type) Time of year Rain intensity Land use Relief
35
What is river discharge?
River discharge is the volume of water passing through a river at any given time. It is expressed in m3 /second.
36
What is lag time?
Lag time is the time between peak rainfall and peak discharge.
37
Features of flashy hydrographs
small basin size permeable rocks farming land use steep relief
38
Features of low hydrographs
large basin size impermeable rocks urban land use flat relief
39
What are some physical changes to the water cycle
- Greater rainfall during the winter months - Less interception in winter as vegetation dies - Higher summer temps cause more evaporation - Drier summer soils encourage infiltration - High river flow conditions likely in winter
40
How is urbanisation a human change to the carbon cycle?
Urbanisation brings impermeable land which means water cannot infiltrate the soil.
41
How is deforestation a human change to the carbon cycle?
Deforestation increases surface runoff and soil erosion.
42
How is farming practices a human change to the carbon cycle?
Farming practices such as irrigation control the water cycle. Soils with plants have higher rates of infiltration.
42
How is desertification a human change to the carbon cycle?
Desertification reduces the capacity to retain water.
43
How is water abstraction a human change to the carbon cycle?
This is where low flow conditions are created by the extraction of water from groundwater aquifers or rivers.
44
What is the difference between carbon sinks and carbon stores?
Carbon sinks absorb more carbon than they emit. A carbon source emits more carbon than it absorbs.
45
What is the difference between organic carbon and inorganic carbon?
Organic (biological) carbon is found in life forms. Inorganic (geological) carbon is non-living and found in rocks and fossil fuels.
46
What are the largest stores of carbon?
Rocks, Oceans, Fossil Fuels, Soil, Atmosphere, Plants
47
What is a carbon flux?
The amount of carbon held within each store is subject to change over minutes or millions of years. Changes in the amount held is called carbon fluxes.
48
How is burial and compaction a key carbon flux?
Where organic matter is compacted. They may form hydrocarbons over millions of years.
49
How is combustion a key carbon flux?
Burning releases carbon into the atmosphere that has been stored for years.
50
How is carbon sequestration a key carbon flux?
Carbon sequestration is the transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to plants and oceans. Carbon capture can be another form of carbon sequestration.
51
How is weathering a key carbon flux?
CO2 which is absorbed by rainwater slowly dissolves rocks with carbon in solution.
52
How is photosynthesis a key carbon flux?
Absorption from the atmosphere into plants (the biosphere)
53
How is respiration a key carbon flux?
Converts glucose into energy, but also releases carbon dioxide.
54
How is decomposition a key carbon flux?
Organisms are consumed by decomposers. Carbon is transferred to the soil or the atmosphere.
55
How has natural climate change affected the carbon cycle?
Changing temperatures due to the seasons mean chemical weathering is more active as cold water can hold more CO2. Forest coverage also affects photosynthesis.
56
How do wildfires affect the carbon cycle?
Weather from lightning or started by humans, wildfires turn carbon sinks into carbon sources.
57
How does volcanic activity affect the carbon cycle?
Volcanoes emit betwen 130 and 380 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Humans release 30bn tonnes. Sulphur dioxide form droplets which reflect radiation and cools the atmosphere.
58
How does hydrocarbon extraction affect the carbon cycle?
Burning releases stores carbon into the atmosphere and enhances the greenhouse effect.
59
How does farming practices affect the carbon cycle?
Soil layers invert with eachother and soil microbal activity increases. More matter is decomposed. Cattle in the USA emit about 5.5m tonnes of methane a year.
60
How does land use change affect the carbon cycle?
Major emissions include transport and industry.
61
How does deforestation affect the carbon cycle?
Slash and burn carried out by substistence farmers releases CO2 into the atmosphere, as well as removing trees which are carbon sinks.
62
up to page 12 on water and carbon spec sheet
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Geography (6 decks)

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