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Water + Carbon Flashcards

1
Q

5 subsystems

A

-Hydrosphere
-Biosphere
-Cryosphere
-Atmosphere
-Lithosphere

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2
Q

Is the water cycle a closed or open system?

A

Closed- fixed amount of water on earth + in atmosphere

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3
Q

Gaia Hypothesis

A

-Earth = global system of surface temperature, atmospheric composition + ocean salinity
-Earth’s elements = closely integrated- form a complex, interacting system to maintain best conditions

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4
Q

Water Table

A

Upper level of groundwater

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5
Q

How much of global water is freshwater?

A

2.5%

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6
Q

Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

A

-High temps at equator -> evapotranspiration- warm, moist air rises -> cools + condenses to form towering heavy cloud + rainfall
-Moves N + S seasonally- travels N towards Tropic of Cancer in July and S towards Tropic of Capricorn in January
-Mid latitudes = warm air from tropics + cool air from poles -> converge -> air rises -> colloids
-Strong winds (jet stream) - drive unstable weather systems across mid latitudes e.g. UK
-Cloud formation occurs on a local scale after intense heating

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7
Q

How does low vs high pressure change where water is stored?

A

Low = more stored in the atmosphere
High = more water in storms in ground level

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8
Q

How do clouds form?

A

Water droplets require a particle to form around- condensation nuclei (surface for particles to cool + condense)
-> forms tiny cloud droplet + many combine to form cloud -> too heavy -> falls as precipitation

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9
Q

How do glaciers form?

A

-Snow = compressed- air is removed
-layers show each season’s snowfall
-bottom layer becomes firn - compressed significantly
-> becomes firn then ice

Accumulation = input of snow/ice into glacial system
Ablation = output of water from a glacier

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10
Q

Inputs, outputs, stores + flows into the system

A

Inputs: precipitation, suns energy
Outputs: transpiration, evaporation, river discharge
Stores: interception, sea storage, river storage, groundwater storage, surface storage (lake), vegetation storage, soil storage
Flows: percolation, surface runoff, through flow, infiltration, through flow, river flow

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11
Q

Aquifers

A

Freshwater stored in deep rocks below the ground
Found in porous + permeable rock such as chalk/sandstone
Confined = infiltrates from ground surface directly in
Unconfined = impermeable rock layer exists- prevents water infiltrating in

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12
Q

Soil water budget

A

Capacity to store + transfer water

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13
Q

Residence Time

A

Amount of time that water remains in each store
e.g. atmosphere = 10 days, ice caps = up to 15,000 years

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14
Q

Human + physical factors affecting hillslope water cycle

A

Human:
-Urbanisation = impermeable surfaces -> < infiltration, water flows quickly into river channels
-Farming = ditches encourage water to flow quickly into rivers ( > surface run off)
-Deforestation = reduces interception + infiltration

Physical:
-Storms = increases magnitude of stores, increased rainfall
-Seasonal changes = interrupts water transfers + magnitude of stores

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15
Q

What is a drainage basin?

A

area of land drained by a river + its tributaries

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16
Q

Is a drainage basin an open or closed system?

A

Open- energy + matter can enter/leave

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17
Q

Condensation

A

Water vapour -> liquid (loses energy to surroundings)
Happens when air containing water cools to dew point (temp where air from gas -> liquid)
Magnitude depends on amount of water vapour in atmosphere + temperature

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18
Q

How does evaporation cause changes in the magnitude of global water stores

A

-Increases water stored in atmosphere- liquid changes to water vapour -> less stored in the hydrosphere (reduces stores in rivers/lakes)
-evaporation in cryosphere is less due to less heat energy

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19
Q

How does topography affect water stores + precipitation?

A

-Steep slopes = surface runoff - more stored in rivers + lakes
-Gentle slopes = infiltration + percolation - more stored in groundwater in rocks + in soil

-orographic effect = ocean air encounters mountain ranger + rises, cools + condenses into clouds -> precipitation over mountainous areas

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20
Q

How do convection + air masses meeting affect water stores + precipitation?

A

Convection:
-warm air ascends it cools- forms clouds -> precipitation
-e.g important in tropical areas forming rainfall where’s there’s lots of warm, moist air rising

Air masses:
-warm, moist air collides with cooler air mass -> formation of weather fronts -> formation of clouds -> precipitation

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21
Q

River regime + factors that cause changes

A

Variability in discharge throughout the year in response to precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration + drainage basin characteristics

Factors: seasons, weather + climate, wetter winters + hot dry summers, storm events, differences along the course of a river, location, geology, land use

22
Q

Antecedent rainfall

A

Rainfall that has previously happened for a prolonged period of time

23
Q

Storm hydrograph

A

Graph of discharge of a river leading up to + following a storm/rainfall event
Predicts how a river might respond to a storm event- aids management

24
Q

Bankfull discharge

A

Max discharge a river channel is capable of carrying without flooding

25
Natural factors affecting changes in the water cycle
Storm events: -greater quantities of rainfall -soils > saturated -> increased river discharge due to shorter lag times - > risk of flooding -risk for storm events > in winter -amplifies the water cycle Seasonal changes: -Summer = > evaporation, dry soils ( -> infiltration), total rainfall < but may > frequent storms -Winter = increased precipitation, < temps (< evaporation), soils > likely to be saturated Ecological changes: -also affected by seasonal changes -succession -> climax community -> more vegetation (increased interception, lag times increases as runoff slows)
26
Human factors causing changes in the water cycle
-Farming practices = e.g. ploughing, crops, livestock, irrigation -Abstraction = decreases stores, > abstracted during dry seasons -> low flow in rivers, aquifers < -Climate change = > droughts + flooding (amplifies + slows down), > evaporation, < in cryosphere -Deforestation = < soil water stores, > surface runoff, < interception, < ET -Land use change = replacing with impermeable surfaces, < infiltration, > surface runoff, < lag times, < groundwater storage
27
Examples of physical + human factors causing change in the water cycle
Physical = 2012-16 Californian Drought -2013 = least rainfall in state’s history -< precipitation/cloud cover, > avg temps -killed 102 mil trees -initially amplifies water cycle but then slows down -soils dry out Human = Irrigation in the Middle East -abstracted from aquifers formed 1000s years ago -danger of become depleted (recharge rate = < rate of use)
28
Importance of carbon
One of > chemically versatile elements, form most compounds
29
Primary source of carbon
Earth’s interior - stored in mantle when Earth = formed Escapes through destructive/constructive boundaries + hot spots
30
Carbon sink vs carbon source
Sink = absorbs > carbon than it releases Source = releases > carbon than it absorbs
31
Carbon Turnover
Avg rate at which carbon flows through a store (gives an idea of where carbon may be vulnerable to release as CO2 from ecosystems)
32
Is the carbon cycle an open or closed system?
Closed
33
Stores of carbon
Lithosphere: -99.985% total carbon -by far > store -long-term -inorganic (fossil fuels, sedimentary) + organic (soil, organic matter) Hydrosphere: -0.0076% -directly from air + have absorbed > since Industrial Revolution Cryosphere: -0.0018% -within frozen/decomposing plants/animals in permafrost -change due to melting ice/permafrost Atmosphere: -0.0015% -CO2 format -increased by 40% since I.R. Biosphere: -0.0012% -store for many years but can be released very quickly -mid-term store but is dynamic -extract for photosynthesis
34
Permafrost
Ground been permanently frozen for 2 years
35
Residence time (carbon)
Length of time that carbon remains in any carbon store
36
Flux
Alternative name for rate of flow within the carbon cycle
37
Transfers of carbon
-Photosynthesis (fast) -Respiration (fast) -Combustion (fast) -Decomposition (fast) -Ocean uptake +loss (slow) -Carbon sequestration (slow) -Weathering (slow)
38
Primary vs secondary succession
Primary = occurs in area where no soil existed e.g. rock underneath ice melt Secondary = faster as a developed ecosystem gets disturbed by natural disasters e.g. wildfires
39
Physical changes to the carbon cycle
Wildfires: -contribute 5-10% of global carbon emissions every year -plant + leaf litter can be ignited -> releases carbon + clear vegetation -> secondary succession -> takes carbon out of atmosphere + returns it to soil (can be linked to both positive and negative feedback cycles) Volcanic eruptions: -emit 130-380 million metric tons CO2 a year (humans 100x - 300x >) -emissions are minimal + follows slow carbon cycle to be sequestered back into ocean rocks -carbon transferred from lithosphere -> atmosphere
40
Human causes of change to the carbon cycle
Hydrocarbons: -fossil fuels = H + C -long-term stores - millions years to form - stored in the lithosphere Land use change + urban growth: -buildings produce around 40% of global CO2 emissions + 1/2 UK’s emissions -development = < emissions from industrial activities + > for lighting/heating/cooling -cement production creates greenhouse gases Deforestation: -due to farming, urbanisation, for timber, roads/infrastructure -biomass stores removed- replaced with something inferior in carbon storage -waste not valuable enough to sell = burnt -speeds up decay of leaf litter = carbon -> atmosphere -leaching
41
Carbon fertilisation
Increased growth of plants due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (link to negative feedback)
42
Carbon budget
Amount of carbon that is stored + transferred - to limit levels of CO2 to no > than 2*C above industrial levels (budget is 1 million tonnes (1,000 PgC) We’ve already exceeded 52% of this budget
43
Impacts of carbon on land, ocean + atmosphere
Land = acid rain due to higher co2- erosion of soft rocks Ocean = ocean temps rise (< biodiversity), the Gulf Stream- Europe = sig colder Ocean + atmosphere = warmer oceans have < ability to store carbon so released into atmosphere Atmosphere = enhanced greenhouse effect, composition is changing Land + atmosphere = permafrost is melting- releasing methane on a large scale All 3 = impact on ecosystems
44
Major obstacles to staying within the carbon budget/major problems
-Increasing fossil fuel emissions by humans -politics e.g. major world powers being deniers- e.g. USA under Trump withdrawing from the Paris Agreement- not making effort to change -businesses wanting to make profit- don’t make effort to reduce emissions -CO2 emissions need to rapidly decline to meet the terms of the Paris Agreement -renewable energy is increasing but it’s not yet enough to massively reduce fossil fuel consumption- oil + coal still by far highest energy consumption globally
45
Similarities between the water cycle + the carbon cycle
-Both closed systems -Both stores in global subsystems- spheres -Both being amplified by human activity -Both are essential to life -Both experience spatial + temporal change -Both are present in the atmosphere
46
Greenhouse effect stats
Water accounts for ~50% of Earth’s greenhouse effect —clouds = 25% —CO2 = 20%
47
Positive feedback cycles- example for water + example for carbon
Water: -increased temperatures is causing more ice melting -reduced albedo effect- less sun’s energy is reflected + > absorbed -causes higher temperatures + more ice melting Carbon: -increasing surface temps -causing increasing melting in high latitudes -release of methyl clathrates (methane stored in ice crystals) + carbon locked in in previously frozen organic matter -increases temperatures further
48
Negative feedback cycles- example for water + example for carbon
Water: -temperatures rise -evaporation increases -more clouds form -increasing cloud cover reflects more of sun’s energy back into space -temperatures fall Carbon: -CO2 in the atmosphere increases -plants removed + store > CO2 from the atmosphere -plant photosynthesis + respiration rate increases -amount of CO2 in atmosphere reduces
49
Examples of how the water + carbon cycles depend on eachother
-increased CO2 increases temperatures = increases evaporation + rainfall, also melting in the cryosphere- where carbon is stored within -photosynthesis (in the biosphere) requires both CO2 + water -carbon- increases temps- increases humidity as warmer air holds > moisture (+ increased evaporation) -carbon and water combine to form rainfall
50
Impacts if global warming rises above 2 degrees
2 degrees = target for limiting global warming -food production areas become barren- decreasing agricultural productivity -rivers/mountain glaciers disappear- threatens fresh water supplies e.g. in Nepal -ice won’t reform after melting- increased sea temps -SLR- submerging low-lying countries e.g. Maldives -sea levels increase by 6m- displaces 10% of world’s population -more frequent/intense extreme weather events (e.g. tropical storms) -plant growth slowed -ecosystems will collapse -changing precipitation patterns- wet areas = wetter, dry areas = drier -plankton numbers could decline if temp increases -geographical range of some species will change- e.g. malaria epidemics could increase due to > temps
51
Impacts if global warming rises above 2 degrees
40%
52

Physical Geography (3 decks)

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