Water + Carbon 2 Flashcards
Give a key connection between carbon and water within the atmosphere
Absorption of carbon in rainwater - facilitates key process and affects the magnitude of stores and transfers
What is carbonation
Acid rain huts carbonate rocks (limestone, chalk) and converts calcium carbonate into calcium bicarbonate (soluble)
The dissolved carbon is then carried away by rivers to oceans where its used for shell growth and ultimately burned
Give a water cycle feedback loop and the human consequences
Ice
Give two feedback loo[ps of warmer temperatures in the Arctic on carbon cycle
Higher temperatures have increased the growing season for plants, increasing the absorption of carbon from the atmosphere
Higher temperatures has melted permafrost. On melting, organic matter in the permafrost starts to decompose - releasing CO2 into atmosphere
More carbon is stored in the permafrost than the…………
Atmosphere
Give the mountain thermostat feedback loop (negative)
Warmer climates, tree roots grow faster and deeper (aided by decomposition of leaf litter - decomposers more effective in warm, moist conditions)
Enables acidic water to react with carbonates - increasing rate of weathering
By sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere to facilitate weathering - there is a subsequent lowering of global temperatures
This self-regulating process maintains the global temperature balance
Give some evidence of climate change
Global temperature shave increased significantly since 1860
Arctic ice is melting faster than any time since record began
Frozen peat bogs in Siberia are thawing
The amount of ice melting in Greenland each summer has risen by 30% since 1975
Give son evidence that we’ve passed the tipping point
2005 - Guardian reported that a frozen peat bog the size of France and Germany had begun melting, despite remaining frozen for thousands of years (positive feedback)
2006 - Independent reported that Arctic Ice was melting so fast that the area was becoming continually warmer - melted to such an extent that failed to re-freeze during winter periods (positive feedback)
Professor Burke stated that atmospheric CO2 had surpassed 400ppm that is beloved to be the threshold at which climate change can be contained
Give some evidence that e are at the tipping point
2007 - Arctic sea ice was 20% smaller than at any time since records began
In Greenland snow was melting 25-30 days longer than normal
Sea ice continues to melt
Give some evidence that the tipping point is still some way off
Conservative estimates show that the Greenland Ice sheet could take 300 years to melt + changes to global temperatures affecting the Amazon rainforests and Arctic ice sheet are at least 100 years away
Solutions could eb found to diminish the effects fo climate change and spur humanity to make the necessary changes to reduce emissions
Define a resilient system
Any movement from the equilibrium position is quickly reversed by negative feedback
Define a metastable system
Small movements form the stable position will easily reverse, but a larger movement may push the system behind a threshold point - to a new but very different stable state
Give the 3 aspects of the carbon cycle
Gasses - CO2 and methane in the atmosphere, oceans s and sedimentary rocks
Calcium carbonate in carbonate rocks, oceans and the shells of sea creatures + hydrocarbons
Bio-molecules found in living creatures
Give 3 factors which affect how much carbon its stored in trees
Trees with large leaves will maximise photosynthesis
Young trees growing fast store much carbon, long lived trees take hundreds of years to store maximum carbon
Some tree species are very efficient carbon stores ( Just 1% Amazon’s 16,000 tree species store 50% its carbon)
How does farming affect the carbon cycle
Intensive farming reduces carbon stores and increases flows form the biosphere to atmosphere + hydrosphere
Better land management can achieve carbon neutrality/negative budget by:
- Lowering CO2 emissions with reduced fossil fuel consumption
- Increased CO2 flows into plants and soil organic material
Give some reasons for deforestation being reduced
Development of policies to reduce emission for deforestation (REDD programs = most significant)
Promotion of afforestation
Government policy change
Payment for ecosystem services
Between 1990 - 2004, deforestation has decreased in rate by…%
19
What is the forest transition curve
Shows that over time the amount of forest in a country changes.
It begins with high levels of forest cover (Guyana), then deforestation causes the amount of forest to eb reduced. Finally, the level fo forest begin to recover (India, Costa Rica)
To what extent has Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions
Since 2004, greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 33% (achieved by changes in land use)
Give 4 ways which have enabled Brazil to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions
Political/economic change
The soy moratorium
The cattle moratorium
International support
How has political/economic change allowed Brazil to reduce deforestation
Reduction of deforestation began with introduction of new protected areas in Amazon
Became part of a broad pan to combat Amazon deforestation (the PPCD plan)
How has the soy moratorium allowed Brazil to reduce deforestation
2006 - Greenpeace published a report highlighting the connections between the soybean industry and deforestation, global warming and water pollution
Within weeks, soy industry declared a moratorium (decision to stop) deforestation - promising not to buy any soybeans produced on Amazon lands which had been deforested since 2006
2010 - only 0.25% soybean crops grown on such land (huge success)
However, soybean production increased through multiple cropping (effect land use)
How has the cattle moratorium allowed Brazil to reduce deforestation
Most important reason for deforestation after soybeans
2009 - greenpeance and Friends of the Earth made the connection between expansion of cattle pasture and deforestation of Amazon rainforest
Slaughterhouses agreed to only buy cattle from ranchers registered with rural environmental land
How has international support allowed Brazil to reduce deforestation
The Brazil-Norway agreement is the largest REDD program globally
Paid $670 million to rainforest countries in computation to reactions in deforestation
Define mitigation with regards to carbon
Reducing he output of greenhouse gasses ad increasing the size of greenhouse gas sinks
Define adaption with regards to carbon
Changing our lifestyles to cope with a new enviroemg rather than trying to stop climate change
