Water, Carbon and Climate Flashcards
Why is carbon a fundamental part of life?
All living organisms contain carbon
Why is water a fundamental part of life?
All living things need water to survive
Why are plants the base of most food chains?
When photosynthesis occurs, they use energy from. the sun to convert CO2 and H2O into biomass that gets passed up the food chain
What are the inputs of photosynthesis?
Water and Carbon
How is water present in the atmosphere
As water vapour
How is carbon present in the atmosphere
CO2 and methane (GREENHOUSE GASES)
What do greenhouse gases do?
Cause a natural greenhouse effect that prevents some energy escaping into space and reflects it back to earth.Causing temperatures. on earth to be higher than they otherwise would be
What would the earth be like without the greenhouse effect
It would be frozen and inhabitable
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
Human activities are increasing the concentration of greenhouses gases.
Explain the greenhouse effect
The additional greenhouse gases reflect more energy back to the. earth in the natural greenhouse effect, so temperature increases further. This is thought to be causing global warming and changes to the climate
Give positive. feedback in the water cycle
- Temperature rises
- Evaporation increases
- Amount of water vapour in atmosphere increases
- Greenhouse effect increases
Give negative feedback in the water cycle
- Temperature rises
- Evaporation increases
- Amount of water vapour in atmosphere increases, causing more clouds to. form
- Increased cloud cover reflects more of suns energy back into space
- Temperature falls
Give positive. feedback in the carbon cycle
- Temperature rises
- Plant respiration rate increases
- Amount of CO2 in atmosphere increases
- Greenhouse effect increases
Give negative feedback in the carbon cycle
- CO2 in atmosphere increases
- EXtra CO2 causes plants to increase growth
- Plants remove and store more CO2. from atmosphere
- Amount of CO2 in atmosphere reduces
In these examples what would positive feedback cause?
Increase global warming because they’re amplifying the temperature rises
In these examples what would negative feedback cause?
Cancel out the temperature increase, so global warming wouldn’t. increase
What 3 things does the water and carbon cycle depend on
- Carbon combines with water in the atmosphere. Allowing for chemical weathering which removes carbon from the atmosphere
- Water is needed for photosynthesis, which removes carbon from the atmosphere
- The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere effects global temperatures, affecting the amount of evaporation that takes place, which. affects the amount of precipitation
What Is climate change going to affect?
Plants, Animals and people
What 6 ways is climate change going to have impacts?
1) The pattern of precipitation is expected to change - wet areas wetter and dry areas drier
2) Extreme weather events more frequent
3) Agricultural productivity will decrease in some areas
4) Sea levels will rise further
5) Geographical range of some species will. change as climate changes
6) Plankton numbers may decline if temperature increases having. a knock on event on marine food chains
What are the levels of carbon like now compared to 1750?
40% more CO2
What is the IPCC?
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - an organisation set by the UN to share knowledge about climate change. It states countries need to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by human activities to stop it
What are people doing at an individual level to reduce carbon?
People choose to use their cars less and buy fuel efficient cars and make their homes energy efficient like double glazing windows
What are people doing at an regional / national level to reduce carbon?
Governments reduce reliance on fossil fuel and increase the use of renewable energy governments invest in CCS. CO2 emitted from burning fossil fuels Is captured and stored underground
What are people doing at an global level to reduce carbon?
Countries work together to reduce emissions like the 2015 Paris agreement. There’s International carbon trading schemes. Countries and businesses are given a limit on carbon production
