Water, Carbon and Climate Flashcards
Water and carbon stores and cycles are essential for life
All living things contain carbon and water is needed for all living things to survive.
Photosynthesis requires inputs of both water and carbon
Water is present in the atmosphere as water vapour and carbon exists as carbon dioxide and methane as part of the natural greenhouse effect and without this Earth would be frozen and uninhabitable.
Example of positive feedback in the water cycle
Temperature rises
Evaporation increases
Amount of water vapour in atmosphere increases
Greenhouse effect increases
Example of negative feedback in the water cycle
Temperature rise
Evaporation increase
Water vapour increases and clouds form
Cloud cover reflects more o suns energy back to space
Temperature falls
Example of positive feedback in the carbon cycle
Temperature rise
Plant respiration rate increases
Amount of CO2 in atmosphere increases
Greenhouse effect increases
Example of negative feedback in the carbon cycle
CO2 in atmosphere increases
Extra CO2 causes increased plant growth
Plants remove and store more CO2 for photosynthesis
Amount of CO2 in atmosphere decreases
How do carbon and water cycles depend on each other?
Carbon combines with water in the atmosphere - this allows 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 affects global temperatures which affect the amount of evaporation which can take place which affects precipitation
How does climate change affect life on Earth?
Patterns of precipitation - wetter areas are expected to get wetter and drier areas are expected to get drier which could cause water shortages
Extreme weather events are expected to increase
Agricultural productivity will decrease and could lead to food shortages
Sea level increase - more tropical storms and flooding of coastal areas.
Some species may become extinct
PLankton numbers may decline which will affect marine food chain
How have humans influenced the carbon cycle
Humans have influenced the carbon cycle for centuries especially by extracting and burning fossil fuels. There is now 40% more CO2 in the atmosphere than there was in 1750.
What is the IPPC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an international organisation set up by the UN to share knowledge about climate change. They state countries need to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by humans in order to prevent large temperature rises
Individual methods to mitigate CO2 emission by humans
People could use cars less, buy more fuel efficient cars, car share or use public transport
They can make their homes energy efficient eg with double glazing, insulation and more efficient appliances.
Regional and National methods to mitigate CO2 emissions by humans
Governments can reduce reliance on fossil fuels for heating and powering homes by increasing availability and reducing cost of renweable energy like wind and solar.
Afforestation and restoring forest can increase carbon uptake to the biosphere
Planners can increase the sustainability of developments by improving public transport and creating more green spaces.
Governments can invest in carbon capture and storage
Global methods to mitigate CO2 emissions by humans
Countries can work together to reduce emissions. For example, the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris Agreement (2015) are international treaties to control the total amount of GHGs released . Participating countries agree to keep their emissions within a set limit
There are also international trading schemes. Countries and businesses are given a limit on the emissions they can produce - if they produce less they can sell extra credits and if they produce more they have to buy more credits.
