Water, Carbon, Climate and Life on Earth

Question 1

What similarities are there between the water and carbon cycles? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 1

Both cycles are closed at global scale and open at local scale, both involve using the atmosphere/living things/the lithosphere as stores, both involve transfers between these groups.

Question 2

How does carbon interact with the water cycle in oceans? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 2

Carbon is dissolved into the oceans from the atmosphere, carbon is used for photosynthesis to support marine wildlife. Carbonised ocean water can mean that ocean wildlife and habitats suffer.

Question 3

How can carbon impact the water cycle in terms of rainfall? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 3

Carbon enters the water cycle and becomes dissolved in rainfall. This makes the rainfall acidic and can mean that the landscape (such as rocks and trees) is weathered.

Question 4

How does carbon interact with rivers through agricultural practices? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 4

Carbon in fertilisers is pumped across the landscape to increase agricultural productivity. However, this can then run off into rivers, damaging the water quality.

Question 5

How can clouds mitigate global warming? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 5

The greenhouse effect is mitigated by the clouds having a high albedo. This means that infrared radiation is reflected from the clouds back to space rather than being absorbed by the Earth’s surface and warming the planet.

Question 6

How can clouds enhance global warming? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 6

Clouds can retain lots of heat beneath them.

Question 7

What impacts do high clouds have on temperatures? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 7

High clouds result in warming temperatures as their thin nature means a low albedo and increased levels of solar radiation impacting the Earth.

Question 8

What impacts do low clouds have on warming temperatures? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 8

Low clouds result in cooling temperatures as their thick nature increases their albedo and decreases the amount of solar radiation impacting the Earth.

Question 9

How much of all greenhouse gases are made up of CO2? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 9

CO2 makes up approximately 20% of all Greenhouse Gas.

Question 10

How much of all Greenhouse Gases is made up of Water Vapour? Why does this not impact as much as CO2? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 10

Water Vapour contributes to 50% of Greenhouse Gas. The atmosphere can hold more water vapour for longer. CO2 is far more potent than water vapour and is the greater contributor to the greenhouse effect.

Question 11

What percentage of all anthropogenic carbon production is stored in oceans? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 11

More than 50% of anthropogenic carbon is stored in oceans.

Question 12

How has industrial CO2 production been modified to limit climate change? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 12

Carbon Capture and Storage uses technology to capture CO2 emissions from industry, with this CO2 being cooled into a liquid and later stored below ground.

Question 13

How has CCS been used in Saskatchewan? By what percentage were emissions reduced? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 13

In Saskatchewan, Canada, a Dam has been constructed with CCS technology, which has reduced emissions by 90%.

Question 14

How has modifying land use mitigated the impacts of climate change? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 14

Land use has been modified in the form of carbon farming to mitigate climate change. Carbon farming is where plants are replaced with others that sequester greater amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.

Question 15

How has government policy mitigated the impacts of climate change in the Paris Climate Agreement? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 15

The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement between 195 countries agreed a legally binding climate deal which would limit average global warming to 1.5°C from pre-industrial levels.

Question 16

How has government policy mitigated the impacts of climate change in terms of Sri Lanka? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 16

In 2015, Sri Lanka’s government decided to protect all mangrove forests as 70% had been lost in a century. Mangroves were more productive at storing carbon than other forests.

Question 17

How many acres of mangroves were protected by the Sri Lankan government in 2015? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 17

The Sri Lankan government protected 20,000 acres of mangroves in 2015.

Question 18

How has photosynthesis been manipulated to mitigate the impacts of climate change? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 18

Trees act as carbon sinks and absorb CO2 emissions by photosynthesis, they also release moisture into the atmosphere.

Question 19

How much of the Earth do plantation forests cover? What global body endorses using plantation forests to mitigate climate change? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 19

Plantation forests cover 7% of the planet, with this being an IPCC-endorsed solution.

Question 20

How do Carbon Trading Schemes mitigate the impacts of climate change? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 20

Carbon trading agreements are agreements between countries where the emissions of carbon are limited, and any breach of this agreement incurs a financial penalty against the country.

Question 21

How does modification of deforestation mitigate the impacts of climate change in terms of selective logging (where?) and the Forestry Stewardship Council? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 21

Selective logging is used in Malaysia to encourage the growth of threatened species of tree and also protect economic interests. The Forestry Stewardship Council also advises consumers on what woods are sustainably produced.

Question 22

How can carbon-offset agreements mitigate the impacts of climate change? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 22

Carbon offset agreements are agreements between 2 countries where one is in debt with another. The country in debt has their debts offset in these agreements if they reduce their emissions or improve protection of forests. This has been seen in Brazil.

Question 23

Describe the process of Carbon Capture and Storage - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 23

Capture technology captures the CO2, the carbon is condensed into a liquid, transported along a pipeline into safe storage, stores in aquifers/rocks in the Earth.

Question 24

What positives are there of CCS? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 24

CCS could make up up to 50% of all climate change mitigation efforts according to the IPCC

Question 25

What negatives are there of CCS? - Relationship Between Water + Carbon

Answer 25

There are concerns over the safety of storing CO2 in aquifers and rocks due to the potential for leakages, the process uses large amounts of power to facilitate.