Water + Carbon Cycle Flashcards
What is a system?
A set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process
What is a open system?
Energy and matter move through the system. E.g. Drainage basin
What is a closed system?
Energy can be moved through the system but matter cannot, E.g. Global water cycle/storage
What is an isolated system?
Almost non-existent. No exchange of energyor matter with another system. Only true isolated system is the whole universe.
What is negative feedback?
Where the effects of an action are nullified (reduced or stopped) by its subsequent knock-on effects.
What is positive feedback?
Where the effects of on action are amplified or multiplied by subsequent knock-on effects.
What is dynamic equilibrium?
The inputs and outputs are equal and the system is in balance
An example of positive feedback?
Global temps increase = ice caps melt = increased amount of ocean surface = albedo effect, dark surfaces absorb heat = global temps increase +etc…
An example of negative feedback?
Hot, dry weather = drought conditions = heat = evapo transpiration = clouds form = rain (doesn’t return system to equilibrium so weaker than positive feedbach)
An example of positive feedback?
Global temps rise which warms the oceans so increased oceanic temps’ warm water is less able to dissolve gas so dissolved CO2 released by warmer oceans which releases CO2 back into the atmosphere therefore there is more CO2 in the atmosphere which act as a greenhouse gas so global temps rise + etc…
An example of negative feedback?
Initial change = climate cooling = increased snow+ ice; higher reflectivity = less solar radiation absorbed at surface = greater cooling
What is atmospheric water?
Water found in the atmosphere; mainly water vapour with some liquid water (cloud and rain droplets) and ice crystals
What is cryospheric water?
The water is locked up on the Earth’s surface as ice
What is oceanic water?
The water contained in the Earth’s areas and seas but not including such inland seas as the caspian sea
What is terrestrial water?
This consits of groundwater, soil, moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers
What is the global distribution of water?
96.5% = oceans, 0.9%. = other saline water, 2.5% = freshwater. Of the freshwater, 68.7% = glaciers + ice caps, 30.1% = groundwater, 1.2% = surface/other fresh water. Of the surface/other freshwater, 69% = ground ice + permafrost, 20.9% = lakes, 3.8% = soil moisture, 2.6%= swamps + mashes, 0.49% = rivers, 0.26% = living things, 3% = atmosphere
What is an ice sheet?
A Mass of glacial Land ice extending more then 50,000 square kilometers.
What are the two ice sheets on Earth today?
Antarctic Ice sheet (extends almost 14 million square km and contains 30 million cubic km of ice) Greenland ice sheet (extends about 1.7 million square km)
How do ice sheets form?
-
Form in areas where snow that falls in winter doesn’t melt entirely over the summer. Over thousands of years, the layers of snow pile up into thick masses of ice, growing thicker and denser as the weight of new snow and ice layers compresses the older layers
How do ice sheets move + remain stable?
Constantly in motion, slowly flowing downhill under their own weight. Near the coast, most of the ice moves through relatively fast- moving outlets called ice streams, glaciers and ice shelves - as long as an ice sheet accumulates the same mass of snow as it loses to the sea, it remains stable.
Why are ice sheets important?
They contain enormous quantities of frozen water if the Greenland ice sheet melted sea level would rise about 6 metres, if the Antarctic ice sheet melted sea level would rise about 60 metres Ice sheets also influence weather and climate and the layers of ice contain a unique record of the Earth’s climate history.
How has climate change affected ice Sheets?
The mass of the Greenland ice sheet has begun to decline. From 1979 to 2006,
Summer melt on the ice sheet increased by 30%. The Antarctic peninsula has warmed 2.5°C since 1950 also a large area of the West Antarctic ice sheet is also losing mass
How can ice sheets tell us about Earths climate history?
Can extract ice cores from ice Sheets and ice caps • Ice sheets are made up of layers of snow and ice, those layers contain trapped gases, dust, and water molecules that can be used to study past climates
What is the biosphere?
Contains all the planet’s living things