Water & Carbon Cycle Flashcards
what is a system
z set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process
what is a store/component
a part if the system where energy/mass is stored or transformed
what is a flow/transfer
a form of linkage between one store/component and amount that involves movement if energy or mass
what is input
the addition and matter and/or energy into a system
what is a open system
matter and energy can be transferred from the system into the surrounding environment e.g drainage basin
what is a closed system
energy is transferred in and out of the system. all amtter is enclosed e.g. global water, sediment cells
what is a dynamic equilibrium
the balanced state of a system. when opposing forces, or inputs and outputs are equal
what is positive feedback
occurs when the effects of an action are amplified by changes to the input/output/processes
what is negative feedback
ocours where the effects of an action are modified by changes to the inputs/outputs/processes
what determines which state water is in
temperature
what actually changes to alter the sate
the bind change in particular the bonds either break or form
what is sublimation
transition of a substance directly from solid to gas
what is evaporation
bonds are given more en energy go from liquid to gas
what is condensation
energy is taken out from the molecules go from gas to liquid
what is melting
an input of energy is the form of heat breaking bonds, go from solid to liquid
what is freezing
binds form as energy is taken away and go from liquid to gas
what is latent heat
-as water molecules become heated by the sun they become agitated (they jiggle around) and they begin to try to break the bonds between them
-however there is not enough heat in the sun ray to do this
-the water molecules absorb energy from their surroundings to give them the final energy that is required to break the bonds between them and this energy which ‘subsidises’ it is called latent heat
what is the process of condensation
-when condensation (water vapour becomes liquid water) ocours the opposite happens
-latent heat is released by the water molecules as they slow down and join together
-meaning evaporation could be thought of as a cooling process (removing heat from the surroundings)
-meaning condensation could be thought of as a warming process (adding heat to the surroundings)
the hydrosphere
-water is the only input and output of the hydrosphere system
-the hydrosphere is ion constant motion and the exchange if water between the hydrosphere and cryosphere is the basis of the hydrological cycle
-water collects in clouds, then falls to earth in the form of rain or snow this is the input
-this water collects in rivers, lakes and oceans this is the store then it evaporates into the atmosphere to start the cycle all over sagain this is the output
what are the impacts on human life of the hydrosphere
-eutrophication caused by the release of fertilisers and sewage into water storage areas has caused aquatic environments to be artificially enriched with nutrients
-the excessive agal blooms can result on harmful hypoxic conditions in the water
-acid rain has resulted in the acidification of components of the hydrosphere
-humans change the natural flow of water in the hydrosphere by diverting and damming rivers it harms the surrounding ecosystems that rely on the water source
what is the impact on human life from the atmosphere
-the atmosphere contains the oxygen we need to live and protect us from harmful ultraviolet solar radiation
-it creates the pressure that liquid water couldnt exist on our planets surface
-warms our planet and keeps temperature habitable for living on earth
-keeps the planet warm through insulation prevents extremes between day and night temperatures
what are the key processes of the atmosphere
-aerosols and climate
-clouds and convection
-mineral dust cycle
-radiative forcings
what are the inputs of the lithosphere
- the rock cycle the lithosphere snd geology are a very interconnected system. input include large rocks that undergo processes that allow them to change to different type of rocks
-sediment is the inout into the rick cycle. tbhis is weathered off things which create small particles of sediment to then be processed
what are the outputs of the lithosphere
-igneous rock: forms from magma near the surface for example lava
-sedimentary rock: forms from weathered material being compacted by overlying sediments
-metamorphic rock: forms when sedimentary rocks are subject to heat, pressure, time or chemically active fluids
what are the key processes within the lithosphere
- cools and crystallisation: magma cools and hardens into an igneous rocks. as the magma cools different crytsals form at different temperatures undergoing crystallisation, these crystals are larger if the magma cools slowly
- weathering and erosion: water, wind, ice and plants or animals all act on rocks wearing them down into smaller pieces called sediments. moving water, wind and glaciers then carry these pieces from one place to another by erosion. finally pieces sedimentation the sediments are d4posited and compacted together form a sedimentary rock
- metamorphism: when a rock is exposed to extreme heat and oresuure but does not melt all the way the rock is changed. this may change the mineral composition and/or texture
what are the inputs of the cryosphere
-depends predominantly on the temperature (melt ice/ freezes water), precipitation and wind (redistributes solid precipitation enabling glacier growth)
-falling snow, avalanches, rainfall, water etc
what are the outputs of the cryosphere
evaporation, calving (ice breaks off into water), melting
what are the impacts on human life of the cryosphere
-sea level rise threatens vital infrastructure, settlements and facilities of small island states and low lying coastal zones
-changes in sea ice affect access to the polar oceans and surrounding areas in turn affecting economic development, accessibility to resources, navigation, tourism , marine safety and security
where is water? facts and stats
-only 2.5% of global water is fresh water, of which 68.7% is locked up in ice
-0.000147% of our total water is in rivers
-96.5% of water on earth is salty found in oceans meaning it cant be used
what is terrestrial water
this consists of groundwater, soil moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers
what is cryospheric water
the water locked up on the earths surface as ice (1.91%)
what is oceanic water
the water contained in the earths oceans and seas but not including such inland seas as the caspian sea (96.5%)
what is terrestial water
this consists of groundwater, soil moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers
oceanic water
-the largest store of water
-72% of earths surface
-average depth 3,682 metres
cryospheric water
-large parts ofd the arctic ocean
-does not raise sea levels when it melts
-glacial land ice covering more than 50,000 km squared
terrestial water
-surface water: rivers, lakes,ponds
atmospheric water
-water held within the atmosphere
-average of 12,900 km cubed
-equivalent to entire surface of planet covered in 25mm water
-water exists in all three states within the atmosphere
-0.04%of worlds fresh water
-0.001% of total water
-amount atmosphere can hold doubles that 10 degree rises
what is infiltration
when water enters the ground
what is interception
when water is caught by trees and plants
what is through flow
when water flows through the ground
what is transpiration
when water vapour comes out of leaves
what is percolation
movement of water through the ground
what is a drainage basin
the areas of land surrounding a river, from which the river receives water and subsequently drains this water
flowing water within a drainage basin
immediate:
-precipitation
-evaporation
-transpiration
hours:
-interception
-infiltration
-surface run off
-stem flow
-channel flow
-river run off
days:
-surface storage
-percolation
-channel storage
-through flow
months/years:
-groundwater storage
-vegetation storage
-soil water storage
factors affecting changing flow rates
-in urban areas impermeable surfaces have been built . tarmac and concrete dont allow infiltration and water gets to rivers from overland flow
-agricultural machinery has compressed soil which reduces the amount of soil water storage meaning soils saturate quicker
-impermeable bedrock is found in the local area
-rapid infiltration leads to soil becoming saturated from snow melt or heavy precipitation
-trees and plants intercept water which can redcue flow rate
-flat ground encourages infiltration to occur into the soil
-the speed of throughflow depends on the depth and texture of soil
-coarse, sandy soils absorbs and transfers water rapidly especially through pipes in the soil caused by animal activity or growth of plant roots
-if the bedrock is impermeable ten no further downward movement of water will occour
what is water balance
within a drainage basin the balance between inputs and outputs is known as the water balance/budget
e,g if precipitation exceeds runoff and evapotranspiration there will be a positive water balance as the amount of water stored in the system will be increasing
if runoff and evapotranspiration exceed precipitation there will be a negtive water balance as the amount of water stored in the system will decrease
what is water surplus
precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration and the soil is above field capacity
what is soil moisture deficiency/water deficit
when all soil moisture is used up. plants will wilt and may die due to no available water in soil at all
what is field capacity
the amount of soil moisture of water content held in soil alter excess water drained away and the rate of downward movement has materially decreased
what is river regime
the variability in the rover discharge throughout the course of the year
what is discharge
the amount of water passing through a river each second measured in cumes
flows within the water cycle
-surface run off: the flow of water that occurs when excess stormwater, meltwater or other sources flow over surface
-stem flow: flow of intercepted water down trunk or stem of a plant
-channel flow: water travelling in rivers or streams
-groundwater flow: the very slow transfer of percolated water
-through flow: the lateral unsaturated flow of water in the soil zone, typically through a highly permeable one
what is the role of discharge and how is it altered
-discharge is the amount of water passing through a river each second
-time: temperature, seasons, precipitation
-distance: sediment, topography, dams, infrastructure, drainage from settlements, sewage, water being added from tributaries
what human factors affecting water flow
-agriculture
-deforestation
-afforestation
-growth of urban areas
-soft engineering flood management
-water abstraction
what are physical factors affecting water flow
-drainage basin shape
-slope angles
-drainage density
-rock type
-vegetation cover
-amount and intensity of perception
-drainage basin size
what are physical factors changing the water cycle
-drought
-precipitation levels
-presence of vegetation
-evaporation rates
-soil properties
-extreme weather events
-relief/topography
-desertification
what are the human factors changing the water cycle
-urbanisation
-deforestation
-afforestation
-farming practices
-water abstraction
-mitigation methods
PICKERING BECK CAST STUDY: LOCAL DRAINAGE BASIN
where is pickering beck
north yorkshire, flowing into the town of pickering with its source found on the york moors national park
-area that experiences higher amounts of rainfall due to being located in a high altitude area
-it has lots of tributary inputs which can cause flashy changes of water amounts and flows
location and background
-it is a notorious flood spot in the north east of england on the edge of north york moors
-the market town of pickering has a population of 7000 lies on the northern side of the vale of pickering
-the town has suffered repeated flowing over time from pickering beck
-it was flooded in 1999, 2000, 2007
- the beck flows through the town centre and in the 2007 flood 85 properties and the main A170 route through the town was flooded, restricting areas to several parts including the market place
-there have been repeated please from residents in the settlement to reduce the problem of flooding
-catchment of the beck is over 68km squared
-it is a long and thin catchment area causing dishcarge to increase quickly at pickering
-high drainge density
what are the natural causes of flooding
-steep topography leads to rapid flow
-huge variation of discharge levels - annual discharge of 22 cumes as seen in 1973 having an annual discharge of 10 cumes and 1987 having 8 cumes and 1988 having 40 cumes
-consists of limestone and gristone
-the river drains an area of the north yorkshire moors with a mixed land use, in the headwaters there is moorland and in the lower catchment there is arable farming
-on many of the surrounding slopes there are extensive areas of coniferous woodland
problems with previous land management practices
-previous land management practices in the catchment have considered to have enhanced the risk of pickering being flooded by promoting rapid runoff and increasing the delivery of sediment and siltation within pickering beck
-there are four principal land uses in the 66 km squared catchment of arable crops, improved grassland, heather moorland and forestry and woodland
-inappropriate cultivation of arable soils, overstocking and overgrazing of grassland, excessive moorland and forestry and poor river management are all thought to have increased the risk of downstream flooding
management of flooding
-the pickering flood management scheme of - slowing the flow policy
-aims to reduce the peck flow through the town using land management techniques
-the project is led by forest research and is in partnership with environment agency, natural england and ryedale district council
-an advantage of the area of the river seven and pickering beck catchment is that just over one third of the land is under public ownership, meaning it is easy to instigate change
-the aim of this scheme is to reduce the severity of flooding in the north by spreading peck flows over a long period during a flood
what did they do
-floodwater storage upstream: the project aims to force water out of the channel by artificially constructing it, the water will then be stored on the floodplain for short periods of time at high flows using earth bunds 2 metres high. once peak flow has passed this water will drain back naturally into the channel under gravity
-riparian woodland: plant communities along river margins
-woody debris dams: man made and natural gullies help water drain off the moorland plateau and from the forests of the north york moors
-educating farmers, landowners and homeowners: by informing farmers and landowners it means they are aware on how to manage their land in order to avoid rapid overland low
what is carbon
-carbon is one of the most chemically veratile elements.
-it is found in all life forms as well as sedimentary rocks, diamonds, graphite, coal, oil, gas
what are carbon stores
the main stores of carbon are the lithosphere, hydrosphere , cryosphere, atmosphere and biosphere
what is carbon sink
a store that absorbs more carbon than it releases
what is a carbon source
a store that releases more carbon than it absorbs
what is carbon transfer
theses are processes that transfer carbon between the stores e.g photosynthesis takes carbon out of the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and converts it to carbohydrates such as glucose
what is GTC
a gigatonne of carbon dioxide is used to measure the amount of carbon on stores
what is anthropogenic CO2
carbon dioxide generated by human activity
what is carbon sequestation
the capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or capturing anthropogenic CO2 from large scale stationary sources like power plants before it is released into the atmosphere. Once captured it can be put into long term storage
carbon store stats
-ocean: 38000 billion metric tonnes
-fossil fuel deposits: 4000
-soil organic matter: 1500
-atmosphere: 750
-biosphere: 560
-litosphere:100 000
major carbon stores
litosphere
-rigid outer part of the earths crust
-100,000 GT
-over 99.9% of the carbon on earth is stored in sedimentary rocks such as limestone
-about 0.004% of the carbon on earth is stored in fossil fuels such as coal, oil in the litosphere
-carbon in the litosphere is held in soil in the form of both organic and inorganic carbon
cryosphere
-frozen water part o the earth system
-the cryosphere contains less than 0.01% of earths carbon
-most of the carbon in the cryosphere is in the soil in the areas of permafrost where decomposing plants and animals have frozen into the ground
-11% of our lands surface is covered by ice sheets
-1500 GT of carbon stored in the perma frost
atmosphere
-all the gases around the planet
-750 billions of metric tonnes of carbon
-carbon is stored as carbon dioxide and in smaller quantities as methane in the atmosphere
-the atmosphere contains about 0.001% of earths carbon
-very small store of cabron meaning changes occour at a faster rate
biosphere
-the part if the planet occupied by living things
-560 GT
-carbon is stored in the tissues of living organisms. It is transferred to the soil when living organisms die and decay
-the biosphere contains approx 0.004% of the earths total carbon
-mainly contained in tropical forests
-50% of the distribution if from forests
-19% is stored in plants
hydrosphere
- all the water on earths surface
-carbon dioxide is dissolved in rivers, lakes and oceans
-the oceans are the second largest carbon store in earth, containing approx 0.04% of the earths carbon. The majority of carbon here is found deep in the oceans in the form of dissolved inorganic carbon
-a small amount is found at the ocean surface where it is exchanged with the atmosphere.
The oceanic stores can be divided into three:
1. the surface layer where sunlight penetrates so that photosythesis can take place, contains approx 900GT
2. the intermediate and the deep layer of water contains approx 37100GT
3. living organic matter amount to approx 30GT and dissolved organic matter 700 GT
what is net carbon sink
when more carbon enters a store than leaves it
what is net carbon source
when more carbon leaves a source than enters it
what are carbon transfers (fluxes)
movement of carbon between stores
stores and fluxes of carbon
-about 90% of anthropogenic carbon releases cones from combustion of fossil fuels
-of the anthropogenic CO2 released to the atmosphere about 24% is absorbed by oceans and 26% is taken up by plants
processes involved within the transfers of carbon
photosynthesis:
-plants use light energy from the sun to produce carbohydrates in the form of glucose
-green plants through chlorophyl
-the light energy converts CO2 and water into glucose and release O2
-some glucose is used in respiration. the rest is converted back to starch
-CO2 + H2O = light energy + glucose + O2
respiration
-plants use the stored carbohydrates as energy which can be used for growth and repair, movement and control of temperature in mammals
-CO2 is then returned to the atmosphere, mostly exhaled air
decomposition
-dead organisms are consumed by decomposers (fungi, bacteria)
-carbon from their bodies is released as CO2
-some organic matter can get trapped in soil
combustion
-when material is burned it turns into energy CO2
-organic material can be vegetation or fossil fuels
what are the different carbon cycling on different scales
-plant (local scale)
-sere (regional scale)
-continental (continental scale)
what factors will change the cycling of plant based carbon
- increase in heat - allowing more growth
-amount of light and seasons - increase the rate of photosynthesis + cycle of carbon
-geographical location
-amount of chloroplast
^ all speeds it up - amount of water cant conduct photosynthesis without it
-humidity level increase leaf decay and decomposition meaning slow down in reverse
sere scale: the lithosphere
what is a sere
an ecological community formed by vegetation succession ( a sequence of changes) that related to a specific enviroment
what are the different forms of seres
-lithosphere: vegetation succession that occurs on bare rock
-hydrosere: water/ponds
-halosere: salt marsh
-psamosere: coastal/sand dunes
the process of vegetation succession
-when rock becomes vunerable from processes such as glacier retreat, it exposes rock to weathering
-as the rock is slowly broken down carbon may be released
-vegetation such as lichen and mass grow on the bare rock, carbon exchange
-carbon exchange starts to take place involving photosynthesis
-as organic matter is added to the broken rock fragments, soil develops which can support a wider range of plants
-over hundred of years the plant species benefiting from the supply of carbon in the soil and carbon released. causing habitats to be established and wildlife becomes abundant
what carbon transfers are found in the lithosphere
-death and decomposition
-photosynthesis
-respiration
-weathering: major transfer from bear rock
-biosynthesis: growth and transfer of plants
what role do animals play in this carbon cycle
-exchange carbon between the litosphere and other seres
-decomposition providing temporary carbon stores
-catalysts for the cycle of carbon: when they eat their bodies digest material which comes out as a carbon liberised state in forms of fedes
carbon cycling at a continental scale
-rise back to the surface through volcanic eruptions
-in the atmosphere CO2 is removed by dissolving water & forming carbonic acid
-reaches the surface as rain reacts with the minerals
-slowly dissolves them through chemical weathering. the component ions are then left in the water (carbon)
-carried in surface waters rivers & streams them to the oceans
-settle out as minerals in the form of calcium carbonate
-coral extracts from the sea water
-dead coral sinks to the bottom of the ocean and becomes buried
-becomes compacted as layers of limestone
-tectonic uplift then exposes this buried limestone
-e,g Himalayas - highest peaks are formed from material that was once at the bottom of the sea
-tectonic forces cause plate movement to push the sea floor under continental margins through oceanic subduction
-these deposits are then subject to convection currents
the speed of cycling of the continental scale and plant scale
continental - really slow cycle, millions & billions years long
plant - quicker than continental 100-200 million years
what are factors impacting the water cycle
human:
-deforestation
-afforestation
-climate change
-urbanisation
-agricultural use
-land drainage
-river management
physical:
-relief
-geology
-percipitation
-basin shape
-temperature
-basin density
-vegetation
-soil conditions
impact of temperature on carbon cycle cooler conditons
-cold rainwater can hold more CO2 - chemical weathering is more active
-forest coverage would be very different (both geographical location and total area) - affects the significance and distribution of processes such as photosynthesis and respiration
-decomposers would be less effective - carbon transfers to the soil is reduced
-more water stores as ice - less transferred to the ocean. less sediment transfer along the rivers and less sediment build up on the ocean floor
-soils frozen over vast areas - stopped CO2 soil transfer
impact of temperature on carbon cycle warmer conditions
-melting of permafrost - releases previously trapped gases, such as methane which is now being released - enhances greenhouse effect - positive feedback system leading to further destabilisation of systems
how can trees be a source and carbon sink
-small amounts in respiration
-combustion
-photosynthesis
what is the role of volcanic activity in the carbon cycle
-return trapped carbon into the atmosphere
-volcanoes used to be much more active
-CO2 was therefore emitted into the atmosphere, where it remained for a very long time
-volcanoes emit 130-180 billion tonnes of CO2 a year
atmospheric carbon change affecting the carbon cycle
-increasing atmospheric CO2 (greater input of carbon)
-increasing atmospheric CO2 (reduced removal of carbon)
-reducing atmospheric CO2 (reduced input of carbon)
-reducing atmospheric CO2 (increased removal of carbon)
natural factors affecting the carbon cycle
-periods of increased volcanic activity
-glacial periods (less vegetation), interglacial periods ( (warmer oceans absorb less CO2 winter in north hemisphere biomass shuts down)
-long term reduction of volcanic activity
-glacial periods (cooler oceans absorb more CO2), interglacial periods (more vegetation)
-summers in northern hemisphere (increased biomass)
human factors affecting the carbon cycle
-burning fossil fuels causing more wildfires, increasing meat based diet (more cattle), climate change resulting in melting tundra releasing CO2 & CH4
-clearing natural vegetation for urban/agricultural/industrial uses, climate change resulting in warmer oceans
-carbon capture schemes (artificial carbon sequestration)
-reforestation & afforestation projects
changes in the carbon cycle: human causes
-IPCC (intergovernmental panel of climate change) suggests that 90% of anthropogenic carbon release comes from the combustion of fossil fuels
-the remaining 10% comes from land use chnages - such as deforestation, land drainage, and agricultural practices
-50% is absorbed by oceans and vegetation and the other 50% is absorbed by the atmosphere
-since the 1960s global concentration of CO2 have increased dramatically from 320 ppm to 400 ppm
human sources of carbon dioxide:
-97% fossil fuel use
-9% land use change
-4% industrial processes
combustion of fossil fuels
-natural sources of energy from the remains of living organisms
-long term carbon stores - most of the worlds gas and oil is extracted from rocks that are 70-100 million years old
-when burnt to generate energy the stored carbon is released, primarily as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
-this accelerates the cycling of carbon
carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion:
-41% electricity and heat generation
-22% transportation sector
-20% industrial sector
-10% other
-6% residential
land use
-responsible for 10% of carbon release globally
-impact short term stores and has direct links to issues of climate change and global warming
-on a local scale, they can have significant impact on small scale carbon cycles
- land use can be through varying ways of farming practices, deforestation, urbanisation
farming practices
-harvesting, ploughing, rearing livestock, using machinery fuelled by fossil fuels and using fertilisers is a main source of carbon emissions on farms
-when soil is ploughed the soil layers invert with each other (allowing air to mix in) as a result, soil microbial activity dramatically increases, resulting in more soil organic matter being decomposed
-as a result more carbon is lost to the atmosphere along with the CO2 produced by the farm tractors doing the ploughing in the first place
-cattle in the US emits around 5.5 million tonnes of methane into the atmosphere each year - 20% of their total methane emissions
-biological processes in rice paddies generate methane which makes up 10% of all agricultural carbon emissions
land use change: deforestation
-around 13 million hectares of forest are cut down and changed to other land uses every year
-trees are removed either by burning or felling
-timber itself is a valuable product for furniture and firewood
-logging operations also remove forest, loggers some acting illegally also build roads to access more forest areas (which in turn leads to further deforestation)
-forests are also cut as a result of urban sprawl
how does deforestation affect the carbon cycle?
-when forests are cleared for conversion to agriculture or pasture, a large proportion of above - ground biomass may be burned (rapidly releasing most of the carbon into the atmosphere)
-some of the wood may be used aa wood products (so preserved for longer)
-forest clearing also accelerates the decay of wood, litter and below ground organic carbon
land use change: urbanisation
-over half of the worlds population live in urban areas. this is expected to reach 60% by 2030
-the CO2 emissions resulting from energy consumption for transport, industry, domestic use and cement manufacture for buildings & infrastructure have all increased
-replacing open countryside with concrete has significant impact on the local carbon cycle as important stores are either replaced or covered up with impermeable surfaces
-in 2013 CO2 emissions can be broken down into
-43% coal
-33% oil
-18% gas
-5.5% cement
carbon sequestration
-involves capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and putting it into long term storage of two types:
-geological sequestration
-terrestrial/biological sequestration
-CO2 is captured at its sources (e.g power plants) and injected as a liquid deep underground in a variety of stores (depleted oil/gas reservoirs, uneconomic, coal seams, underground salt formations or the deep oceans
carbon sequestration: geological
- the ocean is very capable of absorbing much more additional carbon than terrestrial system due to its sheer size
-an advantage of ocean carbon sequestration is that it ‘sinks’ to great depths within weeks or months of being captured at the surface. once in deep ocean. it is in a circulatory system measured in thousands of years, if it reaches the sea bed, it enters the earths geological cycle ( can be measured in millions of years_
carbon sequestration: terrestrial/biological
-this involves the use of plants to capture CO2 from the atmosphere, carbon is then stored in the stems and roots of the plants as well as in the soil
-there is also the added benefit of the enrichment of plant ecosystems & associated wildlife habitats
-a forest planted to capture carbon may lose carbon back to air through a catastrophic forest fire or if the sorest suffers disease/infestation
-land based sequestration which lasts the lifetime of the plantation
-furthermore the carbon within such ecosystems is never permanently removed from the atmosphere
what is the global carbon budget
amount of carbon gained and lost in the natural and manmade workings of the world
speed of flows
fast - within a life span (usually biomass)
-1000 to 100,000 million tonnes of carbon in this cycle
slow - series of bio chemical processes and tectonic activity
-100-200 million years to move between rocks, soil, ocean and the atmosphere
-10-100 million tonnes of carbon in this cycle
what is the major largest store of carbon
earths crust
what processes are responsible for the greatest transfer of carbon
-photosynthesis
-ocean up take
-ocean loss
impact of the carbon cycle
-the most important role of the carbon cycle is the release of carbon dioxide and other gases such as methane into the atmosphere
-these gases absorb long wave radiation from the earth and lower atmosphere this enable life to exist on earth
-this is known as the greenhouse effect
-anthropogenic activities ( burning fossil fuels, deforestation etc) have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases making them more effective in trapping radiation
-this is the enhanced greenhouse gas effect
-global temperature have increased 0.8 degrees since 1880
what is the enhanced greenhouse effect
the impact on the climate change from the additional heat retained due to increased amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases that humans have released into the atmosphere since the industrial reveloution
what is geo-sequestration
technology capturing greenhouse gas emissions from power stations and pumping them into underground reservoirs
what is radiative forcing
the difference between the incoming solar energy absorbed by the earth and energy radiated back to space
what is soil organic carbon
the organic constitutes in the soil, tissues from dead plants and animals, produces soil organic carbon as these decompose and the soil microbial biomass
