Water Carbon KW Flashcards
Cryospheric processes
Processes that affect the total mass of ice at any scale from patches on the ground to global ice amounts
Hydrosphere
A discontinuous layer of water at or near the earth. Includes all water, frozen as well, groundwater and water vapour
Anthropogenic CO2
CO2 produced by human activity
Biosphere
The total sum of all living matter
Carbon sequestration
Capturing carbon before it enters the atmosphere from anthropogenic, large scale sources eg power plants
Throughfall
The proportion of precipitation that reaches the ground directly, through gaps in vegetation
Percolation
Downward movement of water within the rock under the soil surface. Rates depend on the nature of the rock
Carbon sink
A store of carbon that absorbs more C than it releases
Greenhouse gases
Any gaseous compound in the atmosphere capable of absorbing infrared, thereby trapping heat in the atmosphere
Lithosphere
The crust and upper mantle, hard and rigid outer layer of the earth
Weathering
Breakdown of rocks in situ by biological (plants) physical and chemical processes
Enhanced greenhouse effect
The impact in the climate from additional heat retained due to an increased amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases that have been released since the industrial revolution
Geo- sequestration
Technology used to capture greenhouse emissions from power stations and pumping them into underground reservoirs
Soil organic carbon (SOC)
Organic constituents in soil, tissue from dead plants, products produced in decomposition and the soil microbial biomass
Atmospheric water
Water found in the atmosphere, mainly water vapour with some liquid water as ice crystals
Terrestrial water
Water on the ground, groundwater, lakes and wetlands
Cryospheric water
Water locked up on earth’s surface as ice
Deposition
water from gas state directly becoming solid
potential evapotranspiration
the potential for evaporation or transpiration to occur
Latent heat
amount of energy required to change the state
evaporation
liquid to gas, requiring energy to break bonds
condensation
gas to liquid, energy release when bonds are formed
adiabatic cooling
when air rises and expands creating precipitation, can occur over hills (relief effect) and when two different temps of air meet (frontal effect)
Name the 9 types of carbon transfers
Respiration Photosynthesis Decomposition Ocean uptake Weathering Volcanoes/ wildfires Burning fossil fuels Deforestation Land use change
Percent store of carbon in the lithosphere
99.9%
Percent anthropogenic CO2 produced by cement making
4%
Example of positive feedback in C cycle
Surface temp incr
More evaporation
More greenhouse gases
Global warming
Example of negative feedback in C cycle
Surface temp incr
Plant growth
CO2 removed
Decrease temp
