carbon Flashcards

1
Q

what are the 5 spheres

A
lithos
bio
cryo
atmo
hydro
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2
Q

what percentage of carbon in lithosphere’s sedimentary rock

A

99.9

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3
Q

percentage of carbon in fossil fuels

A

0.004

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4
Q

what is carbon stored as in atmosphere

A

CO2 and CH4

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5
Q

percentage of carbon in atmosphere

A

0.001

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6
Q

how does carbon go into biospere

A

photosynthesis

in living organisms - transferred to soil when we decay and die

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7
Q

percentage of carbon in biosphere

A

0.004

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8
Q

what is most carbon in crysopshere in

A

permafrost

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9
Q

percentage of carbon in cryosphere

A

0.01

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10
Q

how is carbon in hydrosphere and where is most carbon in this sphere

A

dissolved in mostly deep in ocean

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11
Q

percentage of carbon in hydrosphere

A

0.04

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12
Q

whats carbon source

A

releases more carbon than taken

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13
Q

carbon sink

A

takes in more carbon than released

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14
Q

photosynthesis flow

A

atmosphere to bio
to make glucose and oxygen
carbon passed down food chain

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15
Q

combustion

A

fossil fuels cars fires

biomass to atmosphere

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16
Q

oceans

A

if oceans too carbon-rich co2 is released but mostly co2 is taken in and dissolved

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17
Q

respiration

A

glucose plus oxygen to co2 plus water

biosphere to atmosphere

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18
Q

decomposition

A

biomass to atmosphere or soil (humus)

decomposers release c02 while respiring too

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19
Q

weathering

A

carbon from atmosphere to biosphere of hydrosphere

acid rain dissloves rock into hydrosphere

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20
Q

sequestation

A

sedimentary rock or fossil fuels due to heat and pressure

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21
Q

fast carbon flows are …

A

photosynthesis
combustion
respiration
decomposition

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22
Q

how do wildfires affect carbon

A

large transfer of carbon form biosphere to atmosphere through combustion

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23
Q

positive feedback system with wildfires

A

wildfires —- less trees —– less photosynthesis ——-more co2 ——– higher temps ——more wildfires

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24
Q

negative feedback system wildfire

A

wildfire — removes old trees —- new young tree growth — takes in more carbon —-less temp rise —— less wildfires

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25
Q

another natural cause for carbon exchange

A

volcanic eruptions - carbon in magma

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26
Q

4 human impacts that increased carbon

A

fossil fuel use
land use change
farming practices
deforestation

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27
Q

fossil fuel use

A

combustion releases c02 into air

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28
Q

why does deforestation occur and how does it affect carbon

A

cleared for logging, farming, development

slash and burn less photosynthesis more combustion more decomposition

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29
Q

how does farming affect it

A

high population has high demand for food

large cattle pops release ch4 and co2

ploughing releases co2 in soil

increased mechanisation increased co2

30
Q

land use change

A

increased urbanisation = increased concrete production

plus vegetation removed

31
Q

how does carbon affect the atmosphere

A

carbon is a greenhouse gas and increased carbon means more greenhouse gases = more tmep rise = global warming

32
Q

how does carbon affect the land

A

warmer temps = more permafrost melts and then further more co2 released = positive feedback

increased temps increases wildfire risk

increased carbon = more plant growth and photosynthesis

we need decomposers to respire and release carbon otherwise nutrients wouldnt be recycled

33
Q

how dos carbon affect the oceans

A

C02 dissloves in oceans by phytoplankton to form calcium carbonate shells and skeletons

high co2 increases acidity levels in oceans which could dissolve shells

warming increases deaths of phytoplankton so less co2 absorbed by phytoplankton = increased warming positive feedback
warmer waters less able to absorb co2

ocean temps increase so more storms and sea level rise

34
Q

positive feedback

A

affects of action amplified by change

35
Q

-ve feedback system

A

effects of action are nullified by change

36
Q

example of positive

A

increase temp — plants respire more — more co2 released – increased tmep

37
Q

-ve ffedback

A

increased co2 —- increases photosynthesis—— more co2 taken in —–less co2 in air

38
Q

how do water and carbon interact

A

co2 plus water makes carbonic acid = weathering

water is needed for photosynthesis so less co2 in air

amount of co2 in air affects evaporation and precipitation rates

39
Q

how will climate change affect the earth

A

sea level rise
rainfall patterns change - dry drier and wet places wetter = farming decrease = food shortages
extreme weather events more common
ecosystems change = extinction
decrease in phytoplankton = affect marine food chain

40
Q

how much more co2 in air since 1975

A

40 percent

41
Q

why such a large increase in co2

A

many countries industrialisation

exponential pop growth

globalisation

42
Q

what organisation did UN set up and what does it do

A

intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)

share knowledge about climate change

43
Q

what does IPCC want countries to do

A

reduce carbon emissions

44
Q

mitigation on individual level

A

more efficient appliances
public transport
electric cars
more insulation or double glazing

45
Q

mitigation on national level

A

reduce fossil fuel use, reduce cost of renewable energies to increase use of them

afforestation schemes

planners increase green space and public transport

invest in CCS = store co2 underground in depleted oil and gas reserves

46
Q

global mitigations

A

Kyoto protocol plus the paris agreement = int treaties that control carbon emissions

set emission limits and have carbon trading scheme

47
Q

what is a system

A

assemblage of stores flows that interact and work together by processes

48
Q

isolated system

A

unnatural - no interactions outside system

49
Q

closed system

A

tarnsfer of energy no matter

global water cycle

50
Q

open system

A

matter and energy transferred

drainage basin

51
Q

if there was a 4 degrees temp rise what would happen to rain forest

A

85 percent rf destroyed

52
Q

how to reduce human impacts in trfs

A

selective logging
replanting
environmental law
national parks and nature reserves

53
Q

what is dynamic equilibrium

A

small variation in inputs and outputs but system still remains balanced

54
Q

how many species of plant in rainforest

A

1 million

55
Q

how much of forest gone in past 50 years

A

17 percent

56
Q

how much of south america does amazon cover

A

40 percent

57
Q

what is worlds largest trf

A

amazon rainforest

58
Q

why cant youger trees thrive

A

canopy from old trees block sunlight to forest floor so unable to photosynthesise

59
Q

6 main reasons for deforestation in amazon

A
agriculture of palm oil 
logging
fossil fuels
urbansiaton ,road building
mineral extraction 
HEP power
60
Q

how much mineral mined in a year

A

30-100 tonnes of mercury a year

61
Q

how many hep dams planned per year

A

150

62
Q

impacts of deforestation

A

decrease biodiversity
less evapotranspiration so less moisture in air so less rainfall
less leaf litter so less new growth so less co2 absorbed
rainfall leaches soil due to lack of roots = water contamination `

63
Q

how much mositure into atmosphere from trees

A

20bn

64
Q

how much of rainforest cut down each year

A

size of wales

65
Q

why is methane worse than co2

A

10 times more potent

66
Q

how much of co2 emissions does concrete production contribute for

A

8 percent

67
Q

example of affoestation scheme in amazon

A

peru have planted 115 acres of trees

68
Q

what does brazil forest code say

A

a least 50 percent of land as to remain forest

69
Q

what has been set up in brazil

A

49000 km squared national park allows locals to work sustainably with forest

70
Q

how much carbon enters atmosphere from deforestation in amazon

A

400 million tonnes