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Geography > Carbon > Flashcards

Carbon Flashcards

1
Q

What is the largest carbon store and how much?

A

The geological store, 100,000,000 PgC - includes sedimentary rocks etc

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2
Q

What is the biggest terrestrial carbon store and how much?

A

Soil, 1,950 PgC. It stores more than the surface of the ocean.

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3
Q

What is a carbon flux?

A

The exchange of stores over a time period

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4
Q

How many tons of carbon is released per year by volcanic outgassing?

A

300 million tons

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5
Q

What are the 4 key processes of the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

A

Photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, combustion.

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6
Q

What is the largest carbon flux?

A

Photosynthesis, 123 PgC/y

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7
Q

Thermohaline circulation

A

The global system of surface and deep water currents is driven by temperature and salinity differences. Cold water stores more CO2. More salty water is denser and sinks. MELTING ARCTIC SEA ICE MAY DISRUPT THIS

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8
Q

Biological pump

A

Phytoplankton make up half the planets biomass and sequester 2 billions tons of CO2 anually to the deep ocean.

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9
Q

Carbonate pump

A

Calcium carbonate shells of crustaceans and many other shellfish dissolve and become a part of deep ocean currents, or build up on the sea floor and form limestone sediments.

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10
Q

Physical pump

A

CO2 concentration is 10% higher in the deep ocean than at the surface, More than twice as much CO2 can dissolve into cold polar waters than warm equatorial waters.
Cold water sinks and takes CO2 down.

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11
Q

What is soil health + productivity influenced by?

A

Stored carbon, and less can lead to soil erosion and water insecurity.

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12
Q

3 features of a healthy soil

A
  • dark and crumbly
  • enable infiltration and percolation
  • contain many worms and other organisms
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13
Q

How is carbon passed into soils?

A

Through the decay of leaf litter and other dead material.

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14
Q

Why is fossil fuel combustion the main cause of global warming?

A

Because it moves stored carbon from the long term geological to the atmosphere without any corresponding increases in sinks.

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15
Q

Define energy security

A

Having access to enough reliable, affordable energy to meet demand. The energy mix should be more reliant on domestic than imported energy.

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16
Q

3 trends in energy consumption in the UK

A

-Coal use has declined due to higher carbon taxes
-oil has remained the same since 1965 as it provides 97% of fuel for transport
-gas consumption has increased as it is a cleaner energy source.

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17
Q

Developing energy mix

A

biomass and waste, natural resources, limited fossil fuel use except oil for transport and coal for power stations.

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18
Q

emerging energy mix

A

more oil use as more people get cars, tehnology develops and nuclear can be used, some may increase use of renewables.

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19
Q

Developed energy mix

A

oil use remains high, more gas is used, pollution concerns lead to more clean energy sources.

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20
Q

5 factors that affect energy mix

A

physical availability, cost, technology, political considerations and environmental priorities.

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21
Q

UK vs Norway political considerations

A

privatisation in the uk means countries such as EDF control thhe energy mix
the norwegian government prevents foreign companies owning any primary energy source sites.

22
Q

Uk vs Norway cost

A

Uk uses north sea oil which is expensive to extract so if global prices fall it becomes less viable
Norway has over 600 HEP sites which are much lower cost and supply 97.5% of norways RENEWABLE eectricty.

23
Q

4 most important energy players?3e

A

TNCs, Governments, OPEC, consumers

24
Q

3 features of OPEC

A

12 countries
control 80% of oil rreserves
By setting quotas they can manipulate global oil prices

25
Q

Why is there a mismatch between supply and demand of fossil fuels?

A

development may effect the ability of courties to access reserves
lack of resources has peaked in some countries whereas supply in greater than demand in others.

26
Q

oil choke point definition and example

A

a narrow sea channel where key transport routes can be easily disrupted - 20% of the worlds oil passes through the straits of hormuz

27
Q

Example of impact of energy disruption in UK

A

in 2000 lorry drivers protested against higher fuel prices by blocading fuel depots

28
Q

Russian gas to europe

A

has to flow through ukraine so sanctions and war have disrupted it. 40% of europes natural gas normally comes from russia.

29
Q

Canadian tarsands costs and benefits

A

benefit: could meet 16% of north americas needs by 2030
cost: 1.8 million tonnes of toxic waste water are produced every day.

30
Q

Brazilian deep-water oil exploration costs and benefits

A

benefits: provides countries with energy independence
cost: more expensive and dangerous than onshore drilling.

31
Q

Fracking costs and benefits

A

benefit: helps to reduce reliance on imports and boost tax revenues
cost: 90% of water isleft underground and so not available for use.

32
Q

3 issues with renewables

A
  • high start up costs
  • can be unreliable
  • valleys drowned to make HEP reservoirs
33
Q

wind and solar power uk stat

A

wind turbines powering 230,000 uk homes
in 2017 a record 8.7 gigawatts of power was generated from solar in a day.

34
Q

changing uk energy mix

A

in 2020 gas demand increased by 60%, meaning much more gas will haveto be imported.

35
Q

What are some factors contributing to rising demand for both fuel and food?

A

Population growth and increasing energy needs, with projections indicating a 50% increase in energy demand by 2030.

36
Q

What has been the significant impact of diverting farmland to biofuels on global food supply?

A

It has led to protests due to increased food prices, particularly affecting the world’s poorest people.

37
Q

Examples of protests due to rising food costs

A

2007
Italy pasta strike - 20% price increase
Mexico tortilla riots - cost of maize to make tortillas quadrupled

38
Q

Hydrogen Fuel Cells advantage and disadvantage

A

ad: only byprouduct is water vapour so they are environmentally friendly
dis: Producing hydrogen often requires energy-intensive processes

39
Q

CCS advantage and disadvantage

A

ad: mitigates climate change by storing
dis: expensive, could leak, vulnerable to earthquakes.

40
Q

what % of manmade carbon emmisons can be attributed to the production of cement?

A

8%

41
Q

how many kgs of CO2 does the production of one kg of beef create?

A

36 kgs - note to ex. different sources say different things

42
Q

How does increasing food and fuel consumption have an impact on the carbon cycle?

A
  • degraded soils store less carbon
  • more energy demand
  • greenhouse gases such as methane released from agriculture
43
Q

tipping point

A

A critical threshold in a system where a small change can lead to a significant and often irreversible shift in the system.

44
Q

Africa’s great green wall

A

speans 11 countries 15km wide. 11 million trees in senegal

45
Q

impact of climate change on arctic communities

A

reduced hunting ground and homes
flooding due to meting permafrost
changes in fish stocks
freshwater ponds drying up

46
Q

warming effect on peat

A

a warming of 4c causes a 86% loss of organic carbon from deep peat and 40% loss from shallow.

47
Q

adaptation strategies

A

water conservation, resilient agriculture, flood risk managment, solar radiation management.

48
Q

mitigation strategies

A

carbon taxation, renewable switching afforestaion, ccs.

49
Q

why are there difficulties reaching global agreements on taking action? (4)

A

Climate change denial
Concern for economic growth
Other problems are more important
Backlash from public

50
Q

Peatlands

A

store more carbon than all other vegetation combined
degredation of peatlands = 10% of all fossil fuel emmisions.

51
Q

Methane

A

about 28x the global warming potential of carbon

Geography (9 decks)

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