Carbon Flashcards
(130 cards)
1
Q
What is carbon?
A
A chemical element,
- exists as inorganic, organic or as a gas
2
Q
What is the biogeochemical component of the carbon cycle?
A
- Where carbon is stored and moved between spheres (biosphere, cryosphere etc.) through flows or fluxes
- it is a closed system, where changes result in negative or positive feedback.
3
Q
Why is the carbon cycle important?
A
- Economic development relies on fossil fuels
- energy scarcity can result in conflict
- The combustion of carbon is changing the climate
- desire for carbon is destroying ecosystems.
4
Q
Where is carbon stored in the atmosphere?
A
As CO2 in the lower layers.
5
Q
What is the carbon store in the lithosphere?
A
Carbon is stored in the rock.
6
Q
What are examples of stores of carbon?
A
- vegetation
- animals
- atmosphere
- surface/deep ocean
- soils
- rock
7
Q
What are examples of flows of carbon?
A
- diffusion
- decomposition
- combustion
- respiration
- outgassing
- sedimentation
- metamorphosis
- chemical weathering
- erosion
- photosynthesis
8
Q
Where is carbon stored in the biosphere?
A
Vegetation and animals.
9
Q
Where is carbon stored in the hydrosphere?
A
Water such as lakes, the sea or oceans.
10
Q
What are biofuels?
A
A fuel derived from living matter.
11
Q
What are examples of primary biofuels?
A
- woodchips
- fuelwood
used for domestic purposes
12
Q
What are examples of secondary biofuels?
A
- ethanol
- biodiesel
derived from processes biomass, used in vehicles and industry
13
Q
How have biofuels indirectly led to deforestation?
A
As demand for biofuels increases. The growth of sugar cane must also increase so that it can replace other pastures. These pastures are then displaced to other areas of Brazil, meaning forests must be cut down, which leads to the release of greenhouse gases.
14
Q
What are the advantages of using biofuels?
A
- release fewer GHGs than petrol
- more sustainable???
- reduce dependence on oil
- allow poorer countries to grow food crops
15
Q
what are the 2 main biofuel crops in the UK?
A
- oilseed rape
- sugar beet
16
Q
What are most biofuels converted into and used for?
A
- ethanol
- biodiesel
- used for vehicle fuels
17
Q
What are the disadvantages of using biofuels.
A
- deforestation
- people lose farmland
- reduced biodiversity
- monoculture
- create a food shortage, raise prices
18
Q
What is peat?
A
A carbon store made from undecomposed moss and cotton grass.
19
Q
Why are peatlands important for the environment?
A
- Preserve biodiversity
- minimise flood risk
- Prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change as they are the largest natural terrestrial carbon store.
20
Q
How are peatlands distributed?
A
They are mostly found in the northern hemisphere as well as SE Asia.
21
Q
How is Peat formed?
A
Dead plants accumulate to form peat in waterlogged conditions because plant decomposition is slowed.
22
Q
Why are peatlands being degraded?
A
- Drainage and conversion for agriculture
- burning and mining for fuel.
23
Q
How much carbon do peat soils contain?
A
44% of all the carbon stored in the soil.
24
Q
Where are Peatlands disappearing?
A
- UK
- South East Asia, e.g. Borneo, Sumatra
25
Why are peatlands disappearing in Southeast Asia?
To make space for industrial palm oil and pulpwood plantations.
26
Why are peatlands disappearing in the uk?
They are being drained for space to plant food and fibre crops. as well as coniferous trees, and to provide space for livestock grazing.
27
How can peat lands be restored?
Stopping degradation and restoring waterlogged conditions.
28
What is the overall change in greenhouse gas emissions?
OVERALL INCREASE
- increased in Asia and Africa, but decreased in Europe and USA
29
What are the implications of an increase in greenhouse gas emissions?
- Rising temperatures
- Rising sea levels, leading to coastal flooding.
- Reduced rainfall leading to reduced yields and drought.
- Water scarcity
- More extreme weather events.
- Increased evaporation and rainfall in tropical regions.
- Rise in food prices if yields fall.
30
What is Kuznet's curve?
A model that suggests that when a country develops the damage that it will have to the environment will at first increase due to resource exploitation, but will have a turning point and fall. This is because technology becomes more efficient so resource use and pollution levels will fall.
31
What is an energy pathway?
The flow of energy from producer to consumer.
32
what are examples of energy pathways.
- pipelines
- roads
- rail
- shipping
- transmission lines
33
What is the ESPO pipeline?
East Siberian Pacific Ocean Pipeline.
It runs from Russia to China, South Korea and Japan.
34
What are examples of unconventional fossil fuels?
- tar/oil sands
- fracking
35
What is fracking?
A way of extracting shale oil and gas from rock by blasting high pressurew ater, sand and chemicals underground.
36
What is the benefit of fracking?
It meets demand for energy at a low cost.
37
What are the risks of fracking?
- Contaminated drinking water sources
- Hazardous and extremely toxic chemicals are used
- Increased release of greenhouse gases.
- Create unstable land, which is prone to earthquakes and subsidience
38
Why is methane the worst greenhouse gas?
It is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
39
Where are tar and oil sands primarily found?
Canada and Venezuela.
40
What are tar and oil sands?
A mixture of sand, clay, water and bitumen.
41
What is bitumen?
Very viscous form of petroleum.
42
How are fossil fuels obtained from tar and oil sands?
Oil is extracted using heated water so that the bitumen and sand separate. meaning it can be pumped out of the ground.
43
What are five challenges of oil sands as an unconventional fossil fuel?
- Requires lots of water.
- Requires equipment and technology.
- The water has to be heated, which requires energy and releases carbon dioxide.
- High cost.
- The water is no longer fresh so will harm the ecosystem.
44
What free processes allow fossil fuels to form?
- Compression
- Decomposition by microorganisms.
- heat
45
what is the difference between where oil, coal and gas are derived from.
Coal is derived from plants, whereas oil and gas are derived from marine animals.
46
How does coal form?
On land, Peat is compressed to form coal, over millions of years.
47
How does oil and gas form?
Dead marine animals sink to the ocean floor where. they are layered with sediment, which is then compressed into oil, which will eventually form a reservoir.
48
What is proven oil?
Oil supplies where we know the location of and are able to extract them.
49
What is unproven oil?
Supplies of oil, but we know exist, but are unable to extract from yet.
50
What are examples of countries that produce more oil than they consume.
- Russia
- Saudia Arabia
- Canada
51
What are examples of countries that consume more oil than they produce?
- China
- USA
- Italy
- India
52
What are reasons for the varying production of fossil fuels between countries?
- The technology available.
- If the country actually has fossil fuel reserves
- The cost of extracting oil.
- The demand for fossil fuels may be lower.
53
What are examples of disruptions to energy pathways?
- geopolitics
- piracy
- war/conflict
- natural disasters
54
How has geopolitics disrupted energy pathways?
Russia has cut off gas supply to Ukraine, whose pipelines supply the EU with 80% of its gas, from Russia
55
How did be ever given container ship disrupt an energy pathway?
It was stuck in the Suez Canal in 2021, so shipping ceased for eleven days.
56
How did the UK terminal explosion disrupt energy pathways?
It reduced the supply to Heathrow.
57
How have natural disasters disrupted energy pathways?
B 2005 Hurricane Katrina shut down offshore platforms and onshore wells in the Gulf of Mexico which reduced oil production.
58
How has war/ conflict affected energy pathways?
After the Iraq War, troops set fire to over 600 oil wells. Which then burnt for eight months and consumed 6 million barrels of oil. And 70 to 100 million metres cubed of gas.
59
How has piracy affected energy pathways?
- In April 2014, pirates hijacked the Japanese oil tanker in the Malacca Street and abducted 3 Crew.
- Nigeria is estimated to lose 400,000 pounds of oil a day due to pirates in the Gulf of Guinea.
60
Why are trees important?
- provide goods and services
61
What are goods?
The products that you can harvest, such as wood, rubber, medicine, fruits and nuts, and cocoa beans.
62
What are services?
The things provided by trees such as livelihoods, jobs, habitats, education, sequestration and the nutrient cycle.
63
What human activities have threatened the carbon and water cycles?
- deforestation
- arable farming
- oil drilling
- overabstraction
64
How has deforestation affected the carbon cycle?
It has removed a carbon sink so there is more carbonate in the atmosphere. The subsequent burning of trees adds carbon dioxide.
65
How has deforestation affected the water cycle?
There is reduced interception of water, leading to less infiltration and more surface runoff. There is also less evaporation, leading to a drier local climate.
66
How has arable farming affected the water cycle?
Heavy machinery, compact soil reducing infiltration. Agrochemicals may reduce water quality.
67
How has arable farming affected the carbon cycle?
The photosynthesis and respiration by growing plants has stored and released carbon
68
What impacts have humans had in Kalimantan in Borneo?
There is the fasting cutting down of rainforest for locking, which has made space for agriculture. This cutting and burning of trees has wiped out plants and animal species. When farmers have decided to plant crops, it has failed as the topsoil is easily washed away and there is little nutrientss. As a result, this area has been left as a barrem wasteland.
69
How are Costa Rica reducing the human impacts?
- National parks do protect rainforests.
- Ecotourism with small groups.
- Small scale forestry.
- Sustainable farming by only planting crops that would naturally grow there.
70
Describe the trend in annual net change in forest area between 1990 and 2015.
- There is a net grain of trees within the northern hemisphere in countries such as China, russia USA India, Spain, Italy and France.
- There is a net loss in the southern hemisphere in Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, DRC and Australia.
- China is anomalous. As despite being in the southern hemisphere, there is a net gain.
71
What are examples of large scale strategies to increase forest cover.
- 2014 New York Declaration on Forests which set targets to restore deforested landscapes
- EU afforestation grant encourages planting a forest for their terrestrial carbon store.
- Compensatory Afforestation Fund in India charges fees on companies for clear forests. The money is then used for a forestation.
72
What can be the problems of afforstation?
- There could be a reduction in biodiversity and introduction of potentially invasive or non native species due to poor management.
- Monocultures. Could be using more water or more disease probe. They also lack diversity.
73
What are the reasons for deforestation and loss of trees?
- To make space for infrastructure, dams, and reservoirs.
- For opencast mining.
- Due to increasing demand for commodities.
74
What are some impacts of deforestation on the water cycle?
- Reduced infiltration and evapotranspiration
- runoff and erosion increased
- Annual rainfall reduced and seasonality increases.
- flood peaks higher and lag times shorter.
75
What are the impacts of deforestation on soil health?
- Rapid soil erosion leads to loss of nutrients.
- Soil loses fertility due to leaching
76
What are the impacts of deforestation on the atmosphere?
- increased CO2
- drier air due to less evaporation
77
What are the impacts of deforestation on the biosphere?
- decrease in habitats and species
- species diversity reduced
- biomass loss
78
What is sequestration?
The absorption and storing of carbon.
79
What are the three oceanic carbon cycle pumps?
- biological
- physical
- carbonate
80
what are mitigation strategies for climate change?
strategies that reduce the amount of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere
81
what are examples of mitigation strategies for climate change?
- renewables/recyclables
- carbon capture storage
- afforestation
- international agreements
82
what are examples of international agreements for mitigating climate change?
- IPCC in 1988
- Earth Summit in 1992
- Kyoto Protocol in 1997
- UN Paris Agreement in 2015
83
how can afforestation mitigate climate change?
Younger trees absorb more carbon because they are growing. So older trees should but cut and replaced to maximize carbon sequestration.
84
how can carbon capture storage (CCS) mitigate climate change?
During energy production carbon is capture then turned into a dense liquid and stored underground.
CCS can reduce carbon emissions of a typical coal burning power plant by 90%
85
what are the benefits of CCS?
- reduces carbon emissions whilst allowing the UK to still burn cheap fossil fuels
- lots of storage potential in the UK
86
what are the negatives of CCS?
- expensive
- not all carbon is captured
- UK remains stuck using non-renewables
87
where is an example of renewables being used?
micro hydroelectricity in rural Peru
88
what were the benefits of micro hydroelectricity in Peru?
- improved healthcare and education
- business development
- reduced flood risk as river flow is controlled
- less need to burn wood
- 24/7 electricity and lighting
89
what are adaptation strategies for climate change?
strategies that help communities to cope with climate change
90
what are examples of adaptation strategies for climate change?
- changes in agricultural systems
- managing water supply
- reducing risk from rising sea levels
91
what are the consequences of climate change on agriculture and farming?
- increased yields of wheat, potatoes, grass, plaice and new species/crops introduced
- crop losses due to flooding
- timber quality reduced due to drier weather and pests
- reduced cod species
92
what are examples of farming strategies to adapt to climate change?
- alter species grown
- GM crops
- diguettes in Sub-Saharan Africa
- water 'harvesting' technology
- water drainage systems
93
what are examples of strategies for managing water supply for climate change adaptation?
- Kielder water transfer scheme in NE England
- water saving, reuse and recycling in UK
- desalination to recover freshwater from oceans
- Tube wells in Bangladesh to obtain groundwater
94
how can the risks of rising sea levels be reduced as part of climate change adaptation?
- Abandon land not worth saving economically
- Plan for climate change
- Engineer coastal defenses
95
what are features of energy security?
- reliable
- uninterrupted
- affordable
- dependant on domestic rather than imported sources
- accessible
- available
96
Why is global energy consumption increasing?
- global population growth
- increasing development
- rise of middle class
97
What factors may affect a country's ability to access and consume energy?
- physical availability
- cost
- technology
- public perception
- level of economic development
- climate
- environmental priorities
98
How does the USA's energy mix differ from France?
- USA has 10% from renewables and 8% from Nuclear.
- France has 10% from renewables and 41% from Nuclear.
99
Why does France and USA have differing energy consumption?
- USA has a larger population
- USA is larger and experiences more extremes of hot and cold weather
100
How does energy security differ between USA and France?
- USA could be more energy secure as it only imports around 15%.
- France is less energy secure as it relies on 46% of its energy through imports.
101
Who are the five major players in the world of energy?
- TNCs
- OPEC
- energy companies
- governments
- consumers
102
What is opec?
- organisation of the petroleum exporting countries.
- It has 13 members
- 2/3 of the worlds oil reserves in the world between them
- are able to control the amount of gas and oil in the global market along with their prices.
103
Why is there a mismatch between the supply and demand of coal?
The largest producers of coal, tend to be the largest consumers, such as USA and China.
104
Why is there a mismatch between the supply and demand of oil?
OPEC countries are the largest suppliers of oil, but the largest consumers are in Europe.
105
Why is there a mismatch between supply and demand of gas?
USA and Russia are the largest gas exporters, but the major importers are in Western Europe and Japan.
106
How can the mismatch in fossil fuels supply and demand be resolved?
Creating energy pathways, citrus roads, rail, pipelines or shipping.
107
What four examples of unconventional fossil fuel sources?
- tar sands
- oil shale
- shale gas
- deepwater oil
108
What are tar sands and where can they be found?
- A mixture of clay, sand, water, and bitumen.
- Found in Canada and Venezuela.
109
How are fossil fuels extracted from tar sands?
They are injected with steam to reduce the viscosity of the tar so it can be pumped out.
110
Where is oil shale?
Oil bearing rocks that are permeable enough to allow oil to be pumped out.
111
How can fossil fuels be extracted from oil shale?
Shale is ignited so that light oil fractions can be pumped out.
112
What is shale gas?
Natural gas fits trapped in fine grained sedimentary rocks.
113
Who is the largest producer and exporter of shale gas?
USA
114
How is shale gas extracted
Fracking, which is the pumping of water and chemicals into the rock to force out the gas
115
What is deep water oil?
Oil and gas found offshore under considerable oceanic depths.
116
How can fossil fuels be extracted from deep water oil?
Drilling on offshore rigs.
117
Where are there large reserves of deep water oil?
off the coast of Brazil
118
What are the benefits of unconventional fossil fuels?
- could provide greater energy security
- creates jobs
- boosts local economy
119
What are the costs of using unconventional fossil fuels?
- releases carbon and enhances global warming
- extraction is expensive and requires advanced technology
- environemntally damaging
120
What are the examples of alternatives to fossil fuels?
- renewable sources
- recyclable sources
121
What are recyclable energy sources?
- nuclear power
- biofuels
122
What are the benefits of renewable energy?
- infinite
- reduces reliance on imports
- creates jobs
- save money in the long term as maintenance costs are low
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions
123
What are the costs of renewable energy sources?
- few countries can fully replace fossil fuels due to the intermittency of renewables
- HEP requires flooding
- eyesore
- impact birds
124
What issues are associated with nuclear energy?
- safetly e.g. chernobyl
- disposal of radioactive waste
- technology limits availability
- costs of decommissioning are high
- security is a concern
125
What are the challenges of using carbon capture storage?
- expensive
- unclear if carbon will stay underground
126
What are hydrogen fuel cells?
Fuel cells that combine hydrogen and oxygen produce electricity, heat, and water.
127
What can hydrogen fuel cells be used for?
- power source for electric vehicles
- source of heat and electricity in buildings
128
Why is hydrogen fuel cells a promising technology?
They have very little impact on the carbon cycle. And hydrogen is an abundant element.
129
Outline the natural greenhouse effect.
- 31% of carbon is reflected by clouds and gases in the atmosphere
- remaining 69% is absorbed by the Earth's surface and oceans.
- 69% of this surface absorption is reradiated.
- A large proportion of long wave radiation is radiated back to Earth.
130
what does melting permafrost release
- methane
