Carbon Flashcards
(129 cards)
1
Q
What type of system is the carbon cycle
A
Closed
2
Q
Why is the carbon cycle closed
A
Inputs + outputs of energy
But amount of carbon in the system remains the same
3
Q
Define the carbon budget
A
Difference between the inputs of carbon into a subsystem and the outputs of carbon from it
4
Q
Example examples of inputs of carbon
A
- Volcanic eruptions
- Fossil fuels
- Respiration
- Ocean loss
5
Q
Examples of outputs of carbon
A
- photosynthesis
- Sequestration
- Decomposition
- Chemical weathering
6
Q
Carbon source
A
Outputs outweigh the inputs
7
Q
Carbon sink
A
Inputs out where the outputs 
8
Q
What upsets the balance of carbon?
A
Sudden releases e.g volcanic eruptions
9
Q
Types of carbon stores
A
- lithosphere
- Atmosphere
- Hydrosphere
- Biosphere
- Cryosphere
10
Q
Lithosphere
A
- 99.9% of carbon stored in sedimentary rocks + limestone
- 0.004% in fossil fuels
11
Q
Atmosphere
A
- stored as carbon dioxide + methane
- 0.001 %
12
Q
Hydrosphere
A
- dissolved in rivers/ lakes/ oceans
- 2nd largest store
- 0.04%
- Most found deep in the ocean as dissolved inorganic carbon
13
Q
Biosphere
A
- stored in tissues of living organisms
- Transfer to soil when organisms die
- 0.004%
14
Q
Cryosphere
A
- 0.01%
- Permafrost
15
Q
Measurements of fluxes
A
- pentagrams (pg)
- Gigatons (gt)
16
Q
Largest flux
A
- Ocean and atmosphere
- Land and atmosphere
17
Q
Spatial scales for fluxes
A
- plant scale : photosynthesis + respiration
- Ecosystem scale : combustion + decomposition
- continental scale : sequestration ( southern hemisphere ) + photosynthesis and respiration ( northern hemisphere )
18
Q
Sequestration time scale
A
Millions of years for carbon to be sequestered into sedimentary rocks + deep ocean
19
Q
Formation of sedimentary carbonate rocks
A
1) calcifying marine life extract CO2 from ocean + phytoplankton
Eventually die + fall to ocean floor
Accumulate over millions of years , forming layers
Lithified into rocks e.g limestone
2) dead organic matter e.g plants / animals fall to ocean floor
Overtime these organic deposits are covered by silt + mud
More layers buildup
Compresses lower layers
Form show over millions of years
20
Q
Fossil fuel formation
A
Organic materials deposited at ocean floor
Not enough oxygen to fully decompose
Anaerobic decomposition of organisms = slow
Organic matter builds up faster than decomposition
Fossil fuels formed e.g oil , gas, coal
21
Q
How is carbon released into the atmosphere?
A
- Chemical weathering
- outgassing
22
Q
Chemical weathering
A
Rainwater + CO2 = weak carbonic acid + surface rock ( limestone ) = soluble calcium carbonate ( calcium ions released )
Transferred to oceans
Precipitate out as minerals e.g CaC03
Organisms use to make shells
Etc …. Rocks
23
Q
Outgassing
A
Rocks are bottom of sea
Melt during tectonic activity
Volcanoes formed
Carbon released into the atmosphere
24
Q
Fast carbon cycle
A
Calcifying organisms dying + falling into bottom of sea
25
Slow carbon cycle
Formation of rocks + volcanic outgassing
26
Negative feedback loop
Outgassing = more CO2 in atmosphere
Global temp rising
More evaporation
More cloud formation
More acid rain = more chemical weathering
More carbon ions washed into sea
More sequestration + less carbon in atmosphere
27
Combustion release in carbon
- Transfers carbon from biomass to atmosphere by burning
- release a CO2 + heat = used to power turbines = electricity
- Wildfires = large quantities of carbon in bio mass released to atmosphere + loss of vegetation = loss of photosynthesis and more atmospheric carbon
28
Carbon sequestration into oceans
- Biological pump
- Carbonate pump
- Physical pump
29
Biological pump
phytoplankton photosynthesise
Take in CO2
Bottom of future chain, thus eaten by other animals
Carbon transferred up chain
Respiration releases some carbon into atmosphere , but most respired carbon on surface water = reabsorbed by phytoplankton
Marine animals die
Carbon stored in bodies in deep ocean
30
Carbonate pump
Chemical weathering washes carbon molecules into sea
Carbon molecules + carbon dioxide = calcium carbonate
Used by calcifying organisms for shells
Organisms die
sedimentation
31
Physical pump
Cold water capacity > hot water capacity to hold carbon as it’s denser + sinks + held under pressure
High concentration of carbon in deep water
Thermohaline circulation causes warm water into cooler areas in the world , take in more CO2 , sink (downwelling)
Rebalanced by upwelling (cold water on surface )
32
What causes upwelling / downwelling
Differences in salinity
Between polar / equatorial regions
33
Carbon sequestered into plants
- plants photosynthesise to form glucose + oxygen
- glucose used to grow + build new structures
-primary consumers eat plants
- secondary consumers eat primary producers
- etc carbon transferred through food chain
- some carbon used for protein + fat
- others released in decomposition
- others released in respiration
34
Carbon sequestered into soil
- detritivores (fungi + bacteria) feed on dead material + release carbon into soil = organic carbon
- inorganic carbon = breakdown of limestone
35
Where does most carbon cycling happen
Topsoil
36
Why does most carbon cycling happen in the topsoil
most disturbance e.g leaf litter , plants , animal droppings etc
High humus content
37
Decomposition
Detritivores break down dead organism releasing carbon into the atmosphere
38
39
Rate of decomposition
- depends on soil : arctic tundra = slow as dry + little oxygen , tropical rainforest = warm
- depends on size of animal : large protein heavy = longer
40
Lithology of soil determine how much carbon it can store
- clay = more
- sand = less
41
Vegetation cover of soil determine how much carbon it can store
- regular leaves from deciduous leaves = high carbon
- leaves from low lying hardy = low carbon
42
Carbon in farmland
Constantly ploughed = more gaseous release
43
Greenhouse Effect
- short wave solar radiation enters from sun
- some reflected as long wave by atmosphere
- some reflected as long wave by surface
- remaining absorbed by surface = warmer land
- as warm land = some reflected as infrared radiation into space
- some absorbed by greenhouse gases
- warmer temp
44
45
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
- man made atmospheric conditions e.g Industrial Revolution
46
PPM Before Industrial Revolution
280
47
2021 PPM
419
48
Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere
0.04%
49
Carbon fixation
Terrestrial Organisms + oceanic organisms absorb photosynthesis + grow tissue
50
Photosynthesis equation
Carbon dioxide + water >>>>> chlorophyll + sunlight >>>>>>> oxygen + glucose
51
NPP
Rate of photosynthesis
52
High NPP
Biomes with dense vexation e.g tropical rainforests
53
Low NPP
Biomes with less sunlight e.g Arctic Tundra
54
Photosynthesis in oceans
shallow water as that’s where phytoplankton are
55
Organic matter and soil health
- holds lots of carbon = fertile soil
- hold moisture = water infiltrates + reaches a plant roots
56
Carbon in different biomes
Coniferous = 610 Pg
Deseret = 40Pg
57
Inputs of Carbon in soil
dead organic matter decayed by detritivores
58
Outputs of Carbon in soil
Rate of decomposition
59
What type of soil is best for plants to grow
Crumbly + porous
60
Fossil fuel combustion
Fossil fuel stores carbon for millions of years
Fossil fuels combusted
Carbon released as chemical bonds broken down
Carbon sinks can’t absorb at rate of release
Enhanced greenhouse effect
61
Global warming affecting climate
- thermohaline circulation system = weak as more meltwater from Greenland glaciers = less salinity = downwelling
- unpredictable rainfall patterns
- more intense + frequent storms
62
Global warming affecting hydrological cycle
ice sheets + glaciers melt = more flood risk + sea level rise
63
Global warming affecting ecosystems
- less biodiversity as plants sensitive to temp + precipitation
- vegetation adapted to permafrost struggles
- species migrate to stay within ecological niche
- increased risk of extinction
- low lying ecosystems lost to rise in sea level
- ocean acidification = coral bleaching
64
Energy security
Having affordable + reliable access to energy
A country is energy secure if it metal all of it’s demand through it own domestic supplies
65
Why is importing energy bad
- Less energy security
- Vulnerable to exogenous shocks
- Global prices can make energy unaffordable
66
Energy Surplus
Producing more energy than needed
67
Energy Deficit
Having too little energy that domestic demand isn’t met
68
Factors contributing to energy security
- Physical availability + access
- Cost
- Technology
- Public Perception
- Economic Development
- Environmental Politics
69
Physical availability and access
- some countries e.g Middle East has high domestic energy supplies = less transportation costs + high security
- rocky terrain = hard to extract
- Physical terrain = lots of rivers etc = HEP
- Political Tensions e.g Russia + Ukraine = energy trade hard
70
Cost
- Limited supply of non-renewable = harder to reach = costly to extract e.g deep sea drilling
- cost fo energy infrastructure e.g nuclear power plant
71
Technology
- expensive technology costs carried onto consumers
- long term solution e.g carbon capture = innovative + expensive
72
Public Perception
E.g nuclear = dangers
Biofuels = ruining forests
73
Economic Development
- developed countries = more luxury e.g cars = high demand
- developing countries = poor + cannot extract
74
Environmental Priorities
Paris agreement 2015 - commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions
75
Why is it not a good idea to supply energy needs from once source
- unreliable
- heavily affected by disruption
- price change means you HAVE to pay as can’t switch easily
76
Energy Mix
- primary + secondary
- renewable + non-renewable
- Domestic + Foreign
77
Relationship between GDP and Energy Consumption
- wealthy countries = more consumption e.g Sweden / USA
- Poorer countries = less consumption as less ppl can afford it e.g Ghana / Mangolia
78
Energy intensity
Low energy intensity = efficient energy use
Measures amount of energy consumed per unit of GDP
79
UK Energy Mix
1990:
37.3% = oil
23.0% = natural gas
0.5% = renewable
30.8% = coal
2020 :
41.2% = natural gas
31.9 % = oil
5.3% = Renewable
3.4% = coal
80
USA Case Study (2020)
Largest = 35% natural gas
Smallest = 3.8% renewables
12.3MWh per capita
28.7% increase in electricity consumption since 1990
81
France Case Study
Largest = 41.6% nuclear
Smallest = 2.5% coal
6.7MWh per capita
28.3% increase in electricity consumption since 1990
82
Players with roles in energy security
- TNCs
- OPEC
- Consumers
- Governements
83
TNCs
- involved in some stage of production process for energy e.g exploration / refining
- Russia owns 50% Gazprom = TNC
- state owned TNC can provide cheap energy + build alliances
84
OPEC
- 13 countries working together to include global supply / price of oil
- e.g Saudi Arabia
- control 80% of world’s oil
- 32m barrels produced daily
- in competitor with USA Fracking
85
Consumers
Pressure groups + protesting
86
Governments
- trade deals
- political alliances
- national energy infrastructure
- regulate private energy e.g ofgem
87
Why is supply of fossil fuels not evenly distributed
- coal found where sedimentary rocks form , most change = anthracite , least change = lignite
- oil + gas need to be heated + compressed deep underground , then travel up through rock pores until impermeable rock is met
88
Top coal producing country
China
24000TWh
89
Top natural gas producing country
USA
9100 TWH
90
Top oil producing country
USA
8200 TWh
91
Demand of fossil fuels
High populated countries
92
Top coal consuming country
China
24000 TWh
93
Top natural gas consuming country
USA
8100 TWh
94
Top oil consuming country
USA
9900 TWH
95
Energy Pathway
- pipelines for gas + oil across continent
- transmission lines + cables for electricity
- shipping routes / road / rail for oil / gas / coal
96
Disruption in the energy pathway —————
Decrease energy security
97
Types of Disruptions in the energy pathway
- Hazards e.g earthquakes rupture pipelines
- wear + tear over time = constant monitoring + regular costs
- Conflict : cutting pipelines to stop energy through a country e.g Somalia Pirates hijacking tankers
- Chokepoints e.g Panama Canal = hard + slow t get through = delays
98
Russian Gas to Europe
- 27m Tj produced annually
- 5.5m Tj through pipelines to West Europe
- 2009 Gazprom accused Ukraine for not paying gas supply debt then shut of supply to country = bad as pipelines to rest of Europe went through Ukraine
- Further tension when Russia annexed Crimean Peninsula 2014
- 2022 full invasion = uncertainty for Europe
99
2014 global fossil fuel usage
81%
100
Unconventional Fossil Fuels
- Fracking
- Tar sands
- Deep Water Oil
101
Fracking USA
- 1.7m wells in the USA
- high pressure fluid pumped into rock = breaking rock = gas released
- 30 states
- destroys habitats
- depletes domestic water storage
- pollutes water , makes it flammable
- damages plants / vegetation
- 2014 , 3b gallons of wastewater in Colorado = highly toxic
- air pollution as methane released
102
Canadian Tar Sands
- sediment contains bitumen extracted then oil separated
- Has largest reserved of tar sands
- expensive. + used lots of water + all sorts of pollution
- produces high level of local income
- 400k people employed
- indigenous ppl have to move out + cultural ways lost
103
Brazilian Deep Water Oil
- 2017 Lapa Deep water oilfield began
- 270km offshore + 2km deep = very expensive
- oil drilling platforms further away from coastlines = longer pipelines = increased cost for consumers
- Petrobras = state owned oil company
- looking to diversity energy mix so more HEP , Dams
104
Alternatives to fossil fuels
- wind power
- Nuclear Power
- HEP
- Solar
105
Positives for unconventional fossil fuels
- large scale employment
- greater energy security
- more competition = lower prices
106
Negatives for unconventional fossil fuels
- open cast mining = large areas dug into + left open = scars + long lasting affects
- oil spill = harm marine life
- fracking = minor earthquakes + drinking water pollution
107
Biofuels
- combustion of biomass
- replace petrol + diesel
- lower particulate emissions
108
Biofuels Costs
- crops e.g corn based ethanol needs lots of land = deforestation ecological sensitive areas e.g rainforests
- fertilisers + pesticides pollute
- opportunity cost with food crops
109
Biofuels Benefits
- simple + countries with low economic backgrounds can do
- Bioethanol cheaper than petrol
- high income with little investment
- rate of CO2 release is less than traditional petrol emissions
110
Brazilian Biofuels
- 34b l of bioethanol from sugar cane
- mixed with petrol to make flexi-fuel
- forest land cleared for intense cropping patterns
- 2005 500k employed in industry
- 2008 economic crash reduced dead and
- 2022 Brazil cost = $0.84/l bioethanol , USA - $1.02 l petrol
111
Other ways to create energy security
Radical Technology
112
Types of Radical Technology
- Carbon Capture Storage
- Hydrogen Fuel Cells
- Electric Vehicles
113
Carbon Capture Storage
- CO2 captured during fossil fuel combustion inside power plant, compressed and piped through injection well
- Very expensive
- requires high degree of mechanical engineering
- results not felt immediately
- Leakage not always monitored
114
Hydrogen fuel cells
- hydrogen and oxygen combined to produce water and energy
- Don’t produce dangerous waste products
- Can reduce carbon emissions
- Sourcing + storing = difficult
- Highly volatile thus more explosions
115
Electric vehicles
- Vehicles running on rechargeable electric batteries
- Limited distance
- Charging points limited
- Producing + disposing batteries = environmental damage
- Expensive to buy
- Quiet = less noise pollution
116
Why does land use change?
Population increases
Demand for resources grow
117
Types of land use change
- deforestation : forest cleared for agriculture + logging + developments
- Farming : wealthy populations, consume more meat = more land for pasture = less productive than crops
- Afforeststation : agricultural land reverting back to original vegetation cover = same species of tree planted = less carbon stored compared to mixed forest
118
Amazon drought events
- 2005 to 2010 = survey drought
- Plant and animals adapted to live in moist weather die
- Photosynthesis slows down = less carbon removed from atmosphere
- Wildfires are more common = more combustion = less CO2 captured from atmosphere
119
Increasing ocean acidification
Carbon dioxide dissolved into the ocean = weak carbonic acid
Reduces ocean pH + increases acidity
Less calcium carbonate for shells + acidity = harder for marine plants to take up minerals
Population of primary consumers decline = food chain disrupted
Acidification = less carbonate ions = thinner corals + coral bleaching = permanent damage = reaching critical threshold
120
How are forest important for human well-being?
- provide economic benefits e.g timber , paper
- 1.6b people dependent on forests for livelihoods
- Research for pharmaceutical companies = better medicines
- Buffer noise + air pollution
121
Kuznets Curve
Pre-industrial : use more resources to develop
Industrial : reach peak development , turning point
Post industrial :n increase conservation measures + import resources from other countries (decrease its environmental degradation)
122
Increased temperature affecting water stores
- more evaporation = more water vapour = more intense periods of rainfall = more flash flooding
- more snow melt = more meltwater in rivers = more flooded river regimes
123
Arctic Rising Temperatures
Higher temp
Less snowfall
More melting = increased sea level
Albedo affect as solar radiation absorbed by meltwater
Migratory pattern change e.g Caribou = hunting from indigenous ppl patterns change
As permafrost thaws , ground = unstable , infrastructure subsides
124
Why is managing oceans important for human wellbeing
- ocean acidification = dying marine life = less fish for food = loss of livelihoods + food source
- less coral reefs = less tourism
- more flooding = more coastal defences = higher coasts
125
[natural factors] Why is climate warming difficult to predict
- max CO2 in atmosphere or does it never stop?
- capacity of carbon sinks?
- lag time
- large scale events e.g El Niño
126
127
[human factors] Why is climate warming difficult to predict
- population increase + resource demand increasing e.g plague
- economic growth
- future energy usage
128
Climate change adaptation
- water conservation
- land use planning
- resilient agricultural systems
- Flood risk management
- Solar radiation management
129
Climate change mitigation
- renewable switching
- energy efficiency
- Carbon taxation
- CCS
- Afforestation
