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CARBON CYCLE! Flashcards

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1
Q

carbon stores:

A

atmosphere
lithosphere
biosphere
hydrosphere

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2
Q

what is the minimum amount of organic carbon needed in sediment and biologically degraded materials for crude oil to form?

A

2%

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3
Q

what processes are involved in the formation of crude oil?

A

impermeable rock will result in the crude oil being trapped
anaerobic reactions
settling of fine-grain sediments

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4
Q

what are fluxes in the carbon cycle?

A

the flows of carbon between different stores

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5
Q

the process of chemical weathering:

A

slightly acidic rain forms from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere being dissolved in rainwater
acidic rain hits carbon-rich rocks and dissolves material, forming calcium carbonate
dissolved materials are transported down rivers and into the sea, forming into sedimentary rock

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6
Q

size of carbon stores (largest to smallest):

A
  1. lithosphere
  2. hydrosphere
  3. biosphere
  4. atmosphere
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7
Q

what is a process?

A

a physical way in which carbon flows between different stores

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8
Q

flux:

A

a flow of carbon between different stores

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9
Q

a store:

A

where carbon is held

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10
Q

what is released into the atmosphere in out-gassing from volcanoes?

A

carbon dioxide

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11
Q

what is the biggest carbon store region?

A

the tundra

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12
Q

what does the thermohaline circulation refer to?

A

the global movement of water

cold water sinks to the bottom of the ocean while warm water rises to the surface

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13
Q

what do biological decomposers do?

A

consume already dead matter and return the carbon to the atmosphere through respiration

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14
Q

how do the oceans provide a biological carbon pump?

A

atmospheric carbon dissolves in the oceans where it can be transformed into terrestrial or biological carbon before returning to the atmosphere

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15
Q

what is the rate at which biological carbon is returned to the atmosphere dependent on?

A

temperature and climate

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16
Q

phytoplankton and the carbon cycle:

A

phytoplankton takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis
phytoplankton build their shells from calcium carbonate
phytoplankton are consumed by other organisms like zooplankton
carbon is returned to the atmosphere as consumers respire

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17
Q

what does the greenhouse gas layer do to the reflected solar radiation?

A

stops the radiation leaving the atmosphere

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18
Q

things affecting the amount of carbon stored in soil:

A

total output
total input
size of the store in different biomes

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19
Q

what happens in terms of pressure and precipitation at 30^N and 30^S?

A

high pressure and rainfall is rare

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20
Q

what is the albedo effect?

A

the colour of the surface of the earth impacts on how much radiation is absorbed
the white snow of glaciers and ice caps reflects the majority of heat whilst relatively dark oceans and forests absorb heat

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21
Q

uses of fossil fuels:

A

natural gas eg. for hearing stoves when cooking
coal eg. for fireplaces in homes
oil eg. in petrol and combusted in cars

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22
Q

what do we call the rapid rate at which the Arctic is warming?

A

Arctic amplification

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23
Q

what can be expected if precipitation falls as rain and not snow in winter?

A

winter floods

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24
Q

what do all types of fossil fuels combustion release as a by-product?

A

CO2

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25
in 2015, how much of UK energy came from renewable sources?
25%
26
secondary energy sources:
energy that flows through power lines to reach homes and businesses eg. electricity
27
renewable energy:
energy sources that are natural continuous flows that can be constantly reused eg. wind power
28
primary energy sources:
energy sources used in their raw form eg. fossil fuels
29
how much of the world’s energy is consumed in urban areas?
75%
30
why is the UK not exploiting the 150 years’ worth of coal still in UK reserves?
available technology is not good enough
31
energy sources in Norway:
hydro-electric power sites oil and natural gas Svalbard coal
32
how much did the UK agree to reduce their greenhouse emission by before 2030 (based on 1990 levels)?
40%
33
what does OPEC stand for?
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
34
which country has the largest natural gas reserves at 47,800 billion m3?
Russia
35
China’s fossil fuel supply:
14th largest oil reserve 3rd largest coal reserve world’s largest importer by 2035
36
by what year is China predicted to be the world’s largest energy importer?
2035
37
what is energy security highly affected by?
the vulnerability of transport networks | pipelines are intentionally placed to avoid damage and ships avoid areas known for piracy
38
how many times did piracy attacks happen in the Strait of Malacca between 2009 and 2015?
over 500
39
how is oil transported?
roughly 50% of the world’s oil is transported by ship there are 8 shipping route chokepoints in the world railways move around 50% of the oil in the USA from Bakken to the East Coast
40
what is the interconnected transmission system in the UK known as?
national grid
41
what does ESPO stand for?
the East Siberia Pacific Ocean oil pipeline that allows Russia to export oil to China, South Korea and Japan
42
what is found in sedimentary rock that has not had enough pressure, heat or time for conventional oil?
kerogen
43
extracting and producing tar sands:
opencast mines are used to extract tar sands 1 barrel of conventional oil required to produce 3 barrels of tar sand oil 2-5 barrels of water required for each barrel of tar sand oil
44
what is bio-ethanol made from?
sugar cane, beet and maize
45
what are biofuels?
fuels that are produced from organic matter and can be used in vehicles, can include biomass (the burning of plant material and animal waste for energy
46
what is the name for vehicles that can use a mixture of fuels?
flex vehicles
47
how big is the area of solar panels in Christchurch, England?
175 football pitches
48
renewable energy sources:
hydroelectric power solar power wind energy biomass
49
solar energy in the UK:
largest solar farm is at Shotwick | increased by 86% between 2014 and 2015
50
what % of the UKs energy needs will be covered by Hinkley Point C?
7%
51
what are radical technologies?
refer to newer alternative approaches for a more sustainable future in terms of fuel and carbon emissions
52
solar, wind and nuclear statistics:
pre-2011, 27% of Japan’s electricity came from nuclear power one wind turbine in Aylesbury provides energy for 2000 homes solar panels in Christchurch will provide energy for 75% of Bournemouth’s homes
53
what does CCS stand for?
Carbon Capture and Storage
54
what is afforestation?
the planting of trees on land that has either been previously deforested or otherwise not vegetated which instantly counteracts all of the negative impacts of deforestation
55
rainforest losses and gains:
the annual net loss of rainforest is half that of the 1990s | we have gained 3.3 million hectares between 2010 and 2015
56
what does the Kuznet curve show?
how environmental degradation changes as economic growth increases
57
what does HIC stand for?
High Income Countries
58
what country is now considered the benchmark for high quality eco-tourism?
Costa Rica
59
Kuznet’s Curve order
as the economic growth of a country goes up, environmental degradation will increase (as an area gets richer, it will use its finances to get more resources) these natural resources will further support the economic development of an area the country will then hit a point where environmental concern spurs on a need to protect the environment there is then a change in the environmental degradation but the GDP can continue to increase as environmental degradation decreases, the country can still continue to improve in terms of GDP because new industries can be developed
60
effects of deforestation:
water cycle: less interception and infiltration = less evapotranspiration of water back into atmosphere carbon stores: carbon stores in biomass decomposes to release more CO2, less vegetation = less photosynthesis to absorb CO2
61
what does CO2 convert to when there is a high concentration of it absorbed into the ocean?
carbonic acid
62
effects of ocean acidification:
coral disintegration and bleaching —> tourism declines eg. scuba diving at Great Barrier Reef —> storm surge and waves where reefs would protect shores —> reef fish have no habitat = local fishing industries decline
63
what lives in the tissues of corals providing carbohydrates through photosynthesis?
algae
64
factors that can affect coral reefs:
coral bleaching | oil spills
65
where are increased temperatures likely to cause the most impact?
the Arctic
66
what % of the world’s terrestrial carbon is held in the Amazon basin?
17%
67
what % of the world’s climate zones have already changed with a 2^C increase in temperature?
5%
68
how much of the future increased energy consumption is likely to be covered by renewable energy in the UK?
we don’t know
69
what are feedback mechanisms?
where something that happens in a system has a knock on effect on the rest of the system eg. if Arctic ice melts sea temps and levels will rise = warmer sea makes more Arctic melt
70
what is the name of the oceanic circulation that would be disturbed with increased melting of northern glaciers and ice caps?
thermohaline circulation
71
features of forest dieback:
drought in forests causes tree death to reach a tipping point there is so much dead vegetation that rainfall doesn’t infiltrate there is no evapotranspiration happening more vegetation die because of the further reduced rainfall
72
why is climate change uncertain?
because of a large number of factors and feedback mechanisms that may increase or stabilise the current impacts
73
what soil is formed from vegetation that is partly decayed?
peat
74
what are tipping points in any system?
point where there will be a drastic sometimes irreversible change
75
land use changes, adaptation strategies:
land use planning eg. zoning resilient agriculture eg. conversion cropping eg. using crops that are suited to the changing climate managing water better eg. reusing treated sewage water on farms eg. smart irrigation
76
what is geo-engineering?
adaptation through altering the physical environment to protect humans from the effects of climate change
77
what is smart irrigation?
using minimal amounts of water while ensuring optimum yield productivity which has lead to less water usage as well as less fertiliser and pesticides whilst increasing crop yield by 15%
78
how would spraying seawater into the atmosphere help manage solar radiation?
forms clouds to reflect radiation
79
features of Sweden’s renewable switching:
1970: 75% of electricity was powered by oil now: 20% of electricity powered by oil other 80%: mixture of HEP, nuclear and wind power
80
what are the UKs strategies for removing greenhouse gases?
include carbon capture and storage, afforestation, improve energy use efficiency, decarbonise electricity and increase number of zero emission vehicles
81
what is the Paris Agreement?
an example of a global agreement towards reducing climate change aim is to limit any further temperature increase to 1.5^C
82
how could businesses reduce their carbon tax?
use more environmentally friendly materials | reduce waste and emissions

Physical Geography (7 decks)

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