Dynamic Equalibrium

Question 1

What are the 6 carbon stores?

Answer 1

Atmosphere - carbon in the air
Biosphere - carbon in living plants and animals
Cryosphere - carbon frozen in ice like glaciers and the permafrost
Pedosphere - carbon in the soil
Lithosphere - carbon in the rocks
Hydrosphere - carbon in water like the oceans

Question 2

what is the physical carbon pump?

Answer 2

when carbon in the ocean is moved by currents creating an equal distribution of carbon.
it transports water to the poles where caron sinks

Question 3

what is the biological carbon pump?

Answer 3

food chains
E.G) phytoplankton photosynthesise -> zoo plankton eat them -> small fish eat them -> big fish eat them -> they die (material sinks) ->decomposition /sedimentation = buried under sediment or released back into system

Question 4

what are the human influences on the carbon stores?

Answer 4

industrialisation - use fossil fuels = combustion from lith -> atmos
urbanisation - concrete production = lith
-> hyd +atmos and deforestation = less photosynth
changes to farming and diets - more W diet = more live stock so more respirat + digest = bios -> atmos
global consumerism - large areas deforested/burnt for palm oil plantations = bios -> atmos
water pollution - chem get into water sources -> can cause carbonation of carbonate rocks cos of acidification (lith -> hyd + atmos)

Question 5

what is dew point

Answer 5

when the water vapour and there air reach the same temperature and so the water vapour condenses forming clouds.

Question 6

what is Adiabatic Lapse Rate?

Answer 6

air is heated so it expands and rises into the atmosphere and loses heat.
6.5 degrees C/ every 1000m in the Environmental Lapse Rate (ELR)
the higher into the troposphere the lower the temp cos fewer air particles to retain the heat

Question 7

what is are feedback loops?

Answer 7

the relationship between the outputs and the inputs. -> most natural systems are unaffected by human activity
A positive feedback loop has negative affects where dynamic equilibrium is unbalanced.
A negative feedback loop has positive affects where dynamic equilibrium is balanced.

Question 8

urbanisation’s impacts on the water and carbon cycles

Answer 8

water
- impermeable surface = more surface run-off
- drainage system = short lag time -> rapid rise in water levels
- building on flood plains

carbon
- releases CO2 from concreate production
- disturbs soil so CO2 released from pedosphere

Question 9

farming’s impact on the water and carbon cycles

Answer 9

water
- irrigation = more evap + soil drainage
- less intercept, evap + transpiat cos deforested areas for fields
- ploughing = more evap + soil moisture loss ( furrows act as channels = faster surface run-off)

carbon
- deforest = less storage in bios
- soil storage reduced by ploughing
- soil erosion
- carbon exchange through photosynth are lower

Question 10

forestry’s impact on the water and carbon cycles

Answer 10

water
+increase rates of interception
+transpirat rates increase
- when deforest increase run-off, decrease evap and increase discharge
+ conifers = needles so photosynth all year so increase intercept and lag time
- conifer = decrease yield for public supply

carbon
+ change land use to forestry = increased carbon storage ( forest = 10x more photo than grassland
- are only active carbon sink for 1st 100yrs after they’re planted