Lesson 10 - Feedback within and between cycles

Question 1

What is negative feedback?

Answer 1

Negative feedback is when a system undergoes a disruption and a number of changes are triggered that reverse the effects of the disruption. It restores the system back to an equilibrium.

Question 2

What is positive feedback?

Answer 2

When the disruption is amplified and fed so that it continues to disrupt the system.

Question 3

What is a system threshold?

Answer 3

This is when a system reaches past a point where equilibrium can no longer be restored.

Question 4

What is the Cryosphere feedback loop?

Answer 4

Ice on the oceans surface reflects light due to its high albedo however, due to increased climate change this ice is melting which exposes the sea which has a much less albedo. The ocean absorbs this heat instead of reflecting it and now the ocean warms up even more. This is a positive feedback loop.

Question 5

What is the Marine Carbon feedback loop? What loop is this?

Answer 5

Acidification from climate change causes marine life to die, this means they can’t absorb carbon into the water from the atmosphere therefore atmospheric carbon levels increase, warming the planet even more. This is a positive feedback loop.