The Carbon Cycle Flashcards
(158 cards)
1
Q
What is carbon?
A
- one of the most chemically versatile elements
- forms more compounds than any other element
- found in all life forms + needed to survive
2
Q
Where is carbon found?
A
Carbon is found in all life forms as well as sedimentary rocks, diamond, graphite, coal, oil and gas
3
Q
What is the route that carbon follows known as?
A
The carbon cycle
4
Q
What is the carbon cycle the process of?
A
Transforming organic carbon into inorganic carbon
5
Q
Give some examples of carbon compounds
A
- bio-molecules
- CO2 (carbon dioxide)
- CH4 (methane)
- CaCO3 (calcium carbonate)
- hydrocarbons
6
Q
Bio-molecules
A
Produced in living things, e.g., fats, oils and DNA
7
Q
CO2
A
A gas found in the atmosphere, soils and oceans
8
Q
CH4
A
A gas found in the atmosphere, oceans, soils and sedimentary rocks
9
Q
CaCO3
A
Solid compound found in rocks, oceans and skeletons
10
Q
Hydrocarbons
A
Solid, liquid or gas found in sedimentary rocks
11
Q
The carbon cycle: stores
A
This is effectively how much carbon there is and where it is. For example, soils are a major store of carbon within the terrestrial carbon system.
12
Q
The carbon cycle: fluxes
A
Measurements of the rate of flow of carbon between the stores.
13
Q
The carbon cycle: processes
A
The physical mechanisms which drive the flux of carbon between stores. For example, one of the key processes which drives the flux of carbon from the atmosphere to the vegetation store is photosynthesis.
14
Q
What is the difference between the fast and slow carbon cycle?
A
The fast carbon cycle focuses primarily on the biosphere, while the slow carbon cycle is more involved with the hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere.
15
Q
What is a carbon sink?
A
A carbon sink is a store that absorbs more carbon than it releases (e.g., the Amazon Rainforest)
16
Q
What is a carbon source?
A
A carbon source releases more carbon than it absorbs (e.g., permafrost)
17
Q
Fast carbon cycle
A
This is where changes are rapid, occurring over years, decades and centuries
18
Q
Slow carbon cycle
A
This is where changes are slow, occurring over millions of years.
19
Q
Organic carbon
A
Carbon found in nature through plants and living things
20
Q
Inorganic carbon
A
Carbon extracted from ores and minerals
21
Q
Give some natural processes that drive change in the carbon cycle
A
- decomposition (organic, fast)
- hydrocarbon formation (inorganic, slow)
- photosynthesis (organic, fast)
- forest fires (organic, fast)
- volcanic eruptions (inorganic, fast)
- respiration (organic, fast)
- sedimentary rock forming (inorganic, slow)
- water -> air carbon transfer and deep oceans (inorganic, fast and slow)
- weathering (inorganic, fast and slow)
22
Q
Give some human processes that drive change in the carbon cycle
A
- burning fossil fuels, combustion (inorganic, fast)
- forest fires (organic, fast)
- agriculture, animals + growing products (organic, fast)
- cars and factories (inorganic, fast)
23
Q
Photosynthesis
A
- process where plants use light energy from the sun to produce carbohydrates in the form of glucose
- green plants absorb the light energy using chlorophyll in their leaves
- the absorbed light energy coverts carbon dioxide and water into glucose, releasing oxygen into the air
- some glucose is used in respiration and the rest is converted back to starch
24
Q
Respiration
A
- chemical process that happens in all cells and is common to both plants and animals
- plants use some of the stored carbohydrates as an energy source to carry out their life processes by means of respiration
- glucose is converted into energy that can be used for growth and repair, movement and control of body temperature in mammals.
- carbon dioxide is then returned to the atmosphere, mostly by exhaled air.
25
Decomposition
- when organisms die, they are consumed by decomposers, such as bacteria, fungi and earthworms
- during this process of decomposition, carbon from their bodies is returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
- some organic material passes into the soil, where it may be stored for hundreds of years.
26
Combustion
- organic material contains carbon. When it is burned in the presence of oxygen (e.g., coal in a power station), it is converted into energy, carbon dioxide and water. This is known as combustion.
- the organic material can be vegetation or fossil fuels, such as natural gas (methane), oil or coal
- the carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, returning carbon that might have been stored in rocks for millions of years.
- wildfires and smouldering of peat accumulations contribute to a more rapid release of carbon compounds into the atmosphere.
27
Burial and compaction
- organic matter is buried by sediments and becomes compacted
- over millions of years, these organic sediments containing carbon may form hydrocarbons, such as oil and coal
- corals and shelled organisms, for example, take up carbon dioxide from the water and convert into calcium carbonate to build up their shells. When they die, the shells accumulate on the sea bed. Some of the carbonates dissolve, releasing carbon dioxide. The rest becomes compacted to form limestone, storing carbon for millions of years.
28
Weathering
- involves the breakdown or decay of rocks in their original place or close to the surface
- when carbon dioxide is absorbed by rainwater, it forms an acidic carbonic acid
- through a series of complex chemical reactions, rocks will slowly dissolve with the carbon being held in the solution.
- this is transported via the water cycle to the oceans and the carbon can then be used to build the shells of marine organisms
29
What is sequestration?
The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide
30
Give some types of sequestration
- carbon sequestration
- geological sequestration
- terrestrial or biological sequestration
31
Carbon sequestration
- the transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to the plants, soils, rock formations and oceans
- both a natural and human process, but should be classified as natural to distinguish it from the current human process of burying carbon known as carbon capture and storage
32
Geological sequestration
- CO2 is captured at its source (e.g., power plants) and then injected in liquid form to store underground, e.g., in depleted oil and gas reserves. This technique is still in experimental stage - carbon capture and storage (CCS).
33
Terrestrial or biological sequestration
- plants capture CO2 from the atmosphere and then store it as carbon in the stems and roots of the plants as well as in the soil
- CO2 dissolves in the surface of the ocean by diffusion where it is transferred to the cold deep ocean known as the 'physical pump'
- phytoplankton also fix carbon through photosynthesis
- carbon is removed from the seawater by shell-building organisms
34
Why is recycling of carbon essential for life on earth?
Because it enables food to be provided for plants and animals and energy sources are created to fuel industrial development
35
Where is the primary source of carbon on Earth?
In the Earth's interior. Carbon was stored in the mantle when the Earth formed, escaping at constructive and destructive plate boundaries. Some of the carbon, however, remains as CO2 in the atmosphere, some is dissolved in oceans, held as biomass in living/dead organisms and some is bound in rocks.
36
Organic carbon examples
Leaf litter, organic matter and humic substances found in soils
37
Inorganic carbon examples
Fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal) and carbonate-based sedimentary deposits like limestones.
38
What is peat?
Dead, undecayed organic matter found in boggy areas
39
What are the different spheres where carbon can be found?
In the lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere
40
Where is most carbon stored in the biosphere?
In tropical forest and boreal forest
41
Where is most carbon stored?
Majority is found in marine sediments and sedimentary rocks. Following this, is the ocean.
42
How much more heat does methane trap than carbon dioxide?
Methane traps 20x more heat than carbon dioxide.
43
What is the pedosphere?
The uppermost part of the lithosphere
44
What are the main stores of carbon?
- atmosphere
- biosphere
- cryosphere
- pedosphere
- lithosphere
- hydrosphere
45
The carbon cycle
The complex process carbon undergoes as it transforms from organic carbon to inorganic carbon and back again.
46
How much carbon is released per year through human activity into the atmosphere?
6.7 billion tonnes of carbon
47
What does Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) involve?
Capturing the CO2 produced by power generation or industrial activity, such as steel or cement making, transporting it and then storing it deep underground.
48
Give a power plant CCS project
Boundary Dam in Canada
49
What does the Boundary Dam CCS scheme intend to do?
It will capture 90% of the emissions from a 110 megawatt coal unit. The project will eventually capture 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from the power station's chimney. It will produce 115 megawatts (MW) of power, which is enough to power about 100,000 Saskatchewan homes.
50
What is biosynthesis?
The production of complex molecules within living organisms or cells
51
Physical factors affecting carbon stores
- volcanic activity
- natural climate change: sunspots, orbital changes (the Milankovitch Cycles), volcanic eruptions
- wildfires
- extreme weather events of cold snaps and heat waves
52
Human factors affecting carbon stores
- having more cars and burning more fossil fuels
- deforestation / afforestation
- disruption to the peat bog environment
- urbanisation
- growth of industry, fossil fuels, combustion
- agriculture, land use change, intensive farming of animals- the growth in dairy and meat consumption
53
What is the most polluting part of urbanisation in affecting carbon stores?
Creating cement, which is done by quarrying rock, such as chalk
54
How do wildfires affect the carbon cycle?
- when forests burn, vast amounts of stored carbon is emitted. This means that there are higher carbon levels in the atmosphere as a result.
- increased carbon in the atmosphere is a problem, because it traps heat, worsening climate change. Climate change is an issue as it threatens ecosystems and human livelihoods, through rising sea levels or more frequent extreme weather events, for example.
55
What are the most common causes of wildfires?
- burning debris
- unattended campfires
- electrical power
- other causes (such as cigarettes, equipment use and malfunctions, vehicle crashes and engine sparks)
56
Give an example of a forest fire
Yellowstone National Park forest fire
57
When did the Yellowstone National Park forest fire occur?
1988
58
Where did the Yellowstone National Park forest fire occur?
In Western USA
59
Yellowstone National Park forest fire of 1988 overview
- almost 250 different fires started in Yellowstone and the surrounding national forests between June and August
- 7 of them were responsible for 95% of the total burned area
- the wildfires burned around 683,000 of the park's 2.2 million acres
- most of the fires were caused by lightning
- in response, more than $120 million was spent fighting the fires in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
60
How did the Yellowstone forest fires affect the carbon cycle?
- when a wildfire occurs, they release more carbon into the atmosphere than the area is able to capture
- on average, Yellowstone park emits about 44 million tons of carbon dioxide, so after the wildfires of 1988, it is likely that this figure was higher.
61
What are wildfires?
A wildfire is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area, such as a forest or grassland
62
What are some of the responses to stopping wildfires once they have started?
- fire fighters act by spraying the allocated area with water and foam
- spraying ahead of wildfires to stop the fire spreading
- create fire breaks by removing a line of vegetation or digging a trench to stop the fire spreading
- back burning is where areas ahead of the fire are deliberately burnt in a controlled way to remove the fire's fuel supply
63
What are some of the responses to preventing wildfires in the future?
- removing dead leaves and branches in areas prone to wildfires
- organising controlled burning to remove fuel
- giving fines to those who are caught starting fires
64
When do peat fires occur?
Peat fires occur when fast flaming wildfire sweeps over a region, burning the surface vegetation and igniting the peat if it is dry enough.
65
How much carbon do peatlands store?
Peatlands store 1/3 of the world's soil carbon, with their harvesting and use releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
66
Give some peat characteristics
- high compressibility
- low shear strength
- high moisture content
- low bearing capacity
67
What are peat fires often like?
They are often highly flammable
68
What is combustion?
A chemical reaction including oxygen, heat and light in the form of a flame
69
What are hydrocarbons?
A compound of hydrogen and carbon
70
What is hydrocarbon extraction?
Where hydrocarbons are taken from rocks which are carbon stores.
71
What can combustion lead to?
Forest fires, which damage trees that store carbon
72
How are hydrocarbons extracted?
By processes such as fracking and drilling
73
Why is fracking a problem?
Because it may cause earthquakes in the future
74
Why might hydrocarbon extraction be considered dangerous?
Because the combustion of extracts could cause forest fires if not kept under control
75
How do farming practices cause carbon store changes?
- vast areas of land are cleared for pastoral or arable farming and although these crops store carbon, it's usually far less than the previous natural vegetation
- slash and burn releases huge amounts of the previously stored carbon with the replacement farming only able to replenish a much smaller amount
76
How much human carbon dioxide emissions does vegetation absorb?
Around 30%
77
Peat
A brown deposit resembling soil, formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter in the wet acidic conditions of bogs and fens, and often cut out and dried for use as fuel and in gardening.
78
What is a peat bog?
Peat bogs are dense wetlands filled with partially decayed vegetation
79
How do peat bogs form?
The waterlogged conditions and the bog's acidity prevents the vegetation from fully decaying when it dies. Instead, it builds up over thousands of years to become peat and can sometimes be metres deep.
80
Where can you find peat bogs?
Usually in cold, temperate climates, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere
81
What lives in a bog?
- there are some uniquely adapted plants in these acidic conditions
- there are over 380 species of sphagnum moss and a whole range of carnivorous plants, like insect-eating sundews.
82
Why are peat bogs important?
- UK peat bogs are estimated to store approximately 3 billion tonnes of carbon
- peatlands occupy 12% of the UK's land area and store 5.5 billion tonnes of carbon, over half of the country's current carbon storage
- peatlands store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined
- peatlands hold more than 1/4 of all soil carbon, even though they account for only 3% of Earth's land area
83
What are some of the threats to peat bogs?
- they are often misused
- they have been drained, burnt, built on, farmed and dug up for fuel and garden compost. As they're lost, so is the carbon that is held in their peaty soils
- 94% of Britain's raised bog has been lost over the last 100 years, due to peat cutting, drainage and afforestation
84
How can peat bogs be protected?
By using peat-free compost or an alternative, such as bark or wood fibre
85
What is the carbon budget?
The carbon budget looks at the total amount of carbon that can be emitted before having an impact on global temperature. It is about how it will impact life on Earth.
86
What are the 3 main spheres that the carbon budget will impact?
- cryosphere
- atmosphere
- biosphere (including the oceans + things like ocean salinity)
87
What are the impacts of a changing carbon budget on land?
- plant growth (leads to increased photosynthesis)
- increased growing season
- permafrost melt means land can then be used for growing
- more wildfires
- changes to farming practices (areas may become more intensive in their practices)
- soil formation
88
What are the impacts of a changing carbon budget in oceans?
- sea level rise
- ice sheet melt
- sea ice melt
- salinity changes (impacts coral and currents)
- ocean warming (leads to thermal expansion)
89
What are the impacts of a changing carbon budget in the atmosphere?
- changing weather patterns (you could get more or less water in certain places. This could limit plant growth or extend it)
- more extreme weather, e.g., hurricanes forming over warm oceans
90
How can you calculate the effects of the changing levels of carbon?
By building a computer model
91
What will the carbon budget have an impact on?
- the land
- the oceans
- the atmosphere
92
How will a changing carbon budget impact the land?
- the results are unclear, as the study has only lasted a short time and there are other variables that could have an impact.
93
How will a changing carbon budget impact the oceans?
- it is still not completely understood, but is thought to have impacts on the following factors...
- ocean acidification
- ocean warming
- melting sea ice
- ocean salinity
- sea level rise
94
How will a changing carbon budget impact the atmosphere?
- as much as 20% of CO2 may remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years
95
Ocean acidification
- about 30% of the CO2 that has been released into the atmosphere has dissolved into the ocean
- coral reefs provide food for around 500 million people worldwide, so significant reef loss threatens the survival of coastal communities.
- although, the more acidic seawater is, the better it dissolves calcium carbonate rocks (chalk and limestone)
96
Ocean warming
- warmer oceans could decrease levels of phytoplankton. This could limit the ocean's ability to take carbon from the atmosphere
- although, CO2 is essential for phytoplankton growth
97
Melting sea ice
- in the last 35 years, satellites monitoring sea ice in the Arctic have measured its retreat at 40%. When sea ice starts to melt, the ocean is able to absorb more sunlight, which amplifies the warming that caused it to melt in the first place.
98
Ocean salinity
- there has been an observed decrease in salinity in the deep North Atlantic.
99
Sea level rise
- sea levels are rising at a rate of 3.5 mm/year and have been doing this since the early 1990s
100
Give some ways in which water supports life on Earth
- irrigation
- to drink
- to make things. All industry needs water to cool down the machinery. You cannot generate electricity without water.
- no living organism can survive without water. We can only survive a few days without water.
101
Give some ways in which carbon supports life on Earth
- photosynthesis
- keeps us warm at an average of 17ºC. The Greenhouse effect would not happen without carbon. It's needed to keep warm.
- needed for growing and species (e.g., coral)
- about 50-55% of trees is carbon
102
What is the relationship between the water and carbon cycles?
- water has the ability to absorb and transfer CO2, particularly as CO2 is soluble in water.
- has links with photosynthesis and respiration
- has links with the dissolving of rocks
- carbon drives will change the temperatures, changing the rate of evaporation you have.
103
How does the melting of permafrost enhance the Greenhouse Effect?
Permafrost is a store which has trapped methane, so as permafrost melts, huge amounts of methane are released = enhances the Greenhouse Effect further and causes more melting. This is an example of positive feedback.
104
The Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse gases keep us at an average temperature so we can all survive and flourish
105
The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
This is when there is too many greenhouse gases. This is what is causing our world to warm. It leads to global warming.
106
Global warming
The average increase in global temperature, which is triggered by the enhanced greenhouse effect. Ideally, we want to stay below 2ºC of warming. One of the impacts of global warming is climate change.
107
Give some impacts of global warming
- stronger and more frequent tropical storms + hurricanes
- rising sea levels = more erosion, flooding and storm surges
- extinction of some species, e.g., coral
- ice will melt, which will increase sea levels even further
- more frequent drought and famine
- thermal expansion
- the need to adapt to find new ways of irrigating crops to use less water
- changes in energy consumption (more air conditioning etc)
- diseases which can only survive in warm areas, such as Malaria, will become more common
- melting permafrost is releasing trapped diseases
- the vegetation belt changes, with more species able to survive further north and invasive species competing with animals already there.
108
How much melting of ice has occurred in the last 35 years?
There has been a 40% retreat in the Arctic.
109
What is sea level rise per year?
3.5 mm/year
110
Why does the amount of carbon in our world not change?
Because our planet and its atmosphere form a closed environment
111
Since climate change began, how much more likely is it that we will have a heatwave?
30x more likely
112
How many species are threatened with extinction because of climate change?
Scientists believe that 8% of species are under threat of extinction, solely because of climate change
113
How much ice has the Greenland ice sheet lost?
4 trillion tonnes of ice
114
How much of the world's coral has bleached and then died?
1/3
115
When was the Climate Change Act established in the UK?
2008
116
What was established in 2008 in the UK?
The Climate Change Act
117
What fraction of carbon emissions are caused by deforestation?
Nearly 1/3
118
Who will suffer the most from climate change?
Those in developing countries, particularly the poor.
119
How much hotter is the planet expected to be by the end of the century?
Between 3ºC and 6ºC hotter
120
What is mitigation about?
Trying to stop the cause
121
Mitigation
Action taken by different players at different scales in order to influence carbon transfers and reduce the impacts of climate change
122
What scales does mitigation occur on?
Global, national, local and individual
123
Mitigation on a global scale
World, international organisations, e.g., United Nations
124
Mitigation on a national scale
Individual countries, e.g., USA, China, India, UK
125
Mitigation on a local scale
Cities, e.g., London
126
Mitigation on an individual scale
Things you do yourself, e.g., limiting how many flights you take a year to limit the release of carbon
127
What will be essential to keep warming below 1.5ºC?
Radical mitigation
128
What are the two categories of radical mitigation suggested by the IPCC report?
- reducing current emissions
| - negative emissions (taking carbon from the atmosphere)
129
Give some ways in which carbon can be taken out of the atmosphere
- carbon capture and storage (CCS)
- afforestation
- reducing the amount of area allowed to be deforested
- increasing phytoplankton
130
How can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
- changes to transport
- renewable energy
- environmental awareness schemes (e.g., afforestation)
- agriculture and food production
- urban design
131
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: changes to transport
- electric cars on an individual level
- aviation industry: trying to ensure the planes are more energy efficient and have new technology where the engines in the planes can capture some of the carbon being released. Planes are having a higher flying capacity (less spare seats by cancelling/combining flights).
- congestion charge zones, speed limit, low emissions zones
- encouraging people to use public transport / cycle (there are cycle lanes so people are encouraged to cycle), buses and trains that are more affordable and logically planned
- less requirement into the office / to attend meetings abroad (can do on Zoom) because of COVID = less people have to commute, less carbon emissions. The Bank of England only requires employees in one day a week.
- Santander Cycles, car sharing scheme (paying a certain amount to use a car when needed)
132
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: agriculture and food production
- reducing food miles by buying local
- reducing the amount of food waste
- reducing industrial farming + intensive farming
- using fertilisers and chemicals is really carbon-emitting, farming in an organic way doesn't require this.
- more use of natural manures - the carbon will be stored in the soil from the decomposers
- things which don't need full ploughing
- afforestation
- irrigation
133
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: urban design
- putting solar panels on houses
- orientating your windows to get more natural sunlight, which reduces how often you need to turn on your lights
- having more insulation (then you need less energy)
- double-glazing of windows
- less cement (cement production is very carbon-emitting). Brick houses have loads of cement and bricks themselves use huge quantities of heat to make. Other materials are much more energy efficient.
- waste management. Having urban recycling schemes, encouraging people to use less packaging - companies are getting much better at recycling things. Also how you manage sewage.
134
What is the process of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)?
- gas drilling in the sea
- coal or gas-fired power station with CO2 capture plant on land
- CO2 transportation by pipeline from the land to the sea
- CO2 injection from the sea to the seabed and underneath the sea
- CO2 is stored underground in depleted oil and gas fields
135
Give some reasons as to why we aren't switching to only renewable sources
- it is really expensive
- retrofitting is really difficult
- rapidly developing countries would use fossil fuels as this is cheaper
Money is the biggest driver and even for wealthy countries, renewable sources are expensive.
136
How is the UK trying to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions?
- phasing out the use of coal
- increasing the reliance on renewable energy sources, in particular, wind energy
- reinvesting in nuclear power
- improving the provision of recycling
- expanding the production of biofuels
- purchasing overseas 'carbon credits'
- tightening building regulations to ensure that new homes are carbon efficient.
137
How many deaths does the WHO estimate that global warming is responsible for?
150,00 people each year
138
What is a climate change adaptation strategy?
These are plans developed to protect and maintain human health and the environment
139
How many EU member states have adopted National Adaptation Strategies (NAS)?
25
140
How many EU member states have adopted National Adaptation Plans (NAP)?
15
141
Give some adaptation strategies for climate change
- conservation of ecosystems as they adapt to a warmer climate. Agricultural adaptation with a hotter + drier climate. Planning for food and water shortages.
- additional support for developing countries. These countries will suffer from poverty, conflict and poor health
- refugee support for migrants fleeing the worst affected areas
- vaccine and medicine stockpiling
- infrastructure planning for cities
- technological solutions, e.g., renewable energy advancements, housing insulation
- regulatory strategies, e.g., energy efficiency requirements and green city initiatives
- flood defences from weather and rising sea levels
142
When was the Paris Agreement formulated?
In 2015
143
What does the Paris Agreement set out?
It sets out in detail the actions needed to keep global warming at a no more than 2ºC increase. There are not country-specific targets, but all countries are required to develop their own plans of how they will mitigate global warming.
144
Give some limitations / concerns of the Paris Agreement
- is it not possible for countries to 'cheat' by setting their targets at an unfairly low level? Although, it could be said that self-set targets are more likely to be realistic + attainable.
- there will be no real punishment for those countries who fail to fulfil the terms of the agreement.
- the poorer countries may not have access to the technology and capital required.
145
What are the main aims of the Paris Agreement?
- strengthen response to climate change threats
- keep global temperature rise below 2ºC, but ideally less than 1.5ºC
- strengthen ability to deal with climate change impacts
- to put in financial flows and technology frameworks to help developing countries.
146
What do marine creatures construct their shell material from?
Carbon compounds
147
How has palm oil production changed in the last 10 years?
It has grown significantly
148
Where is palm oil most commonly produced?
In Malaysia and Indonesia
149
What percentage of palm oil is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia?
85%
150
Why is planting palm oil trees problematic?
Peat soils are a natural carbon sink and they store atmospheric CO2 long-term. These soils are removed so that palm oil trees can grow.
151
What can drier conditions in the rainforest increase the risk of?
Forest fires, which release more CO2 into the atmosphere.
152
Fast carbon cycle
The cycling of carbon between the land and the atmosphere
153
Slow carbon cycle
The cycling of carbon between bedrock and atmospheric or ocean stores
154
Give some ways in which the water cycle is linked to climate change
- a warming world is leading to a change in water cycle processes. Cryosphere stores are shrinking, leading to an increase in hydrosphere stores.
- regionally, rainfall patterns will alter, with some regions receiving more rain and others receiving much less than has been normal
- a colder world increases cryosphere and reduces hydrosphere stores. Lithosphere and atmosphere storage decline, but to a much lesser degree.
155
Give some ways in which the carbon cycle is linked to climate change
- warmer oceans are less able to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and melting cryosphere soils are beginning to release significant quantities of stored methane from accumulated tundra peats.
- increase in temperature will result in the widespread extinction of many vegetation species unable to survive in warmer temperatures / a drier environment
- when there is less rainfall, many species can't adapt = they will die / be affected by large-scale forest fires. The release of CO2 from forest fires will only worsen climate change.
156
How do changes to the carbon cycle affect global climate?
- human activity, particularly since the start of the Industrial Revolution, has resulted in increasing amounts of CO2 being released.
- the input of CO2 into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels is faster than natural processes can remove it
- there is evidence that plant growth increases with higher atmospheric CO2 levels, but only to a point and this levels off quite rapidly
- increasing acidic seas make it more difficult for molluscs and shell-forming marine creatures to extract the bicarbonate ions they need to convert into calcium carbonate
157
When was the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) formed?
1988
158
What are the impacts of a 2.0ºC warming as opposed to a 1.5ºC warming?
- 10 million more people losing homes to sea level rise
- 62 million more people exposed to severe drought
- 2 million more km2 of permafrost lost
- a 50% increase in species losing their homes
- Malaria transmissions rising from 19% to 27%
