The Carbon Cycle

Question 1

Carbon cycle

Answer 1

The biogeochemical cycle in which carbon moves from sphere to another
It acts as a closed system made up of linked sub-systems that have inputs, throughputs and outputs
Carbon stores function as sources (adding carbon to the atmosphere) and sinks (removing carbon from the atmosphere)

Question 2

Fluxes

Answer 2

Movement of organic compounds through an ecosystem

Question 3

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Answer 3

The leading international organisation for the scientific assessment of climate change

Question 4

Anthropogenic

Answer 4

Processes and actions associated with human activity

Question 5

Petagrams (Pg) or gigatonnes (Gt)

Answer 5

The units used to measure carbon; one petagram also know as a gigatonne is equal to a trillion kilograms or 1 billion tonnes

Question 6

Reservoir turnover

Answer 6

The rate at which carbon enters and leaves a store is measured by the mass of carbon in any store divided by the exchange flux

Question 7

Sequestering

Answer 7

The natural storage of carbon by physical or biological processes such as photosynthesis

Question 8

Processes

Answer 8

The physical mechanisms that drive the flux material between stores

Question 9

Carbon cycle pumps

Answer 9

The processes operating in oceans to circulate and store carbon. Three different pumps:
The physical pump
The carbonate pump
The biological pump

Question 10

Thermohaline circulation

Answer 10

The global system of surface and deep water ocean currents is driven by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline) differences between areas of the ocean

Question 11

Millennial Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)

Answer 11

The UN MEA was the first major global audit of the health of ecosystems in 2005, highlighting their degradation (the loss of natural productivity through overuse and destruction)

Question 12

Positive Feedback Loops

Answer 12

Cycles which perpetuate issues for example:
Global warming creates icemelt, permafrost thawing releases trapped methane, dying forests and warming oceans emit CO2, increased greenhouse emissions mean warming continues and gases continue to be released

Question 13

Climate forcing

Answer 13

The causes/drivers of climate change, currently the most important driver is fossil fuel combustion

Question 14

Energy mix

Answer 14

The combination of different available energy sources used to meet a country’s total energy demand. The exact proportions or mix vary from country to country. It is an important component of energy security

Question 15

Energy pathway

Answer 15

The route taken by any form of energy from its source to its point of consumption. The route involves different forms of transport, such as tanker ships, pipelines and electricity transmission grids

Question 16

Biomass

Answer 16

Organic matter used as fuel, especially in power stations for the generation of electricity

Question 17

Biofuel

Answer 17

A fuel derived immediately from living matter, such as agricultural crops, forestry and fishing products, and various forms of waste (foods, shops, catering etc.)

Question 18

Primary biofuels

Answer 18

Fuelwood, wood chips and pellets and other organic materials that are used in an unprocessed form, primarily for heating, cooking or electricity generation

Question 19

Secondary biofuels

Answer 19

The processing of biomass and include liquid biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel which can be used by vehicles and in industrial processes

Question 20

Remote sensing

Answer 20

Surveillance by satellites such as Landsat generates data that can authenticate, or refute official government data

Question 21

Afforestation

Answer 21

Planting trees on land that has never had forest or has been without forest for a long time

Question 22

Reforestation

Answer 22

Planting trees in places with recent tree cover, replacing lost primary forests

Question 23

Geological Information Systems (GIS)

Answer 23

Maps with layers of information are an important part of analysing a place’s characteristics

Question 24

pH

Answer 24

A logarithmic measure of acidity or alkalinity. A value of 7 means neutral; above this the pH is alkaline, below this is more acidic

Question 25

Ocean acidification

Answer 25

The decrease in pH of the Earth’s oceans caused by the uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere

Question 26

Inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ)

Answer 26

A concentration of warm air that produces rainfall as part of a global circulation system (the Hadley cell) it moves north and south across the equator seasonally. Small shifts in this can cause drought

Question 27

Ecosystem resilience

Answer 27

The level of disturbance that ecosystems can cope with while keeping their original state

Question 28

Critical threshold

Answer 28

An abrupt change in an ecological state
Small enviro changes can trigger significant responses
Negative and positive feedback loops reinforce or undermine changes once an alternative stable state has become established

Question 29

Enhanced greenhouse effect

Answer 29

The intensification of the natural greenhouse effect by human activities, primarily through fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, causing global warming

Question 30

Sustainable management

Answer 30

The environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable use of ecosystems for present and future generations

Question 31

Arctic barometer

Answer 31

A barometer measures pressure

The Arctic is already showing pressure on its natural systems from anthropogenic influences

Question 32

Albedo flip

Answer 32

When the sunlight reflected by white ice is suddenly absorbed by ice melts, creating a dark surface of open water

Question 33

Aquaculture

Answer 33

The farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants

Question 34

Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP)

Answer 34

The IPCC has a range of views or scenarios, called RCPs or how the world would look in 2100 based on the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere
Their numbers show different radiative forcing, measured in watts per square metre, by 2100
This means the difference in atmospheric energy inputs and outputs since the industrial revolution

Question 35

Climate change adaption

Answer 35

This includes any passive, reactive or anticipatory action taken to adjust to changing climatic conditions
Hard strategies: tech e.g. windfarms
Soft strategies: legislation e.g. land use zoning

Question 36

Mitigation

Answer 36

The reduction and prevention of GHG emissions by new technologies and low carbon energies e.g. renewables and nuclear, becoming more energy efficient or changing attitudes and behaviour