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Physical Geography > The Carbon Cycle and Energy Sercurity > Flashcards

The Carbon Cycle and Energy Sercurity Flashcards

1
Q

what is the geological carbon cycle?

A

a natural, long-term cycle that moves carbon between land, ocean, and atmosphere

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2
Q

what does the geological carbon cycle involve and what does this create?

A

involves a number of chemical reactions which creates new stores which trap carbon

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3
Q

how do chemical processes maintain a dynamic equilibrium?

A
  1. volcanic eruptions lead to a rise in temperature and hence increased evaporation/ moisture in the air
  2. increased acid rain weathers rocks and creates bicarbonates which are deposited as carbon on ocean floor
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4
Q

how is a state of dynamic equilibrium maintained in the geochemical carbon cycle?

A

carbon production and absorption are balanced

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5
Q

what do biological and chemical processes determine in the carbon cycle?

A

how much carbon is stored and released

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6
Q

what are the four processes involved in the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

A
  1. photosynthesis
  2. respiration
  3. decomposition
  4. combustion
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7
Q

how is photosynthesis involved in the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

A

removes CO2 from the atmosphere for plant growth

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8
Q

how is respiration involved in the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

A

releasing CO2 into the atmosphere

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9
Q

how is decomposition involved in the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

A

breaking down organic matter releasing CO2 into soil

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10
Q

how is combustion of biomass and fossil fuels involved in the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

A

releasing CO2 into the atmosphere

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11
Q

what do biogeochemical processes do for the carbon cycle?

A

continuously transfer carbon from one store to another

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12
Q

another word for carbon production?

A

outgassing

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13
Q

another word for carbon absorption?

A

sedimentation

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14
Q

examples of outgassing? (3)

A
  1. volcanism
  2. metamorphism of carbonate rocks at a subduction zone
  3. calcium carbonate deposition
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15
Q

example of sedimentation? (3)

A
  1. animal skeletons/ shells compact to form limestone
  2. decaying vegetation into coal
  3. sands and clays from rivers compact to form sandstone/ shales
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16
Q

how is carbon absorbed through sedimentation?

A

shells and skeletons of marine creatures extract carbon from seawater and phytoplankton. their remains accumulate on the seabed whereby the process of diagenesis, they compact into inorganic limestone.

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17
Q

what is diagenesis?

A

the long-term process by which sediments are changed into sedimentary rocks

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18
Q

how is carbon produced through outgassing?

A

volcanic activity at subduction zones causes gases such as CO2 to be released

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19
Q

why is so much CO2 released through volcanism?

A

CO2 is the least soluble of volcanic gases and so is degassed earlier than others and so are abundant

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20
Q

what is the largest carbon store?

A

the mantle

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21
Q

what is the largest known carbon store?

A

sedimentary rocks

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22
Q

what are carbon fluxes?

A

the exchange between stores of carbon

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23
Q

what is the biological carbon pump?

A

the process by which marine organisms sequester carbon from the ocean surface and convert it to organic matter

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24
Q

what do phytoplankton do in ocean carbon cycling?

A

photosynthesis, removing carbon from atmosphere and into the food web

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25
Q

what is the marine carbon pump?

A

the process of carbonate material accumulating on the seabed. occurs in the deep ocean

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26
Q

what is the physical carbon pump?

A

diffusion and transfer of CO2 in ocean currents. it occurs in the deep ocean and is global

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27
Q

what does the thermohaline circulation do in carbon cycling in oceans?

A

maintains the physical carbon pump by locking carbon in the deep ocean.

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28
Q

how does the thermohaline circulation lock carbon in the deep ocean?

A
  1. cold, saline water is more dense and so sinks
  2. warm water is drawn down from the surface
  3. water is drawn across from the Tropics
  4. cold water is drawn up to be warmed
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29
Q

what are the impacts of climate change on the biological carbon cycle? (4)

A
  1. slow/ stop the thermohaline circulation
  2. gulf stream slowed by 30% since 2000
  3. glacial melt water in Atlantic changes salinity which reduced deep ocean store
  4. carbon bleeching
30
Q

what is carbon bleeching?

A

when marine organisms lose their ability to absorb carbon due to increase in pH in the ocean

31
Q

what happens as a result of glacial melt water in the Atlantic ?

A

it changes the salinity of the ocean which reduces deep ocean carbon store increasing atmospheric concentrations

32
Q

what is a primary producer?

A

a living organism that produce energy from sunlight through photosynthesis

33
Q

how do primary produces transfer CO2 from the atmosphere to terrestrial store?

A

they use chlorophyll in chloroplast cells to convert CO2 and water into carbohyrdates

34
Q

how do primary produces release CO2 ?

A

respiration

35
Q

what is carbon fixation?

A

the conversion of CO2 to cellulose

36
Q

what is carbon sequestration?

A

when CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored in biomass

37
Q

what type of environment sequesters the most carbon?

A

tropical forests

38
Q

why do tropical forests sequester the most carbon?

A

due to high temprature and rain which encourages decay

39
Q

what type of environment sequesters the least carbon and why?

A

tundra due to low temprature, however carbon can be stored for millenia

40
Q

where are 30% of the worlds primary producers?

A

tropical rainforests

41
Q

where is the largest terrestrial carbon sink?

A

tropical rainforests, due to them having 30% of the worlds primary producers

42
Q

what will remove CO2 storage/ absorbation

A

deforestation for farming and mangrove clearance

43
Q

what could be the implications of a 2*C temprature rise on the climate?

A

temperate/ tropical zones experience stronger storms

44
Q

why would a 2*C temprature rise lead to stronger storms in temperate or tropical zones?

A

more heat and moisture in the air

45
Q

what could the implications of a 2*C temperature rise on ecosystems?

A

habitat change will mean 10% of land species face extinction

46
Q

what could be the implications of a 2*C temperature rise on the hyrological cycle?

A
  1. humidity levels in the atmosphere increase

2. rivers dry in regions (reduced precipitation)

47
Q

what is an energy mix?

A

the different primary energy sources of a country

48
Q

what are the factors affecting a countries energy mix? (6)

A
  1. physical availability
  2. cost
  3. technology
  4. politics
  5. economic development
  6. environmental priorities
49
Q

how does physical availabilty affect the UK’s energy mix

A

in the 1950s-70s, UK was a global leaderin nuclear tech. but lost momentum after discovery of oil and gas reserves

50
Q

how does cost affect the UK’s energy mix?

A

north sea oil expensive to extract

51
Q

how does technology affect the UK’s energy mix?

A

150yrs coal reserves left but technological and environmental concerns make extraction unrealistic

52
Q

how do policial considerations affect the UK’s energy mix?

A

political concerns over fracking and nuclear energy

53
Q

how does physical availability affect Norway’s energy mix?

A

HEP natural choice due to mountainous terrain and plentiful rainfall

54
Q

how does cost affect Norway’s energy mix?

A

HEP costs are low

55
Q

how does technology affect Norway’s energy mix?

A

drilling technology allowed Norway and UK to develop North Sea oil and gas extraction

56
Q

how do political considerations affect Norway’s energy mix?

A

government prevents foreign companies from owning private energy sources

57
Q

how does environmental considerations affect Norway’s energy mix?

A

2015: Norway committed to 40% reduction in green house gases by 2030

58
Q

how do environmental considerations affect the UK’s energy mix?

A

green deal conservation and insulation schemes abandoned in 2015

59
Q

what is an energy pathway?

A

the flow of energy between producer and consumer

60
Q

what are the two types of recyclable energy?

A
  1. nuclear

2. biofuels

61
Q

what are the two types of renewable energy?

A
  1. tidal

2. wind

62
Q

what are the two types of renewable energy?

A
  1. Hydroelectric power

2. solar

63
Q

`what are the advantages of nuclear energy? (4)

A
  1. no emissions
  2. reduced reliance on imports
  3. reliable
  4. not suseptable to price fluctuations
64
Q

what are the advantages of biofuels? (4)

A
  1. carbon neutral
  2. easy to source
  3. cheap
  4. workable in low income countries
65
Q

what are the disadvantages of nuclear energy? (4)

A
  1. construction and decomissioning costs
  2. risk of disaster
  3. waste
  4. rough states
66
Q

what are the disadvantages of biofuels? (2)

A
  1. surronding environment damaged

2. deforstation

67
Q

what are the advantages of tidal power? (6)

A
  1. clean
  2. no bi products
  3. produce great amounts of energy
  4. inexpensive to maintain
  5. predictability of high and low tide
  6. recreational lakes
68
Q

what are the disadvantages of tidal power? (2)

A
  1. not always constent as it depends on strength/ flow of tides
  2. need suitable sites
69
Q

what are the advantages of wind energy? (4)

A
  1. clean
  2. available in every country
  3. anywhere on any scale
  4. large scale (7% of energy in germany)
70
Q

what are the disadvantages of wind energy? (2)

A
  1. visual pollution

2. not always windy

71
Q

what are the advantages of HEP? (4)

A
  1. large scale (1/5 of the worlds electricity)
  2. drinking water
  3. flood control
  4. mini dams possible
72
Q

what are the disadvantages of HEP? (4)

A
  1. effects on wildlife
  2. ressettlement of populations (1.2 million for three gorges dam)
  3. conflict (south east anatolia project)
  4. cities/ towns flooded (Hasankeyf)

Physical Geography (15 decks)

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