The Carbon Cycle and Energy Sercurity

Question 1

what is the geological carbon cycle?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

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

Answer 2

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

Question 3

how do chemical processes maintain a dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

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

Answer 4

carbon production and absorption are balanced

Question 5

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

Answer 5

how much carbon is stored and released

Question 6

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

Answer 6

1. photosynthesis
2. respiration
3. decomposition
4. combustion

Question 7

how is photosynthesis involved in the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

Answer 7

removes CO2 from the atmosphere for plant growth

Question 8

how is respiration involved in the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

Answer 8

releasing CO2 into the atmosphere

Question 9

how is decomposition involved in the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

Answer 9

breaking down organic matter releasing CO2 into soil

Question 10

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

Answer 10

releasing CO2 into the atmosphere

Question 11

what do biogeochemical processes do for the carbon cycle?

Answer 11

continuously transfer carbon from one store to another

Question 12

another word for carbon production?

Answer 12

outgassing

Question 13

another word for carbon absorption?

Answer 13

sedimentation

Question 14

examples of outgassing? (3)

Answer 14

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

Question 15

example of sedimentation? (3)

Answer 15

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

Question 16

how is carbon absorbed through sedimentation?

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

what is diagenesis?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

how is carbon produced through outgassing?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

why is so much CO2 released through volcanism?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

what is the largest carbon store?

Answer 20

the mantle

Question 21

what is the largest known carbon store?

Answer 21

sedimentary rocks

Question 22

what are carbon fluxes?

Answer 22

the exchange between stores of carbon

Question 23

what is the biological carbon pump?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

what do phytoplankton do in ocean carbon cycling?

Answer 24

photosynthesis, removing carbon from atmosphere and into the food web

Question 25

what is the marine carbon pump?

Answer 25

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

Question 26

what is the physical carbon pump?

Answer 26

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

Question 27

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

Answer 27

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

Question 28

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

Answer 28

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

Question 29

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

Answer 29

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

Question 30

what is carbon bleeching?

Answer 30

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

Question 31

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

Answer 31

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

Question 32

what is a primary producer?

Answer 32

a living organism that produce energy from sunlight through photosynthesis

Question 33

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

Answer 33

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

Question 34

how do primary produces release CO2 ?

Answer 34

respiration

Question 35

what is carbon fixation?

Answer 35

the conversion of CO2 to cellulose

Question 36

what is carbon sequestration?

Answer 36

when CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored in biomass

Question 37

what type of environment sequesters the most carbon?

Answer 37

tropical forests

Question 38

why do tropical forests sequester the most carbon?

Answer 38

due to high temprature and rain which encourages decay

Question 39

what type of environment sequesters the least carbon and why?

Answer 39

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

Question 40

where are 30% of the worlds primary producers?

Answer 40

tropical rainforests

Question 41

where is the largest terrestrial carbon sink?

Answer 41

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

Question 42

what will remove CO2 storage/ absorbation

Answer 42

deforestation for farming and mangrove clearance

Question 43

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

Answer 43

temperate/ tropical zones experience stronger storms

Question 44

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

Answer 44

more heat and moisture in the air

Question 45

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

Answer 45

habitat change will mean 10% of land species face extinction

Question 46

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

Answer 46

1. humidity levels in the atmosphere increase | 2. rivers dry in regions (reduced precipitation)

Question 47

what is an energy mix?

Answer 47

the different primary energy sources of a country

Question 48

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

Answer 48

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

Question 49

how does physical availabilty affect the UK's energy mix

Answer 49

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

Question 50

how does cost affect the UK's energy mix?

Answer 50

north sea oil expensive to extract

Question 51

how does technology affect the UK's energy mix?

Answer 51

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

Question 52

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

Answer 52

political concerns over fracking and nuclear energy

Question 53

how does physical availability affect Norway's energy mix?

Answer 53

HEP natural choice due to mountainous terrain and plentiful rainfall

Question 54

how does cost affect Norway's energy mix?

Answer 54

HEP costs are low

Question 55

how does technology affect Norway's energy mix?

Answer 55

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

Question 56

how do political considerations affect Norway's energy mix?

Answer 56

government prevents foreign companies from owning private energy sources

Question 57

how does environmental considerations affect Norway's energy mix?

Answer 57

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

Question 58

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

Answer 58

green deal conservation and insulation schemes abandoned in 2015

Question 59

what is an energy pathway?

Answer 59

the flow of energy between producer and consumer

Question 60

what are the two types of recyclable energy?

Answer 60

1. nuclear | 2. biofuels

Question 61

what are the two types of renewable energy?

Answer 61

1. tidal | 2. wind

Question 62

what are the two types of renewable energy?

Answer 62

1. Hydroelectric power | 2. solar

Question 63

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

Answer 63

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

Question 64

what are the advantages of biofuels? (4)

Answer 64

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

Question 65

what are the disadvantages of nuclear energy? (4)

Answer 65

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

Question 66

what are the disadvantages of biofuels? (2)

Answer 66

1. surronding environment damaged | 2. deforstation

Question 67

what are the advantages of tidal power? (6)

Answer 67

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

Question 68

what are the disadvantages of tidal power? (2)

Answer 68

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

Question 69

what are the advantages of wind energy? (4)

Answer 69

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

Question 70

what are the disadvantages of wind energy? (2)

Answer 70

1. visual pollution | 2. not always windy

Question 71

what are the advantages of HEP? (4)

Answer 71

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

Question 72

what are the disadvantages of HEP? (4)

Answer 72

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)