Water and Carbon Flashcards
(61 cards)
1
Q
What are natural systems made up of
A
- Stores
- Flows
- Inputs
- Outputs
- Boundaries
2
Q
What are stores of a system
A
- Where matter or energy builds up
3
Q
What are flows in a system
A
- When matter or energy moves from one store to another
4
Q
Examples of inputs in a drainage basin system
A
- Rain (precipitation)
5
Q
What is the boundary of a drainage basin system
A
- Watershed
6
Q
- Examples of stores in drainage basin system
A
- Soil storage
- Vegetation storage
- Interception storage
- Surface storage
- Channel storage
7
Q
Examples of flows in drainage basin system
A
- Channel flow
- Surface runoff (fast)
- Infiltration
- Stemfow
- Throughflow (medium)
- Interflow (medium)
- Percolation
- Groundwater flow (slow)
8
Q
Example of output in drainage basin system
A
- Where river meets the sea
9
Q
What is an open system
A
- Where both energy and matter can enter and leave- there an inputs and outputs of both
10
Q
Example of open system
A
- Drainage basin
11
Q
What is a closed system
A
- Where matter can’t enter or leave the system
- But energy can enter and leave
12
Q
Example of closed system
A
- Carbon cycle- amount of carbon on Earth stays the same
13
Q
What is it called when inputs and outputs of a system are balanced, with only small variations
A
- Dynamic Equilibrium
14
Q
What can large and long term changes to the balance of inputs cause
A
- A new dynamic equilibrium being established
15
Q
What happens in positive feedback
A
- Mechanisms AMPLIFY the change in inputs or outputs
- therefore system responds by increasing the effects of the change, moving further from its original state
16
Q
Example of positive feedback loop
A
Albedo effect
- Temperature rise>ice coving cold parts melts>less Ince cover means less of sun’s energy is reflected> therefore more of sun’s energy is absorbed by the Earth (>temps rise etc)
17
Q
What happens in negative feedback
A
- Mechanisms counteract/nullify the change in inputs or outputs
- meaning system responds by decreasing the effects of the change, keeping closer to previous state
18
Q
Example of closed system
A
- Large amounts of CO2 emitted> More CO2 in atmosphere>More CO2 causes increased plant growth> plants remove CO2 from atmosphere and store it> CO2 in atmosphere reduces
19
Q
What are the 5 subsystems of the Earth
A
- Cryosphere
- Lithosphere
- Biosphere
- Hydrosphere
- Atmosphere
20
Q
What is the Cryosphere
A
- All parts of the Earth system where its cold enough for water to freeze
21
Q
- What is the lithosphere
A
- The crust and upper mantle of the Earth- rocks and earth
22
Q
What is the biosphere
A
- The part of Earth’s systems where living things are found, such as plants, animals, fungi, bacteria etc
23
Q
What is the hydrosphere
A
- All of the water on the Earth
24
Q
What is the atmosphere
A
- The layer of gas between the Earths surface and space
25
How are the subsystems connected
- Matter and energy can move between them
- Changes in one subsystem can affect what happens in others
- Earth system is said to be a 'cascading system'
26
What is a cascading system
- Where the output of one system becomes the input of the next, creating a chain of interconnected processes
27
How much water in Hydrosphere
- 1.4 sextillion tonnes
28
How much of the Earth's water is freshwater
- 3%
29
What are the divisions of the Earth's freshwater
- 69% frozen in cryosphere
- 30% is groundwater
- 0.3% is liquid freshwater
- 0.04% is stored as water vapour in the atmosphere
30
What is the process of Gas to Solid
- Deposition
31
If water gains energy, what happens
- Melting
- Boiling
- Sublimation
32
If water loses energy, what happens
- Freezing
- Condensation
- Deposition
33
What is advection
- Horizontal movement of clouds over a cool surface
34
What is infiltration
- Water soaking into soil
35
What is percolation
- Water seeping down through soil into the water table
36
What is residence time
- Time spent in particular stores
37
What factors cause high evaporation
- Lots of solar radiation
- Large supply of water
- Warm, dry air
38
What factors cause low evaporation
- Little solar radiation
- Less water supply
- cool, saturated air
39
What is the dew point
- Temperature at which water turns from gas to a liquid
40
What causes high condensation
- Large or fast drop in temperature
- High humidity
41
How do clouds form
- When warm air cools, causing water vapour to condense into water droplets, which gather as clouds, and once they get big enough, they precipitate
42
What factors can cause warm air to cool
- Other air masses
- Topography
- Convection
43
How does other air masses cause warm air to cool
- Warm air is less dense than cool air, so when they meet, warm air is forced to rise above it, cooling down as it rises
- This causes frontal precipitation
44
How does topography cause warm air to cool
- When warm air meets mountains, it is forced to rise, and therefore cool
- This causes orographic precipitation
45
How does convection cause warm air to cool
- When the sun heats up the ground, the moisture on the ground evaporates and rises up, cooling down as it gets higher
- This causes convective precipitation
46
What is essential for cloud formation
- Tiny particles of other substances, such as dust or soot, to act as cloud formation nuclei by giving water something to condense onto
- If these were not here, moist air would simply disperse
47
Example of long term changes in cryosphere
- Orbital changes- Earth still emerging from ice age 21,000 years ago
48
What happens to the cryosphere during cold periods
- Inputs greater than outputs
49
What is transpiration
- The process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapour and is released into the atmosphere
50
What is a drainage basin
- The area surrounding a river where the rain falling on the land flows into that river
51
What is interception
- When precipitation lands on vegetation or other structures
- Only temporary
52
What is vegetation storage
- Water taken up by plants
53
What is surface storage
- Puddles, ponds and lakes
54
What is soil storage
- Moisture in the soil
55
What is groundwater storage
- Water stored in the ground
- Either in rocks or soil
56
What is channel storage
- Water held in river channel
57
What is overland flow
- Water flowing over than land
- Occurs because rain falling on ground is faster than infiltration
58
What is throughfall
- Water dripping from one leaf to another
59
What is stem flow
- Water running down a plant stem or tree trunk
60
What is throughflow
- Water moving slowing downhill through the soil
- Faster through 'pipes' such as cracks or animal burrows
61
