Water_and_Carbon_AQA_A_Level_Geography_Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is a system in geography?
A set of interrelated components with inputs, stores, transfers, and outputs.
What is the difference between an open and a closed system?
Open systems exchange energy and matter with surroundings; closed systems exchange only energy.
Name four major water cycle stores.
Atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, groundwater.
Name four major carbon cycle stores.
Atmosphere, oceans, lithosphere, biosphere.
Name three water cycle flows.
Evaporation, precipitation, infiltration.
Name three carbon cycle flows.
Photosynthesis, respiration, combustion.
What is interception?
Water caught and stored by vegetation before reaching the ground.
What is infiltration?
The process of water soaking into the soil surface.
What is percolation?
The downward movement of water through soil and rock layers.
What is throughflow?
The lateral movement of water through soil to rivers or streams.
What factors influence runoff?
Soil type, land use, slope, rainfall intensity, vegetation cover.
How does urbanisation affect the water cycle?
Increases runoff and flood risk due to impermeable surfaces and drainage systems.
What is sequestration in the carbon cycle?
The long-term storage of carbon in plants, soils, oceans, and rocks.
What role do oceans play in the carbon cycle?
Absorb and store CO₂ through diffusion and biological processes.
How does the biosphere contribute to the carbon cycle?
Plants absorb CO₂ via photosynthesis; respiration and decay release CO₂.
How does deforestation impact the carbon cycle?
Reduces carbon uptake and increases CO₂ emissions through decomposition and burning.
How does deforestation impact the water cycle?
Reduces interception and evapotranspiration, increasing runoff and erosion.
What is the effect of burning fossil fuels on the carbon cycle?
Releases stored carbon into the atmosphere, enhancing the greenhouse effect.
Name two management strategies for the carbon cycle.
Afforestation and carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Name two management strategies for the water cycle.
Wetland restoration and sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS).
Name a river catchment case study and its key issue.
River Eden - River basin in Cumbria and affected by the changing patterns of farming, construction and deforestation, increasing the flooding of key areas such as Carlisle.
Name a carbon cycle case study and its key issue.
Amazon Rainforest — deforestation disrupts carbon storage and emissions balance.
