Water and Carbon

stores/components

a part of a system where energy is stored or transformed

boundaries

a system has a strucutre that lies within a boundary

inputs

the addition of matter and/or energy into a system

closed systems

have transfers of energy both into and beyond the system boundary but not transfer of matter

open systems

where matter and energy can be transferred from the system across the boundary into the surrounding environment

dynamic equilibrium

when there is a balance between inputs and outputs of a system

positivie feedback

occurs when the effects of an action are amplified or multiplied by subsequent knock on or secondary effects

negative feedback

occurs when the effects of an action are nullified or dampened by subsequent knock on effects

cascading system

the way that matter and energy move from one sphere to another

spheres of the earth

cryosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere

cryosphere

all parts of the earth where its cold enough for water to freeze

lithosphere

outermost of the earth- rock

biosphere

where living things are found

atmosphere

layer of gas between earth’s surface and space

hydrosphere

all water on earth

is earth an open or closed system

closed system

example of positive feedback

temperature rise, ice melts due to high temps, less ice to reflect sun radiation, more of suns radiation energy is absorbed, temps rise

example of negative feedback

large amounts of co2 emitted, co2 increases in the atmosphere, increases plant growth through photosynthesis, plants remove and store more co2, amount of co2 reduces

how much of the earth’s water is fresh water

3%

of the 3% of fresh water how much is groundwater

20%

of the 3% of fresh water how much is in ice caps and glaciers

79%

of the 3% of fresh water how much is fairly accessible surface water

1%

of the 1% surface water how much is within organisms

1%

of the 1% surface water how much is in rivers

1%

of the 1% surface water how much is atmospheric water vapour

8%

of the 1% surface water how much is soil moisture

38%

of the 1% surface water how much is in lakes

52%

atmospheric water

water found in the atmosphere- ,mainly water vapour with some liquid water and ice crystals

cryospheric water

water locked up on earth’s surface as ice

terrestrial water

groundwater, soil moisture, lakes, wetlands, rivers

oceanic water

water contained in oceans and seas

what sphere is oceanic water part of

hydrosphere

what percentage of the earth’s surface do oceans cover

72%

why has the pH of the oceans decreased in recent years

due to increased atmospheric carbon

what state is atmospheric water mainly found in

gas

why is atmospheric water important

absorbs, reflects and scatters solar radiation

how does temperature affect the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere

cold temperatures hold less water vapour than warm temperatures

what does a small increase in water vapour do to the temperature

increases atmospheric temperatures as it is a greenhouse gas

4 classes of terrestrial water

surface, ground, soil, biological

surface water

is free flowing water of rivers, ponds and lakes

how do rivers sotre and transfer water

transfer water from ground, soil and atmosphere to stores

what are the main ecosystems in the arctic

wetlands

groundwater

is water that collects underground in pores of rocks that eventually flows to the surface

natural discharge

groundwater escaping, often occurs at springs

soil water

is held within air in unsaturated upper weathered layers of earth

why is soil water important

affects weather, climate, run off, flood control, erosion, reservoirs, geotechnical engineering and water quality and is important in weather patterns

biological water

water stored in all biomass

cryopsheric water

portions of earths water are in solid form

5 locations of cryospheric water

sea ice, ice capes, ice sheets, alpine glaciers, permafrosts

sea ice

much of arctic ocean is sea ice, is closely linked with planet’s climate so there are concerns about its rapid decline

ice shelves

are platforms of ice made up of glacial land

where do ice shelves form

where snowfalls in the winter and doesn’t completely melt in summer leading to layers of ice building up

where are ice shelves mainly found

greenland, antarctica, arctic, canada, alaska

ice caps

thick layers of ice on land that are usaully found in mountainous regions

where are ice caps found

poalr regions, himalayas, rockies, andes

difference between ice caps and ice shelves

ice shelves are over the oceans and more than 50000km2 but ice caps and over land and less that 500000km2

alpine glaciers

thick masks of ice found in deep valleys and upland hollows

how are alpine glaciers built

fed by ice from ice caps or corrie glaciers

why are alpine glaciers important

act as a reservoir in himalayas so is a lifeline for millions of people

permafrost

ground that is below 0oc for a least 2 consecutive years

when was most exisiting permafrost creates

during cold glacial periods in last 10000 years

where is pf found

beneath ice free regions of antarctica and also beneath areas in which ice sheets are frozen to their beds

why is melting pf bad

is a carbon store so releases co2 and co when melted increasing global temperatures

temporal change

change over time

spacial change

change of/ through places

factors affecting magnitude of stores in the water cycle

deforestation, storms, seasonal changes, farming, ubranisation

deforestation

reduces interception and infiltration

storms

increases amount of rainfall reaching ground- increases magnitude of each store

seasonal changes

winter- snowfalls and frozen ground interrupt water transferres

farming

ditches drain the land and encourages water to flow quickly into the rivers

urbanisation

impermeable surfaces reduce infiltration

what does the magnitude of water stores depend on

amount of water flowing between them

when does evaporation occur

when liquid changed state to gas

when liquid water becomes water vapour, what happens to its energy

it gains energy, usually from solar radiation

how does solar radiation effedt evaporation rates

if there’s lots of SR evaporation will be high if there there is a large supply of water and warm dry air-if theres little SR little available water and cool air then evaporation will be low

when does condensation occur

when air containing water vapour cools to its dew point

dew point

the temperature at which water will change from a gas to a liquid

what does the magnitude of the condensation flow depend on

the amount of water in the atmosphere and the temperature- if there’s lots of water vapour and temperatures drop significantly rapidly condensation will be high

when do clouds form

when warm air cools down causing the water vapour to condense into water droplets which gather as clouds

how do other air masses cause warm air to cool and cause precipitation

warm air is less dense than cool air so when they meet warm air is forced above the cool air and cools as it rises which leads to frontal precipitation

how does topography cause warm air to cool and cause precipitation

when warm air meets mountains its forced to rise causing it to cool, results in orographic precipitation

how does convection cause warm air to cool and cause precipitation

when war, air heats up the ground moisture on the ground evaporates and rises up in a column of warm air and cools as it rises resulting in convective precipitation

cryospheric processes

accumulation, ablation

accumulation

rain and snow fall

ablation

melting of snow and ice

what happens to the magnitude of stores in the cryosphere when it is cold

inputs are greater than outputs as water is transferred as snow and less water is transferred away from melting

what happens to the magnitude of stores in the cryosphere when it is hot

magnitude reduces as outputs and greater than inputs

what is a drainage basin

the area surrounding a river when the rain falling on the land flows into that river

name of the boundary of the basin

watershed

water balance

balance between inputs and outputs

water balance eqtn

precipitation(P) = discharge(q) + evapotranspiration (e) +- changes in storage (s)

how much water do needle leaf forests capture

22%

how much water do broad leaf deciduous forests capture

19%

how much water does a rainforest capture

58%

infiltration

the downward movement of water from the surface of the soil

what influences infiltration rate

soil type, soil structure, how much water’s already in the soil

how do soils effect infiltration rates

coarse textured soils hace larger pores and fissures than fine textures so allow for more water flow

throughflow

the movement of water downslope through the subsoil under the influence of gravity

evapotranspiration

total amount of water outputted from a system by evaporation and transpiration

how does temperature effect evapotrasnpiration

the warmer it is the more ET