Water and Carbon Cycles and Global Governance Flashcards

Comprehensive flashcards covering the hydrological and carbon cycles, catchment hydrology, peatland management, global migration patterns, superpowers, and ocean governance based on the lecture notes.

How is the water cycle defined as a system?

It is a complex, interconnected set of processes involving specific components (stores), mechanisms for movement (flows/transfers), and energy inputs that continuously transforms water across Earth's surface, atmosphere, and underground.

What is the formula used to describe mass balance in the water cycle?

$$\Delta S = \text{Inputs} - \text{Outputs}$$

Define the 'Cryosphere'.

All areas of the Earth where water is present as snow or ice, such as ice sheets, ice caps, alpine glaciers, sea ice, and permafrost.

What are the hidden impacts of sea level rise on groundwater according to high-emissions scenarios by 2100?

Roughly 60 million people could face a 5% or greater loss of fresh groundwater resources due to salinization, and rising water tables (groundwater shoaling) could flood subterranean infrastructure.

What percentage of coastal wetlands could be lost globally by 2100 if they cannot migrate inland?

Up to 78%.

Explain the difference between ice accumulation and ablation.

Accumulation (Input) includes snowfall and condensation adding mass to glaciers; Ablation (Output) includes melting, sublimation (solid to gas), and calving (icebergs breaking off) that release water.

What are the three types of precipitation that act as inputs into a drainage basin?

1. Convective (sun heats ground, warm air rises/cools); 2. Orographic (air forced upward by mountains); 3. Cyclonic/Frontal (warm air meets cold air and is forced to rise).

Define 'Infiltration' and 'Percolation' in the context of catchment hydrology.

Infiltration is the movement of water from the ground surface into the soil; Percolation is the transfer of water from the soil into the underlying bedrock.

How does a circular catchment shape influence a storm hydrograph?

It results in a short lag time and high peak discharge because all points are roughly equidistant from the gauging station, allowing water to arrive simultaneously.

Explain the 'Bergeron-Findeisen' theory of precipitation formation.

High-altitude clouds contain water droplets and ice crystals; the crystals grow by attracting vapor from the droplets and eventually fall, melting into rain as they pass through warmer air.

How does 'monsoon rainfall' impact excess run-off?

Seasonal rainfall is so concentrated (up to 70% of annual rain in 100 days) that the sheer volume and high-intensity bursts overwhelm natural drainage systems.

What is 'GARDIT' in the context of the London Basin aquifer?

An abstraction management strategy designed to control rising groundwater levels that threaten the structural integrity of subterranean infrastructure.

Compare the carbon storage size of Tropical Rainforests versus Temperate Grasslands.

Tropical rainforests store $550\,GtC$ (mostly in biomass); Temperate grasslands store $185\,GtC$ (approximately 90% of which is stored belowground in roots and soil).

What conditions are necessary for peat formation?

Waterlogged environments that create anaerobic (oxygen-free) conditions, preventing the full decomposition of plant remains and allowing carbon to accumulate over time.

How did atmospheric $CO_2$ levels change between 1959 and 2019 according to the Mauna Loa Observatory?

They rose from $316\,ppm$ to over $411\,ppm$.

Give an example of a positive and negative feedback loop in the water cycle.

Positive: Ice-albedo feedback (melting ice reveals dark water, absorbing more heat and causing more melting). Negative: Cloud cover feedback (increased evaporation creates more clouds, increasing albedo and cooling the Earth).

Define 'Remittances' and their economic significance for LICs like Nepal and Haiti.

Money sent back by migrant workers to their country of origin; in countries like Nepal and Haiti, these can account for more than 20% of the total GDP.

What is the 'Brain Drain'?

The situation where the most highly skilled and qualified people (e.g., doctors, IT professionals) migrate from poorer countries to richer countries for higher wages.

Explain the difference between Hard Power and Soft Power in global superpowers.

Hard Power involves force, such as military action or trade sanctions; Soft Power involves persuasion through attractive policies, culture, media, and arts.

What is an 'Exclusive Economic Zone' (EEZ)?

The area extending 200 nautical miles from a country's coastline where it has rights to control economic activities such as oil extraction and fishing.

Why is the Strait of Hormuz considered a critical oil chokepoint?

It is the maritime choke point with the highest movement of oil globally; blocking it leads to increased energy costs and tanker vulnerability.

How has containerisation affected global trade?

It allowed large volumes of goods to be quickly and easily loaded/stacked using cranes, drastically increasing the speed and efficiency of global shipping.

What are the primary risks to seafloor data cables?

Earthquakes/tsunamis causing landslides, current abrasion (6% of faults), and human activity like fishing trawler nets and anchors (up to 70% of damage).

What is the 'Cabbage Strategy' used by China in the South China Sea?

A strategy of surrounding a contested area with multiple layers of security (militia, fishing boats, navy) to block off access and assert control over islands like the Spratlys.

Describe the 'Double Injustice' faced by Arctic Inuit communities.

They are on the frontlines of climate impacts they did not cause, while having limited resources to adapt due to historical colonialism and systemic inequality.

How do 'Eutrophic Dead Zones' form in the ocean?

Excess nutrients from agricultural runoff trigger algal blooms; when the algae die and decompose, the process consumes oxygen, creating hypoxic zones where marine life suffocates.

What is the function of the Arctic Council?

An intergovernmental body (including Canada, Russia, USA, etc.) that promotes cooperation, scientific monitoring, and environmental protection in the Arctic.