Water and carbon cycle

Location of eden basin

-North west of England between mountains of the lake district and the pennies

-source is in the pennies hills in south cumbria

—Upland areas drain into the weather that causes flooding down stream

Characteristics of the Eden basin

High rainfall than national average due to areas relief

Long and narrow drainage basin

Steep slopes

Geology of Eden basin

Highest ground:Igenous rock which is impermeable

Much of the basin:limestone/sandstone which are permeable

Storm desmond

2015

262.6mm of rainfell in 48 hours

climate of amazon

Warm/wet all year

average temperature:26-28

annual rainfall:2000-3000

Imporatnace of amazon

300 billion trees

Contains 50% of the worlds tropical rainforest biomass

Water cycle in the amazon rainforest

Precipitation-high rainfall,50% recycled through evapotranspiration

Evapotranspiration-Huge due to vegaitation,75% intercpeted rain reuturns to atmo

Infiltration-soil is deep/porus

Runoff-reletively low due to interception/infiltration

Human impacts on amazon

Deforestation-less interception/evotranspiration,larger runoff/flooding

Evapotranspiration-less vater vapour reachesatmosphere,fewer clouds forming,rainfall reduced

carbon cycle in the amazon rainforest

-Carbon sink(stores carbon in its vegitation and soil)

-increase in c02 leads to increase productivity as vegitation is able to  access more co2

photosynthesisabsorbs 2,2billiontonnesofcarbon

Human impacts on the carbon cycle in amazon

-Deforestation removes photosynthesis biomass so decrease in carbon uptake

-no roots holding soil togetherwill wash away top layertransferring carbon to hydrosphere

-

Major stores of carbon

Lithospehre

Hydrosphere

Biosphere

Atmosphere

cryospher

Carbon in the lithosphere

Found in sedimentary rock such as limestone-99.9%

And about 0.004% is stored in fossil fuels

Carbon in the hydrosphere

Dissolved in lakes and oceans

Second largest store of carbon on earth containing about 0.04% of earths carbon

Mainly deep down but some on the surface for exchange

Biosphere

Carbon stored in the tissues of living organisms and is transfered when organism dies and decays

0.004%

Atmpsohere

Contained as carbon dioxide containing 0.001% of earths carbon

cryosphere

contains 0.01% of Earth’s carbon

soil areas of permafrost where decomposing animals/plants were frozen in the ground

Carbon dioxide is transferred

It is a closed system as there are inputs and outputs of energy but the amount of carbon remains

There are multiple flows such as:

-photosyntheis

-Respiration

-Decomposition

-Combustion

-Weathering

-Sequestration

Carbon flows-photosynthesis

Atmosphere-Biomass

-Plants/plankton use suns energy to change co2 into glucose/oxygen

-Removes co2 from atmosphere

Carbon flows-Respiration

Transfers carbon from living organisms to the atmosphere

Plants/animals break down glucose for energy, releasing carbon dioxide/methane in the process

Carbon flows-Decomposition

Transfers carbon from dead biomass to the atmosphere and the soil. After death, bacteria and fungi break down organisms, so carbon is released

Carbon flows-Combustion

Transfers carbon stored in living, dead or decomposed biomass to the atmosphere by burning

Carbon flows-Weathering

Chemical weathering transfers carbon from the atmosphere to hydropshere and biosphere

Atmopshereic carbon reacts withwater vapor to form acid rain

This then falls and will dissolve the rocks

Molecules may be washed to the sea where they react with co2

Carbon flows-Sequestration

Carbon from atmosphere can be sequestereted insedimentary rock.This formsf ossil fuels over millions of years.It is sequestred until burnt

Fast carbon cycles

Transfersrs between atmopshere,biopshere,soil and upper ocean.It quickly transfers carbon between stores.It only takes minutes,hours or days

Includes:Photosynthesis,respiration,combustion and decomposition

Slow carbon cycles

Takes thousands of years.Including weathering and sequestration.

Natural processes changing the carbon cycle

Wildfires

Volcanic activcity

How does wildfires change the carbon cycle?

-Burning vegitation transferrs large quantities of carbon from biomass into the atmosphere,increasing co2

-A loss of vegitation will equal a decrease in photosynthesis,so less carbon will be removed

How does volcanic activity change the carbon cycle?

During volcanic eruption carbon stored withing the earth in Magma is released.Majority enters the atmosphere as co2

What ways have humans impacted the carbon cycle?

Fossil fuel extraction/combustion

Deforestation

Farming techniques

Land use changes

How does fossil fuel extraction and combustion change the carbon cycle?

-Extraction and burnig of fossil fuels release co2 into the atmosphere

Transfering carbon from lithosphere to atmosphere rapidly

-Increasing c02/enhance greehouse effect

How does deforestation change the carbon cycle?

-Cutting down trees reduces size of carbon store

-If forest is burned additional rapid flow of carbon from biosphere to atmosphere

How do farming practices affect the carbon cycle?

Ploughing: Exposes soil organic matter, increases oxidation,co2 release

Overgrazing:Reduces vegiation cover,less carbon stored in plants and soils

Rice paddies:Releases methane

As population grows so deos the needs for more food

How does Land use changes affect he carbon cycle?

Changes of land from naturtal/agriculture to urban

-vegitation is removed

-concrete production

The carbon budget

The balance between inputs of carbon into the atmosphere and outputs that remove it over a given period of time

How does the carbon cycle affect the atmosphere and the climat?

-It effects the greenhouse gases keeping the plantet warm by trapping the suns energy

-As greenhouse gases increase in the atmosphere temperatures will rise

-Affecting other aspects of climate

How does the carbon cycle affect the land?

It allows plants to grow due to photosynthesis

Changes could mean that there is less carbon in the land.

Permafrost locks carbon away in frozen plant material. When ice melts, it releases carbon into the atmosphere

How does the carbon cycle affect the oceans?

During the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide is dissolved directly into the oceans from the atmosphere

-Plankton/seaweed use c02 during photosyntheis

-Acidity of oceans will increase as more co2 will be absorbed

-Bad for organisms sensetive to higher temperatures so  numbers decrease and less carbon is removed from the atmosphere

-Warm water is also less likely ato absorb co2

How are water and carbon cycles essential for life?

-Carbon is fundamental block of life as all things contain it and water is essentail to everything

-Plants are the basis of most food chains and they require carbon during photosynthesis

-Both conbtribute to the natural greenhouse effect

Positive feedback

When a change in a system causes further change in the same direction, amplifying the original effect

Expmple of postivive feecback in the water cycle

Global temperature rise(due to greenhouse gases). 

Evaporation increases

Water vapour increases in the armosphere trapping moreheat

Green house effect increases

Negative feedback

Change in the system causes opposing effects that counteract or reduce the original change-helping to stabalise the system

Example of negative feedback in water cycle

Rise in temperature

More evaporation

produces more cloud cover especiaslly thick lowlying clouds

increased cloud cover reflects more of suns energy back into space

Temperature falls reducing warming/balancing the system

positive feedback in the carbon cycle

-Temperatures rise

-Plant respiratio increases

• Amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increases

• - Greenhouse effect increases

Negative feedback in carbon cycle

-High levels of co2 in the atmosphere

-plants grow fasterndtakeinmore co2fromtheair

-plantsremove andstorec02fromtheatmopshre

-Reduceinatmosphericco2

Interactions between carbon and water cycles

Both part of the earth’s global climate system

-water is needed for the storage and transfer of carbon

-carbon influences movement and storage of water

-together they regulate climate ecosystems and energy balance on earth

Effects of climate change on the biosphere

Habitat loss/shifting ecosystems

Changes in growing season/decrease in agriculture productivity

More wildfires

Effects of climate change on the cryosohere

Melting of ice and glaciers

Thawing permafrost

Effects of climate change on the hydrosphere

Changes in rainfall patters

Rising sea levels

Ocean acidification

How has humans influenced the carbon cycle

Since 1750 there is 40% more co2 in the atmosphere due to human influence of extracting and burning fossil fuels

Intergovermental panel on climate change or IPCC is set up by the UN and states countries need to reduce co2 emissions

Climate change mitigation

Efforts to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases

It can mean using new technologies and renewable energies

Individual mitigation

People can use their car less or buy them fuel efficient

Can also make hones more energy efficient

Regional and national mitigation

Governmental can use more renewable energy sources

Afforestation and restoring degraded forests

Government can invest in carbon capture and storage

Global mitigation

Countries can work together to reduce emissions like international treaties like the kyoto protocol and paris agreement control greenhouse gas release

International trading schemes

Hydrograph

A graph that shows how a river’s discharge responds to a rainfall event over time.

They show the volume of water flowing at a certain point, showing a change over a period of time

Flood hyrdograph

Show river discharge around the time of a storm event

Peak discharge

The highest point on the graph is when the river discharge is greatest

Lag time

The time between peak rainfall and peak discharge.

Due to time for rain to flow into river so short lag can increase peak as water in less time

Rising limb

The part of the graph where discharge is increasing

Falling limb

The part of the graph where is discharge is decreasing

Types of hydrograph

Flashy and subdued

Flashy hydrograph

Short lag

steep rising limb

High peak discharge

More common in urban areas

Subded

Long lag time

gentle rising limb

Low peak discharge

More common in rural areas

Short lag time =

Fast runoff

Long lag time=

Slow runoff

Factors affecting hydrograph shape

-Shape of drainage basin

-Size of drainage basin

-Ground steepsness

-Rock/soil types

How does shape of drainage basin affect the shape of hydrograph?

Circular:Short lag time,steep rising limb,High peak discharge

Slim/elongated:Long lag time,Gentle risng limb,low peak discharge

How does size of drainage basin affect the shape of hydrograph?

Small:Short lag time,steep rising limb,high peak discharge

Water has less time to travel to reach river as rainfall reaches channel quickly

Large:Long lag time,gentle rising limb,low peak discharge

Rainfall takes longer to reach river,waterflow isw more spread out

How does ground steepness affect the shape the hydrograph?

Steep:short lag,steep rising limb,high peak discharge

Rainwater runs off surface quickly less infiltration.Gravity pulls water downslope faster and less time for interception

Gentle: Long lag time, gentle rising limb, low peak discharge.

Water moves more slowly, so more opportunity for infiltration and storage in the soil

How does rock/soil type affect shape of hydrograph?

Permeable:long lar,gentle rising limb,low peak discharge

water infiltrates into the soil/perlocates rock layers,more througfall and groundwater flow

Impermeable:short lag,steep rising limb,high peak discharge

Water cannot infiltrate into the ground so more surface runoff as well as quick delivery of water to river

How does storms/precipitation cause varitation in the water cycle?

Intense storms generate more precipitation and greater peak discharge

Causes flows/runoff to increase in size

Causes more floods/flashy hydrograph

Seasonal changes casusing variation in water cycle?

size of inputs,flows and stores in water cycle varies with the season

Winter:temp may frop below 0 casuing water to freeze reducing flows but in summer more runoff

Vegitation causing variation in water cycle?

Summer More vegitation so more interception/transpiration.Plants also absorb more from soil so lesssurface runoff

In winter there is less  vegitation.So less interception and transpiration.Means water will stay in system.

Human factors causing variation in water cycle

Urbanisation

Deforestation

Agriculture

How does urbanisation cause variation in the water cycle

Impermeable surfaces reduce infiltration and increase surface runoff

How does deforestation casue variation?

Reduces interception and infiltration as forest cover is removed

How does agriculture

Drainage basin

The area of land drained by a river and its tributary’s functioning as an open system where water is stored and flows between inputs,outputs and stores

Features of a drainage basin

Source,floodplain,watershed,mouth,tributary,confulence

Floodplain

Flat area alongside a river channel that is periodically flooded when the river overflows its banks

Conflulence

The point where two rivers meet

Inputs

Precipitation, which can vary and is influenced by climate and season

Stores

Interception storage

surface storage

vegitation storage

Groundwater storage

channel storage

soil water storage

Interception storage

Water temporarily held on a plant surface such as leaves after precipitation before it evaporates and touches the ground

Surface storage

Includes water in puddles

Soil water storage

Includes moisture in the storage

Vegitation storage

Water stored withing plants and trees

Groundwater storage

Water stored within the ground, either in soil or rocks, beneath the water table

Channel storage

Water held within the river channel itself

Flows

Stemflow

infiltration

perlocation

surfacerunoff

throughfall

channelflow

riverurnoff

Stemflow

Water running down plant stems and branches into the soil

Infiltration

Water on the ground surface soaks into the soilP

Perlocation

Downward movement of water from the soil into the underlying rock

Surface runoff

Movement of water across the ground surface into channels

Throughfall

Water dripping off leaves during or after rainfall

Channel river

Movement of water within the channel

River runoff

Water flowing out of drainage basin

Outputs

Evaporation and transiration

Soil moisture recharge

Precipitation is higher than evapotranspiration after a dry period.Water refills the soil store that plants had previously used up