Water and carbon content

System

A set of interrelated components working together towards come kind of process

Input

Addition of matter or energy to a system

Flow

Linkage between stores inside a system involving the movement of energy or mass

Store

A part of the system where energy and mass is stored

Output

The results of a process within a system

Isolated systems

No interactions with anything outside the boundary

Closed systems

Transfers of energy but not matter beyond the boundary

Open systems

Flows of matter and energy across the boundary

Cascading system

An open system that forms part of a chain

Dynamic equilibrium

When there are balances between inputs and outputs

Water stores - Oceanic water

largest store - between 1.32-1.37×10⁹, 72% of the worlds surface, contains dissolved salt

Water stores - Cryospheric water - Sea ice

declining due to ice melt

Water stores - Cryospheric water - Ice Sheets

50000km², composed of glacial land ice in Antarctica and Greenland - 99% of freshwater ice

Water stores - Cryospheric water - Ice Caps

Thick layers of ice on land - 50000km² - has a dome shaped highest point

Water stores - Cryospheric water - Alpine glaciers

Thick masses of ice found in deep valleys or in upland hollows - 15000km²

Water stores - Cryospheric water - Permafrost

Ground that remains frozen for at least 2 years, 1m-1500m, mostly formed during glacial periods and had persisted

Water stores - Terrestrial water - Surface water

Largest body - Caspian sea 78200km², rivers are 0.0002% of all water

Water stores - Terrestrial water - groundwater

Collects underground at depths of up to 4000m, deepest recordeed at 13m

Water stores - Terrestrial water - soil water

important driver in the water cycle despite its little volume stored

Water stores - biological water

Water stored in all biomass

Water stores - Atmospheric water - Gas

Water vapour

Water stores - Atmospheric water - Clouds

visible mass of water droplets

Evapouration

L→G

Condensation

G→L

Melting

L→S

Freezing

S→L

Sublimation

S→G

Desublimation

G→S

Cryospheric process

Processes involving ice and frozen ground - accumulation, ablation

Accumulation

The build up of snow or ice, adding to a glacier or ice sheet

Ablation

Changes of state

Precipitation

Transfer involving water falling from the sky

Interception storage

Precipitation landing on buildings, vegetation, … before reaching the soil

Throughfall

Flow describing the portion of rainfall that reaches the soil or litter by falling through spaces in the canopy

Stemflow

Water running down a plant stem or tree trunk

Infiltration

The transfer involving water soaking into or being absorbed by soil

Throughflow

The movement of water down slope within the soil

Overland flow

The flow of water that occurs when an excess stormwater melt water or other sauce flows over earth’s surface

Groundwater flow

The very slow flow of percolated water to permeable or porous rocks

Groundwater store

Shallow groundwater aquifers from accumulation

Soil storage

water stored in and around the soil particles and what is called the pedosphere or soil layer

Percolation

A deeper transfer of water into permeable rocks

Vegetation storage

Water taken up by vegetation

Transpiration

The biological process by which water is lost from plants through minute paws and transferred to the atmosphere

Evapotranspiration

the sum of all processes by which water moves from the land surface to the atmosphere

Channel flow

The movement of water inside a river

Leaf drip

The flow of rainwater dripping off leaves to the ground surface

Run-off/Discharge

Where water flows over the earths surface

Global water cycle in 1000km³/year - Ocean precipitation

373

Global water cycle in 1000km³/year - Ocean evapouration

413

Global water cycle in 1000km³/year - Groundwater and surface flow

40

Global water cycle in 1000km³/year - Percolation

28

Global water cycle in 1000km³/year - Evapotranspiration

73

Global water cycle in 1000km³/year - Land precipitation

113

Global water cycle in 1000km³/year - Ocean to land water vapour transport

40

Water Balance formula

Precipitation=stream flow+evapotranspiration+change in storage

The Law of Water Balance

the influence to any water system or area are equal to its outflows plus the change in storage during a time interval

Potential Evapo transpiration

The amount of potential evaporation and transpiration that would occur if sufficient water sources were supplied to the area

Soil moisture graph

Shows level of soil moisture on the Y axis and time on the X axis, precipitation and potential of upper transpiration plotted and the soil moisture recharge - after PET returns below Precipitation, utilisation - after PET goes above precipitation, deficit - following utilisation and surplus - following recharge, are shown

River discharge

The volume of water flowing through a river channel measured at any given point in cubic metres per second

River regime

The changes in a rivers discharge over the course of a year in response to a number of factors

Storm hydrograph

A type of graph that shows the changes in river discharge in the lead up to and following the start of a storm

Base flow

A portion of the stream flow that is not run-off it is water from the ground flowing into the channel over a long time and with a certain delay

Peak discharge

Time of the highest river channel level

Lag time

The time between peak rainfall and peak discharge

Bankfull

The maximum discharge as a particular of a channel is capable of carrying without flooding

Storm flow

The water arrives in the river following surface run-off or rapid through flow through rock

Flashy hydrograph

A hydrograph with steep rising and falling limbs short lag times and high peak discharge

Subdued hydrograph

Hydrograph with shallow rising and falling limbs long lag times at low peak discharge

Factors affecting the water cycle - Storms

Natural - the amount and intensity of precipitation can affect a storm hydrograph, the type of precipitation can also impact - snow leads to a higher lack time as it needs to melt

Factors affecting the water cycle - Deforestation

Human - changes to infiltration and through flow leading to changes in ground water flowing percolation less water evaporates and there is a change to interception

Factors affecting the water cycle - Soil Drainage

Natural and Human - geology influences how soils drain - sub surface drainage systems remove excess water from the soil profile it is usually out through a network of percolated tubes installed 60 to 120 cm below soil surface where water seep into the tubes and drains away leading to a lower water table

Factors affecting the water cycle - Water Abstraction

Human - water gets pumped from the ground faster than it's being replaced through rainfall this results in sinking water tables empty walls higher pumping costs and in coastal areas the introduction of salt water from the sea which degrade to the ground water. It makes rivers less reliable and flows are maintained in the dry season by the springs

Role of carbon in supporting life

It bonds with other elements such as oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen forming complex molecules

Role of water in supporting life

Every living organism requires water for either hydration or photosynthesis

Climate change mitigation - CCS

Technology that can capture up to 90% of carbon dioxide emissions produced from fossil fuels and stopped entering the atmosphere - capture technologies allow the separation of CO2 from gas produced electricity generation and industrial processes - the carbon dioxide is then transported by pipeline or shipped to storage location where is secured underground in depleted oil and gas fields and deep saline aquifers

Climate change mitigation - Changing rural land use

Carbon stores can be improved by ensuring inputs to the solar greater than the losses from it avoidance of overstocking grazing animals in grasslands and adding and fertilisers can lead to re-vegetation and improve irrigation, mulching croplands can add organic matter and prevent carbon losses

Climate change mitigation - Improved aviation practices

Increased fuel costs, increased passenger capasity leading to higher income - improve designed to increase engine efficiency ability to use bio fuels improved aerodynamics and reduced the weight, managing flights to lead to 100% occupancy lower cruising speeds and using fuel efficient aircraft routes

Primary source of Carbon

Interior of the earth, stored in the mantle when the earth was formed

Carbon stores - Lithosphere - containing Marine sediments and sedimentary rocks, soil organic matter, fossil fuels and peat

Includes organic and inorganic carbon, 60 miles deep, 100m GtC in marine sediments alone, 1.5-1.6k GtC in soils, 4000GtC in fossil fuels, 250 in peat

Carbon stores - Hydrosphere - containing surface, intermediate and deep, living organic matter

All the carbon stored in any water across the planet roughly 1,400,000,000 km and 37,000 to 40,000 GtC

Carbon stores - Biosphere

540-610GtC

Carbon stores - Biosphere - Living vegetation

Carbon pulled out of the atmosphere for photosynthesis

Carbon stores - Biosphere - Plant litter

Fresh uncomposed and easily compostable plant debris

Carbon stores - Biosphere - Soil hummus

Thick brown or black layer that remains after decomposition and gets dispersed throughout the soil

Carbon stores - Biosphere - Peat

The accumulation of vegetation or organic matter unique to peatlands or moors - 3% of Earth’s surface

Carbon stores - Biosphere - Animals

Carbon stored inside animals in proteins

Carbon stores - Atmosphere

800-1000GtC - carbon stored in the form of gas such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or methane

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Geology

Interactions between carbon and the rock cycle through weathering burial subduction and volcanic corruption is a controlled by the rate of carbonic acid production C02 +water→H2CO3 - can form calcium carbonate through dissolution in water and further reactions

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Photosynthesis

Affected by sunlight and the water and CO2 concentrations

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Respiration

Affected by oxygen availability, releases C02 as gas

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Decomposition

Physical chemical and biological mechanisms of transformation into increasingly stable forms - controlled by the availability of decomposers to breakdown dead organisms and the right conditions are needed

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Oceanic carbon pumps

Carbon dioxide dissolves into water and then sinks due to the negative correlation between temperature and CO2 concentration leading to movement of carbon dioxide in oceans - affected by ocean temperatures, currents and the convection process, the vertical circulation ensures carbon dioxide is constantly being exchanged - it works as an enormous carbon pump in increasing the availability for carbon ocean storage

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - biomass conbustion

The burning of living in dead vegetation can include human in juice burning and natural burning wildfires are more likely due to human activity and storm frequency

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Volcanic activity

Gas is released upon eruptions from volcanoes include carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, the frequency density intensity of volcanic eruptions and the gas quantity in and volume of lava released affect the rate of change

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Hydrocarbon extraction and burning

The organic matter is put under high pressures and temperatures from gases which are then burnt releasing CO2 and water vapour - cement is calcium carbonate which is burnt from limestone

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Farming practises

Ploughed soil creates more air pockets and leads to higher organic matter content, which gets broken down releasing CO2

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Deforestation

30% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions result from land use change, removal of biological carbon store, slash and burn

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - urban growth

More than ½ the world population live in urban areas - expansion removals wild spaces (carbon sinks) and creates urban spaces which themselves release CO2

Factors driving change in the Carbon Cycle - Carbon Sequestration

capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and putting it in long-term storage there are two types geologic (CO2 captured at its source and is injected deep underground in liquid form) and biologic (vegetation planted in order to absorb more CO2, is re released after death of plants)