The Carbon Cycle Key Terms Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in The Carbon Cycle Key Terms Deck (42)
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1
Q

Anthropogenic CO2

A

Carbon dioxide generated by human adtivity

2
Q

Biosphere

A

The total sum of living matter

3
Q

Carbon sequestration

A

The capture of carbon dioxide from large scale stationary sources (e.g. power plants) before it is released into the atmosphere. Once captured, the CO2 is put into long term storage.

4
Q

Carbon sink

A

A store of carbon that absorbs more that it releases.

5
Q

Greenhouse gas

A

Any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere.

6
Q

Lithosphere

A

The crust and the uppermost mantle; this constitutes the hard and rigid layer of the Earth.

7
Q

Weathering

A

The breakdown of rocks in situ by a combination of weather, plants and animals.

8
Q

Enhanced greenhouse effect

A

The impact on the climate from the additional heat retained due to the increased amounts of greenhouse gases that humans have released into the atmosphere since the industrial revolution.

9
Q

Geo-sequestration

A

The technology of capturing greenhouse gas emissions from power stations and pumping them into underground reservoirs.

10
Q

Radiative forcing

A

The difference between the incoming solar energy absorbed by the Earth and the energy radiated back into space.

11
Q

Soil organic carbon (SOC)

A

The organic constituents in the soil; tissues from dead plants and animals, products produced as these decompose and the soil microbial biomass.

12
Q

Flow/ transfer

A

A form of linkage between one store/component and another that involves movement of energy or mass.

13
Q

Input

A

The addition of matter and/or energy into a stystem.

14
Q

Store/ component

A

A part of the system where energy/ mass is stored or transformed.

15
Q

System

A

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

16
Q

Atmospheric water

A

Water found in the atmosphere mainly water vapour with some liquid water (cloud and rain droplets) and ice crystals

17
Q

Cryospheric water

A

The water locked up in the Earth’s surface as ice.

18
Q

Hydrosphere

A

A discontinuous layer of water at or near the Earth’s surface. It includes all liquid and frozen surface waters, groundwater held in soil and rock and atmospheric water vapour.

19
Q

Oceanic water

A

The water contained in the Earth’s seas and oceans but not including inland seas.

20
Q

Give and example of an inland sea.

A

The Caspian Sea

21
Q

Terrestrial water

A

This consists of groundwater, soil moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers.

22
Q

Interception storage

A

The precipitation that falls on the vegetation surfaces (canopy) or human-made cover and is temporarily stored on these surfaces. Intercepted water can either be evaporated directly into the atmosphere, absorbed by the canopy surfaces or transmitted to the ground.

23
Q

Overland flow

A

The tendency of water to flow horizontally across land surfaces when rainfall has exceeded the infiltration capacity of the soil and all surfaces stores are full and overflowing.

24
Q

Percolation

A

The downward flow of water within rock under the soil surface.

25
Q

Run- off

A

All water that enters a river channel and eventually flows out of the drainage basin.

26
Q

Stemflow

A

The amount of precipitation intercepted by the canopy that reaches the ground by flowing down stems, stalks or tree bole.

27
Q

Storm and rainfall event

A

An individual storm is a rainfall period separated by at least 24 hours of dry intervals.
An individual rainfall event is defined as a rainfall period separated by dry intervals of at least 24 hours.

28
Q

Throughfall

A

The portion of the precipitation that reaches the ground directly through gaps in the vegetation canopy and drips from leaves, twigs and stems.

29
Q

When does throughfall occur?

A

When the canopy- surface rainwater storage exceeds its storage capacity.

30
Q

Throughflow

A

The movement of water down-slope through the subsoil under the influence of gravity.

31
Q

When is throughflow particularly effective?

A

When underlying rock prevents further downward movement.

32
Q

Transpiration

A

The loss of water from vegetation through stomata.

33
Q

Water balance

A

The balance between inputs and outputs in a drainage basin.

34
Q

What is an input in a drainage system?

A

Precipitation

35
Q

Give some examples of outputs from drainage basins.

A

Run-off
Evapotranspiration
Soil and ground water storage

36
Q

Bankfull

A

The maximum discharge that a river channel is capable of carrying without flooding.

37
Q

Base flow

A

This represents the normal day-to-day discharge of the river and is the consequence of slow moving soil throughflow and groundwater seeping into the river channel.

38
Q

Discharge

A

The amount of water in a river flowing last a particular point in cumecs.

39
Q

Lag time

A

The time between the peak rainfall and peak discharge

40
Q

Peak discharge

A

The point of a flood hydrograph when river discharge is at its greatest.

41
Q

Storm flow

A

Discharge resulting from storm precipitation involving both overland flow, throughflow and groundwater flow.

42
Q

Storm hydrohpgraph

A

A graph of discharge if a river over the time period when the normal flow of the river is affected by a storm event.