The Water + Carbon cycles
3.1.1.1 Water and carbon cycles as natural systems
Systems in physical geography
Flow/transfer - a form of linkage between one store/component and another that involves
movement of energy or mass.
Input - The addition of matter and or energy into a system
Store/component - a part of the system where energy/mass is stored or transformed
System - a set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process
Boundaries - Limits to the system e.g. watershed
Open systems - revive inputs and transfer outputs of energy or matter with other systems.
Closed systems - when energy inputs = outputs aka when dynamic equilibrium is achieved
Isolated systems - no interactions with anything outside of the system, boundary snd there is no
inputs or outputs - usually takes place in labs as very few natural systems are isolated.
Positive feedback - when a chain of events ampli es the impact of thee original event
Negative feedback - when a chain of events nulli es the impact of the original event leading to
dynamic equilibrium.
The earth itself can be studied using a systems approach as it can be considered a closed
systems —> energy comes in from solar energy and is balanced by the radiant energy lost by the
earth.
At the global level, the earth has 4 major subsystems;
1. Atmosphere
2. Lithosphere
3. Biosphere
4. Hydrosphere
Each of these can be considered an open system that forms part of a chain; a cascading system
fifi
,Water cycle diagram
Carbon cycle diagram
, 3.1.1.3 The carbon cycle
Anthropogenic CO2 - Carbon dioxide generated by human activity
Biosphere - the total sum of all living matter
Carbon sequestration - the capture of CO2 from the atmosphere of capturing anthropogenic
CO2 from large scale sources like power plants before its released into the atmosphere.
Carbon sink - a store of carbon that absorbs more than it releases
Greenhouse gas - any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable or absorbing
infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere
Lithosphere - the crust and uppermost mantle
Weathering - the breakdown of rocks in situ (original place) by a combination of weather, plants
and animals
Global distribution; the size of major carbon stores
Carbon atoms move through the carbon cycle in many various forms;
- Carbon dioxide - respiration
- Methane - cows - enteric fermentation
- Calcium carbonate - methanogenesis
- Hydrocarbons - industry
- Bio-molecules - organisms
Origins of carbon on earth
• Primary source of CO2 is the earths interior - it was stored in the mantle when the earth was
formed and since has escaped at plate boundaries and hot spot volcanoes.
• Much of the CO2 released at destructive margins is derived from metamorphism of carbonate
rocks subducting with the ocean crust
• Some CO2 remains in the atmosphere, some sin the oceans, some in biomass living and dead
and decaying organisms
Major stores of carbon
Lithosphere - stores over 99.985% of carbon in the world
• Marine sediments and sedimentary rock - 100 million GtC
• Soil organic matter - 1,500-1,600 GtC
• Fossil fuel deposits of coal - 4,100 GtC
• Peat - 250 GtC
Hydrosphere - 0.0076% carbon in world
3.1.1.1 Water and carbon cycles as natural systems
Systems in physical geography
Flow/transfer - a form of linkage between one store/component and another that involves
movement of energy or mass.
Input - The addition of matter and or energy into a system
Store/component - a part of the system where energy/mass is stored or transformed
System - a set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process
Boundaries - Limits to the system e.g. watershed
Open systems - revive inputs and transfer outputs of energy or matter with other systems.
Closed systems - when energy inputs = outputs aka when dynamic equilibrium is achieved
Isolated systems - no interactions with anything outside of the system, boundary snd there is no
inputs or outputs - usually takes place in labs as very few natural systems are isolated.
Positive feedback - when a chain of events ampli es the impact of thee original event
Negative feedback - when a chain of events nulli es the impact of the original event leading to
dynamic equilibrium.
The earth itself can be studied using a systems approach as it can be considered a closed
systems —> energy comes in from solar energy and is balanced by the radiant energy lost by the
earth.
At the global level, the earth has 4 major subsystems;
1. Atmosphere
2. Lithosphere
3. Biosphere
4. Hydrosphere
Each of these can be considered an open system that forms part of a chain; a cascading system
fifi
,Water cycle diagram
Carbon cycle diagram
, 3.1.1.3 The carbon cycle
Anthropogenic CO2 - Carbon dioxide generated by human activity
Biosphere - the total sum of all living matter
Carbon sequestration - the capture of CO2 from the atmosphere of capturing anthropogenic
CO2 from large scale sources like power plants before its released into the atmosphere.
Carbon sink - a store of carbon that absorbs more than it releases
Greenhouse gas - any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable or absorbing
infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere
Lithosphere - the crust and uppermost mantle
Weathering - the breakdown of rocks in situ (original place) by a combination of weather, plants
and animals
Global distribution; the size of major carbon stores
Carbon atoms move through the carbon cycle in many various forms;
- Carbon dioxide - respiration
- Methane - cows - enteric fermentation
- Calcium carbonate - methanogenesis
- Hydrocarbons - industry
- Bio-molecules - organisms
Origins of carbon on earth
• Primary source of CO2 is the earths interior - it was stored in the mantle when the earth was
formed and since has escaped at plate boundaries and hot spot volcanoes.
• Much of the CO2 released at destructive margins is derived from metamorphism of carbonate
rocks subducting with the ocean crust
• Some CO2 remains in the atmosphere, some sin the oceans, some in biomass living and dead
and decaying organisms
Major stores of carbon
Lithosphere - stores over 99.985% of carbon in the world
• Marine sediments and sedimentary rock - 100 million GtC
• Soil organic matter - 1,500-1,600 GtC
• Fossil fuel deposits of coal - 4,100 GtC
• Peat - 250 GtC
Hydrosphere - 0.0076% carbon in world
