Earth's Spheres
Name one of the earth's spheres
Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere
Give one example of a carbon store
E.g. Trees
Give one scientific term that describes a process of carbon moving between 2 spheres
E.g. Combustion
Name on thing humans have done that has impacted the climate cycle
Burning fossil fuels, deforestation etc.
The bed of a river is part of which sphere?
Geosphere
True or False: Animals are not a carbon store as they respire and release carbon dioxide rather than absorbing it
False
Name the process that moves carbon from the atmosphere into the hydrosphere
Ocean Acidification
Name one greenhouse gas
CO2, Methane etc.
Which 2 spheres are involved during photosynthesis?
Biosphere and Atmosphere
Which carbon store stores the most carbon?
Rocks/ Soils
Name the 2 processes that can move carbon from the biosphere into the atmosphere
Respiration and Combustion
Name one impact of increasing greenhouse gas concentration
Global warming, ocean acidification etc.
Which sphere is most impacted by climate change?
Biosphere
State the 3 broad categories of carbon stores in the biosphere
Plants, Animals and Microorganisms including Algae
Identify the 2 processes that must occur for carbon to move from plants into animals and then into the geosphere
Consumption then Fossilisation or Decay
What is the general/word equation for combustion
Give a path a carbon atom might take through all 4 spheres using technical terms
E.g. Beginning in atmosphere, absorbed into biosphere through photosynthesis, turned into fossil fuels in geosphere through fossilisation, sent back into atmosphere through combustion, absorbed into hydrosphere through ocean acidification
Order these environments in order of quantity of carbon stores above ground: Desert, Rainforest, Ocean, City
Desert -> City -> Rainfrest -> Ocean
Give some possible processes that would result in carbon taking the following path through the spheres:
Geosphere -> Atmosphere -> Biosphere (plant) -> Biosphere (animal) -> Atmosphere
Combustion -> Photosynthesis -> Consumption/Eating -> Decay/Decomposition
Describe the greenhouse effect (how the gases increase temperatures)
Greenhouse gases absorb some of the sun's energy that is reflected by the surface of the earth and then re-emit that energy back into the atmosphere and down to earth, keeping more heat inside the atmosphere