Water and Carbon Cycle
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First stage of water cycle
Evaporation: Heat from Sun makes oceans evaporate into water vapour Transpiration: plants lose water through leaves
Second stage of water cycle
Condensation: Water vapour cools, producing clouds of tiny drops of water
Third stage of water cycle
Precipitation: Clouds rise, further cooling. Become heavy and fall as rain
Fourth stage Plan A of water cycle
Collection: water collects in streams and rivers, flowing to the sea, receiving treated sewerage and industrial waste
Fourth stage Plan B of water ccyle
Some water is diverted to reservoirs; purified in water treatment works and used for homes and industry , after use it is treated in sewerage works and returned to rivers
3 things that can happen after precipitation
Infiltration, glacier or run-off
What’s infiltration
Rain that soaks deep into the earth and is stored there
what’s run off
rain that collects in streams and rivers
How does carbon enter the atmosphere
respiration, burning fossil fuels, industrial processes (eg making lime)
How is carbon removed from atmosphere
photosynthesis, dissolving in rain and oceans
How is limestone made and how does it relate to the carbon cycle
the sea creatures use dissolved carbon dioxide to make their shells, after they die the shells can be turned into limestone, limestone can be heated to make lime- this releases co2
What is carbon stored as?
coal, oil, gas in the ground: made from the bodies of plants and animals that died millions of yrs ago
What happens with plants that are eaten by animals?
they help them grow, the animals die and are turned into fossil fuels, which when burned release co2
What’s the problem with the carbon cycle today?
More carbon being released into the atmosphere than is being dissolved into oceans or photosynthesis
What is the greenhouse effect? Why is it important? What’s happening now?
Gases in the atmosphere like co2 act as an insulator and slow down heat loss from Earth into space. Without it there may be no life, if it’s not warm enough. Too much co2 in the atmosphere causes an enhanced greenhouse effect, leading to global warming
What is global warming caused by?
Too much co2 in the atmosphere leading to an enhanced greenhouse effect- the earth cannot lose enough heat and so it becomes trapped here excessive burning of fossil fuels deforestation
what do cows release and how? why is it bad?
methane, by digesting grass . Has same effect as carbon dioxide, ratio of 1:30
What will global warming cause?
climate change rising sea levels from melting glaciers storms, floods, rain in Ireland
What is being done by the govt to prevent further global warming?
Improved building standards grants for solar panels and insulated houses motor tax :more fuel, more tax carbon tax on fuels grants to convert grassland to forest -plant trees cycle to work scheme- subsidies to workers
What has worked so far against climate change?
LED streetlights in cork halved its electricity use and carbon footprint new houses have better insulation and all have solarpanels motor tax discouraged people from buying cars w powerful engines