1a

• How does water regulate temperatures on Earth?

  • Oceans absorb, store and release water
  • Clouds reflect 20% of solar radiation
  • Water vapour absorbs long wave radiation
• Importance of water to flora:

  Water is used in the processes of photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration which keep flora alive. It also provides rigidity to plants so that they maintain a strong structure.
• Importance of water to fauna:

  Water is used in many internal processes in fauna, such as regulating body temperature, regulating cell activity and metabolic functions. It makes up around 70% of all living organisms.

  Human use of water is also high as it is widely used in power generation, manufacturing, agriculture and leisure.
• The 3 main stores of water:

  • Atmosphere
  • Land
  • Oceans
• The 4 main flows of water:

  1. Precipitation- moisture that falls from the sky as rain, hail, sleet or snow.
  2. Evapotranspiration- the process by which water is transferred from land and other surfaces to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.
  3. Run off- water moving on top of the land.
  4. Groundwater flow- water moving within the ground.
• What are the largest store and flow of water?

  Oceans and evaporation.
• What are the smallest store and flow of water?

  The atmosphere and run off / groundwater flow.
• Why is carbon important?

  It is the building block of life on Earth. It is available for use in the natural world, and by humans (e.g. production of fuel, synthetics and building materials). It is present in trees, fossil fuels and oil, so is a useful economic resource.
• How is carbon stored?

  It is stores long-term in sedimentary rocks, which hold 99.9% of all carbon on Earth. It is also stored in oceans, sea floor sediments, soil, the atmosphere and terrestrial biomass. Most of the carbon in circulation moves rapidly between the atmosphere, oceans, soil and the biosphere.
• Flows of carbon:

  1. Photosynthesis- the process by which green plants use sunlight to synthesise nutrients from carbon dioxide and water.
  2. Respiration- a process in living organisms involving the release of energy, with the intake and oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide.
  3. Oxidation- a chemical reaction when a substance is exposed to oxygen or an oxidising agent. This often forms carbon dioxide.
  4. Weathering- the breakdown/dissolving of rocks and minerals by the action of rainwater, temperature and biological activity.