carbon (various)

• factors influencing speed of terrestrial sequestration?

  too hot or too cold or too dark = reduced levels of CO2 - reduces speed of cycle

  temperature, humidity and soil capacity

  
  

  diurnal variation

  • sunlight - from atmosphere to plant in the day, from plant to atmosphere at night

  Seasonal variation

  • more light and sun in spring/summer (more plants) than in autumn/winter (less plants)
  • more atmospheric carbon in winter than summer
• factors influencing soil capacity to store carbon ?

  climate

  • rate of plant growth and decomposition - increase with temp and rainfall

  vegetation cover

  • supply of dead organic matter, heaviest in tropical rainforests. holding soils together traps carbon

  Soil Type

  • clay protects carbon from decomposition, clay-rich soils have a higher carbon content, while coarse soils lose more carbon.

  Land Use

  • cultivation and other forms of soil disturbance causes carbon loss
• natural greenhouse effect 


  solar radiation enters earth's atmosphere, travelling towards Earth until it is reflected out. While some infrared radiation travels through and escapes Earth's atmosphere, some is trapped by the gases present in the atmosphere and is reflected to earth, trapping the heat inside. So as the surface gains more heat and infrared radiation is emitted again, its converted into heat causing the emission of longwave radiation back
• how is fossil fuel combustion impacting the carbon cycle?

  when fossil fuels are combusted, stored carbon is released as a gas (CO2) into the atmosphere. Here it can increase the concentration of carbon, meaning more is sequestered into the oceans, joining the biogeochemical carbon cycle, impacting the pH of the ocean, aswell as adding to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
• impacts of fossil fuel combustion

  ecosystem - coral bleaching from ocean temp/acidification, acid rain

  hydrological cycle - carbonic acid and ocean acidification, more storms so river flooding etc

  climate - enhanced greenhouse effect, changing weather patterns and strength
• factors affecting per capita energy consumption

  • physical availibility
  • cost
  • standard of living
  • environmental priorities (governments, development, demand>enviroment)
  • climate (need to cool or heat people)
  • public perception
  • economic development
  • technology