Water and the Carbon Cycle key words

Type of model widely used in geography

A Process where the effects of a system are increased

The layer of water at or near the earth’s surface

Water locked up in ice, glaciers and permafrost

Water stored in the pore spaces of rocks

Process where the effects of a system are decreased

The process by which water vapour changes to liquid water

Occurs when liquid water changes state into a gas, becoming water vapour

The change of state of water from solid to a gas, without being a liquid

Area of land that the catchment area for a river and all its tributaries

Total output of water from a drainage basin directly back into the atmosphere

The downward movement of water into the soil

Precipitation falling on vegetation, prevented from falling directly onto the ground

The movement of water downslope in the soil

A water store that has reached its maximum capacity

The highest point of a river shown on a flood hydrograph

The difference between Peak Rainfall and Peak Discharge

The carbon dicoide generated by human activity

A store of carbon that absorbs more than it releases

The crust + uppermost mantle layer of the earth

Any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation

The capture of CO₂ from the atmosphere or human activity on a large scale

A popular technique used to clear large areas of the rainforest

Efforts to reduce or prevent emissions of Greenhouse Gases

There are no inputs or outputs of water and energy from external sources

A system affected by external flows + inputs

The continuous transfer of water between land, atmosphere + oceans. Earth is a closed system

They change the amount of water stored as ice in the cryosphere, the balance of accumulation + ablation varies with temperature

Shows the balance between inputs + outputs in the drainage basin system

It releases more carbon than it absorbs

The gradual reduction of pH of the oceans, due to dissolving carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Planting trees + vegetation in the aim of increasing forest cover

A system of high pressure, causing high temperatures + unseasonably high evaporation rates

A permeable or porous rock which stores water

Burning crops + vegetation for electricity + heat

The capture of CO2 emissions directly from the factory, pumped into disused mines rather than being released into the atmosphere

A process that has no net addition of carbon dioxide to the environment

Places where carbon accumulates for a period of time such as rocks + plant matter

The process of burning a substance, in the presence of oxygen, to release energy

The global water volume locked up within a frozen state

The breakdown of matter, often by a decomposer which releases CO2 through their own respiration

A system of low pressure, with fronts of precipitation where kow + high pressure air masses meet

The change of state of water from gas to solid without being a liquid

The total length of all rivers + streams divided by the area of the drainage basin

An extended period of deficient rainfall relative to the statistical average for the region

The composition of a county’s energy sources

The ownership + full control of a country’s energy source, production + transportation

The movement of energy from its extraction or source, through pipes, freight logistics or cabling

The build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, reducing the amount of solar radiation reflected into space

Naturally occurring phenomena that involves the movement of warm water int hew equatorial Pacific

When air masses of different temperatures meet at a front, one mass will be forced over another, causing precipitation beneath the front

Water moving horizontally through permeable or porous rock due to gravity

Establishing a frame of coordinated efforts between administrations + stakeholders to achieve balanced management of a basin

A source of energy that can only be used once to generate electricity or takes thousands of years to replace

The process of joining atomic nuclei together to produce energy

Carbon stored in plant material + living organisms

Water moving vertically from soil into permeable rock

The process of converting carbon dioxide + water into glucose + oxygen. All plants + some organisms rely on this process to survive

Small organisms that rely on photosynthesis to survive, so intake CO2 from the atmosphere

The initial source of energy, as it is naturally found. This could be natural ores, water, crops or radioactive material

Precipitation caused when air masses are forced to rise over high land, determined by the relief of the land

Primary energy that can be re-used to produce electricity or has a short lifetime, therefore any used can be replaced quickly

The process of converting glucose + oxygen into carbon dioxide + energy. Some organisms rely on respiration to survive

The pattern of river discharge over a year

Water flowing over the surface of the ground e.g. after precipitation or snowmelt

Where salt water contaminates freshwater into freshwater aquifers or soils. This may be caused by sea level rise, storm surges or over extraction

The movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers or soils. This may be caused by sea level rise, storm surges or over-extraction.

The product of primary energy, mostly electricity

The transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to stores elsewhere - living biosphere, inorganic rocks etc

The movement of volumes of seawater from cold deep water to warm surface water

A critical threshold where any changes to a system after the tipping point are irreversible

The process through which water evaporates through the stomata in plants’ leaves

The growth of populations in towns + cities

The annual balance between inputs + outputs within a system

Strategies to reduce water usage + demand

There are limited renewable water sources (between 500 and 100 cubic metres per capita per year)

The ability to protect + access a sustainable source to adequately meet demand

Hard engineering projects, such as aqueducts, that divert water between basins to meet demand

The boundary between neighbouring drainage basins

The treatment + purification of waste water, to increase supply