Things Highlighted Review for ecology assessment statements

Review work

1. Things Highlighted

2. Organic vs Inorganic Carbon/nutrient cycling

3. Ocean Acidification

4. Greenhouse effect

5. 4.4.U8 Recent increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide are largely due to increases in the combustion of fossilized organic matter. http://radioviceonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/knorr2009_co2_sequestration.pdf Industrial revolution has started Large increases in usage of fossil fuels The link between human emissions and atmospheric levels of CO 2 Key points There is a strong correlation between human emissions and atmospheric levels of CO 2 As atmospheric CO 2 levels have increased the amount of CO 2 absorbed by carbon sinks has increased (only about 40% of emissions have remained in the atmosphere) anthropogenic = human caused

6. 4.4.A2 Correlations between global temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations on Earth. http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/oceanography-book/co2problem.htm Evidence for a correlation between atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and average global temperatures Key points The correlation is supported by ice core data over the last 400,000 years Most, but not all rises and falls in CO 2 have correlated with temperature rises and falls The same trend has been found in other ice cores. Same trend in atmospheric CO 2 n.b. Vostock is a Russian monitoring station in East Antarctica

7. Methogenic Archeans Acidic, Anaerobic, Waterlogged conditions

8. 4.4.U6 Global temperatures and climate patterns are influenced by concentrations of greenhouse gases. Global average temperatures are not directly proportional to greenhouse gas concentrations. Other factors, e.g. sun spot activity, have an impact global average temperatures increases in greenhouse gas concentrations will likely cause: higher global average temperatures more frequent and intense heat waves some areas becoming more prone to droughts some areas more prone to intense periods of rainfall and flooding tropical storms to be more frequent and more powerful Changes to ocean currents, e.g. weakening of the Gulf Stream would mean colder temperatures in north-west Europe http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hurricane_Elena.jpg