GGR227H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Permafrost, Gaia Hypothesis, Positive Feedback
Document Summary
2nd largest country by area, 0. 5% population. Almost the lowest population mass in the world. Huge stores of carbon in soils and vegetation. Extraordinary climate change mainly in the north. Biodiversity loss, climate change, and interference with nitrogen cycle. Systems are composed of sets of things that are all related and linked. Interacting with each other in some kind of functioning way. Open systems: energy and matter are exchanged with surroundings: ex. , ecosystems exchange matter with surroundings. Closed systems: energy but not matter is exchanged with surroundings: ex. , the earth. Isolated systems: no exchange of energy or matter with surroundings. Kinetic energy (movement: flowing water, wind, heat (radiation, conduction, or convection), electromagnetic radiation (solar radiation). Sun gives 99% of energy to the earth processes that occur in the earths core, gravitational energy etc. gives 1% of energy. All organisms need energy to grow, tissue replacement, movement and reproduction. High capacity to do work nuclear energy, strong winds: high temperature heat.
