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Arctic tundra (what is the water cycle like ((sharp increase in river flow…
Arctic tundra
what is the water cycle like
low rates of evaporation as most of the suns energy goes into melting the snow, surface and soil water are frozen for most of the year
limited groundwater and moisture stores as permafrost is a barrier to infiltration, percolation, recharge and groundwater flow
limited transpiration because of the sparseness of vegetation and the growing season being so small
sharp increase in river flow after melting of now river and lake ice
small stores of moisture in the atmosphere because of low temperatures which reduces absolute humidity
wetlands, ponds and lakes during the summer makes a temporary store of liquid water due to the permforst which stops drainage
low annual precipitation 50-350mm
changes to the water cycle
strip mining of sand and gravel for construction creates artifical lakes which distrupt drainage and expose permafrost to more melting
melting of permafrost and snow cover increases run off as river discharge making flooding more likely
in summer wetlands, ponds and lakes become more extensive increasing evaporation
drainage networks are disrupted by road construction and seismic explosions used to prospect for oil and gas
water abstracted from creeks and rivers for industrial use and for the building of ice roads in winter and reduces run off
physical factors that affect stores and flows of the water and carbon cycle
ROCK PERMEABILITY AND POROSITY
permeability is low due to permafrost and crystalline rocks so they have little affect on cycles , no storage of carbon or water
RELIEF AND DRAINAGE- during the short summer melting increases so it forms millions of pools , shallow lakes and ponds, drainage is poor so water cannot infiltrate the soil because of the permafrost and minimal relief due to years of erosion and chaotic glacial deposits obstruct drainage and contribute to water logging in the summer months
TEMPERATURE
In the winter temperatures prevent evaporation and in summer some occurs from standing water, saturated soil and vegetation, humidity is low all year
and precipitation is sparse
VEGETATION AND ORGANIC MATTER IN SOIL - Carbon is mainly stored as decomposed plant remains in the permafrost , photosynthesis is low because of the lack of trees and plants and water logging and low temps slow decomposition , respiration and flows of C02 to the atmosphere
changes to the carbon cycle
the localized melting of permafrost is associated with construction and operation of oil and gas installations settlements and infrastructure diffusing heat directly to the environment , dust deposition along the roadsides creating darkened snow surface which increases absorption of sunlight and removal of vegetation cover which insulates the permafrost
melting of permafrost releases CO2 and methane , gas flaring and oil spillages input C02 to the atmosphere ,destruction of tundra vegetation reduces photosynthesis this absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere and thawing of soil increases respiration decomposition and emissions of C02
what is the carbon cycle like
due to climate change the permafrost is releasing CO2 into the atmosphere
snow cover may insulate microbial organisms and allow some decomposition despite low temp
activity of micro organisms increases and releases C02 into the atmosphere through respiration
biomass is small and ranges between 4-26 tonnes
flux of the amount of carbon in soils is 5 times greater than in the above ground biomass
accumulation of carbon is slow due to low temps which slows down decomposition
permafrost is a vast carbon sink