Water & Carbon key terms

Front

aquifer

Back

A vast underground reservoir most commonly formed in rocks such as chalk and sandstone.

Front

atmosphere

Back

The air that surrounds the Earth.

Front

burial and compaction

Back

Where organic matter becomes buried and is then compressed by the overlying sediment.

Front

carbon budget

Back

A way of using data to describe the amount of carbon that is stored and transferred within the carbon cycle.

Front

carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Back

The technological 'capturing' of carbon emitted from power stations.

Front

carbon farming

Back

Where one type of crop is replaced by another that has greater productivity and can absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Front

carbon sequestration

Back

An umbrella term used to describe the long-term storage of carbon in plants, soils, rock formations, and oceans.

Front

carbon sink

Back

Anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases.

Front

carbon source

Back

Anything that releases more carbon than it absorbs.

Front

closed system

Back

A system with no inputs or outputs.