1.4 Flashcards
Carbon cycle
movement of molecules that contain carbon (CO2, glucose, CH4) between sources and sinks
Because some steps are very quick and others are very short it leads to
An imbalance in which reservoirs or sinks are storing carbon.
Carbon sink
a carbon reservoir that stores more carbon than it releases
Carbon source
process that adds carbon to atmosphere
-fossil fuel (oil, coal,natural gas) combustion
- deforestation releases CO2 from trees
Photosynthesis
removes CO2 from the air and converts it to glucose
What performs photosynthesis
Plants, algae and phytoplankton
Glucose
The biological form of carbon–> stored chemical energy in the form of sugar
Photosynthesis is a
CO2 sink
Cellular respiration
done by plants and animals to release stored energy. It uses O2 to break glucose down and release energy. It also releases CO2 into the air
cellular respiration is a
CO2 source- adds CO2 into the atmosphere
Direct exchange
Co2 moves directly between atmosphere and the ocean by dissolving into and out of ocean water at the surface.
Because of direct exchange….
increasing atmospheric CO2 also increases ocean CO2 leading to ocean acidification
The coral reef takes….
CO2 out of the ocean and uses it to make calcium carbonate exoskeleton
Sedimentation
When marine organisms die their bodies sink to the ocean floor where they are broken down into sediments that contain carbon
Burial
over long periods of time, pressure of water compresses carbon containing sediments on the ocean floor into sedimentary stone- long term carbon reservoir - ROCKS or it can be stored as fossil fuels
