1.4 - Carbon Cycle Flashcards
What is the carbon cycle?
The movement of molecules that contain Carbon between sources and sinks
T or F
All steps in the carbon cycle take the same time
False
Some steps are very quick (FF combustion); some are very slow (sedimentation & burial)
How does the unequal balance of time in the steps of the carbon cycle lead to an imbalance
Carbon sinks into the ground (sedimentation and burial) much slower than it takes for Fossil Fuels to ve released into the atmosphere (combustion) so it creates an imbalance in which reservoirs or carbon sinks are storing carbon
What is the key Carbon reservoir
Atmosphere
How does the atmosphere lead to global warming
the atmosphere is the main reservoir for carbon, increasing levels of carbon in the atmosphere leads to global warming
What is a carbon sink
a carbon reservoir that stores more carbon than it releases
What are examples of carbon sinks
ocean (algae and sediments), plants, soil
What are carbon sources
processes that add carbon to the atmosphere
What are examples of carbon sources
- Fossil fuel (oil, coal, nat gas) combustion
- Animal ag. (cow burps & farts = CH4)
- Deforestation, releases CO2 from trees
Explain Photosynthesis
- Plants, algae, phytoplankton
- Removes CO2 from the atmosphere & converts it to glucose
- Glucose = biological form of C & stored (chemical) energy in form of sugar
- CO2 sink
Explain Cellular Respiration
- Done by plants & animals to release stored energy
- Uses O2 to break glucose down & release energy
- Releases CO2 into atmosphere
- CO2 source (adds CO2 to atm.)
Is photosynthesis a sink or source?
Sink because it stores CO2 in the plants and turns it into glucose
Is cellular respiration a sink or source?
Source because it releases CO2 after O2 breaks down glucose and releases it back into the atmosphere
Explain the relationship between Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis
- Both processes are extremely quick
- They balance each other out because what is released in Photosynthesis is absorbed through Cellular respiration and vise versa
What is the relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere in the carbon cycle?
- A direct exchange - CO2 moves directly between atmosphere and ocean by dissolving into and out of ocean water at the surface
- Happens very quickly & in equal directions, balancing levels of CO2 between atm. & ocean
What happens because of the direct exchange of the ocean and atmosphere
Because of direct exchange, increasing atm. CO2 also increases ocean CO2, leading to ocean acidification
How does algae and phytoplankton help CO2 in the ocean and atmosphere
Algae & phytoplankton: take CO2 out of the ocean & atm. through photosynthesis
What organisms also take CO2 out of the ocean?
Coral reef & marine org. with shells also take CO2 out of the ocean to make calcium carbonate exoskeleton
What is sedimentation
when marine org. die, their bodies sink to ocean floor where they’re broken down into sediments that contain Carbon
What is Burial in the ocean
- over, long, periods of time, pressure of water compresses Carbon-containing sediments on ocean floor into sedimentary stone (limestone, sandstone)
- long-term Carbon reservoir
What is burial
- slow, geological process that stores carbon in underground sinks like sedimentary rock or fossil fuels
- Sediments (bits of rock, soil, organic matter) are compressed into sed. rock, or Fossile Fuels, by pressure from overlying rock layers or water
What are fossil fuels
coal, oil, and Nat. gas are formed from fossilized remains of org. matter
What is extraction
Digging up fossil fuels
What is combustion
burning fossile fuels as an energy source, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere
What happens between burial, extraction, and combustion
Burial (formation of FFs) takes far longer than extraction & combustion, which means they increase concentration of CO2 in atmosphere
