6.1 Flashcards
Carbon
- Carbon provides all major building blocks in life.
- Carbon keeps our climate warm enough to survive.
Carbon existance
-Carbon exists in gas, liquids and solid forms.
The carbon cycle is a closed system
- Being a close system. It does not have any external inputs or outputs.
- The amount of carbon is finite and constant.
Fluxes
-The movement or transfer of carbon between stores.
Processes
The physical mechanism which drive thee fluxes between stores.
The atmoshpere
-Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.
The hydrosphere
dissolved carbon dioxide.
The lithosphere
-Carbonates in limestone and fossil fuels.
The biosphere
-Living and dead organisms.
The greatest carbon stores
-The lithosphere contains 83,000,000 PgC (Sedimentary rock store)
The geological carbon cycle
- Terrestrial carbon, held within the mantle is released into the atmosphere as CO2.
- CO2 within the atmosphere combines with rainfall to produce a weak acid (chemical acid).
- Rivers transport weathered carbon and calcium sediments to the oceans, where they deposited.
The biogeological carbon cycle.
photosynthesis - removing CO2, from the atmosphere to promote plant growth.
Respiration - releasing CO2 into the atmosphere as animals consume growth and breathe.
Decomposition - Breaking down organic matter and releasing CO2 into soils
Combustion pf biomass and fossil fuels - releasing CO2 and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
Maintaining equilibrium
Volcanic eruptions send extra CO2 into the atmosphere.
- Leads to rising temperatures, increased evaporation and higher levels of atmospheric moisture.
- This turns into acid rain which will degrade rocks and eventually deposit carbon to the ocean floor.
Photosynthesis
Removing CO2 from the atmosphere to allow for plant growth.
Respiration
Releasing CO2 into the atmosphere has animals consume plant growth and breathe.
