6.1

Question 1

What is the carbon cycle?

Answer 1

Carbon moving from one earth sphere to another

Question 2

Is the carbon cycle a closed or open system?

Answer 2

Closed with sub-systems that have inputs and outputs

Question 3

What are carbon stores and fluxes?

Answer 3

Carbon stores- sources which adds carbon and sinks which removes carbon, where carbon is stored
Carbon fluxes- flows and movements of carbon

Question 4

What are carbon stores and fluxes?

Answer 4

Carbon stores- sources which adds carbon and sinks which removes carbon, where carbon is stored
Carbon fluxes- flows and movements of carbon

Question 5

What state is carbon in at each earth sphere?

Answer 5

Lithosphere- as fossil fuels and rocks
Atmosphere- as a gas
Biosphere- as living and dead organisms
Hydrosphere- as a liquid

This can be put into 3 forms: gaseous, inorganic and organic

Question 6

What does terrestial mean?

Answer 6

On the land, relates to earth

Question 7

Where are the main stores of carbon and how much is in each store?

Answer 7

Atmosphere- 830 Gt
Terrestrial biosphere- 2400 Gt in total with 600 Gt in vegetation and 1600 Gt in soils
Oceans- 38 000 Gt in total with 1000 Gt on the surface and 37 000 in the deep sea
Lithosphere- 75 000 000 in total with 60 000 000 in sedimentary and 15 000 000 in hydrocarbons

Question 8

What are the residence times for different carbon stores?

Answer 8

Atmosphere- 5 years
Oceans- 400 years
Lithosphere- 100- 200 000 000 years
Terrestrial biosphere- 10 years