Biogeochemical Cycles

Question 1

what is the equation for photosynthesis?

Answer 1

CO2 + H2O = C6 H12 O6 + O2

Question 2

What is Combustion?

Answer 2

Burning fossil fuels / biomass

Question 3

What are biogeochemical cycles?

Answer 3

A series of linked processes which use and re-use elements

Question 4

Why is nitrogen important to animals / humans?

Answer 4

Builds protein and DNA

Question 5

Where is most of the planets carbon stored?

Answer 5

Carbonate rocks

Question 6

What uses photosynthesis to store carbon?

Answer 6

Plants / trees

Question 7

Give one example of a carbonaceous rock?

Answer 7

Limestone

Question 8

Name 2 carbon stores within the hydrosphere.

Answer 8

Sea animals, Sea plants, sea water, plankton and fossils

Question 9

What chemical forms of carbon are found in the ocean?

Answer 9

Carbon dioxide and hydrogen carbonate

Question 10

how much is a Giga tonne
(Gt)?

Answer 10

A billion tonnes

Question 11

what is leading to an increased concentration of atmospheric CO2

Answer 11

Primarily / mainly combustion

Question 12

what is leading to an increased atmospheric concentration of methane

Answer 12

livestock and permafrost melting

Question 13

What is respiration?

Answer 13

A reaction in which animals gain energy by eating sugar and breathing. They then release carbon dioxide and water.

Question 14

What is photosynthesis

Answer 14

A reaction in which plants use sunlight to breakdown carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen.

Question 15

What is decomposition?

Answer 15

The breakdown / rotting of dead plant and animal remains. This releases carbon dioxide.

Question 16

What is the carbon cycle?

Answer 16

The cycling of carbon through the living and non-living world.

Question 17

What is carbon flow?

Answer 17

When carbon moves from one store/ reservoir to another

Question 18

What is a Carbon Reservoir?

Answer 18

A place where carbon is stored.

Question 19

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 19

The zone covered by water, including seas, lakes and rivers

Question 20

What is Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide?

Answer 20

Carbon dioxide generated by human activity

Question 21

What is a carbon sink?

Answer 21

A store of carbon that absorbs more carbon than it releases

Question 22

What is Carbon Sequestration?

Answer 22

A natural or artificial process by which carbon dioxide is removed or captured from the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form

Question 23

What is the Cryosphere?

Answer 23

Any place on Earth where water is in its solid form / ice

Question 24

What is Carbonic Acid

Answer 24

A solution produced when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water

Question 25

What is the equation for Carbonic Acid

Answer 25

H2 CO3

Question 26

What is aerobic respiration?

Answer 26

Respiration that requires oxygen, release carbon dioxide

Question 27

What is anaerobic respiration?

Answer 27

Respiration in the absence of oxygen, releases methane

Question 28

What is Exsolving?

Answer 28

Substances coming out of solution

Question 29

What is Carbon capture?

Answer 29

Technologies or approaches that remove carbon dioxide from power plant or other emissions, in an effort to mitigate global climate change

Question 30

What is anthropogenic Carbon storage?

Answer 30

The technique of capturing CO2 from coal or oil fired power plants and burying it deep underground, to keep it out of the atmosphere

Question 31

What is Burial and compaction?

Answer 31

sediments are compacted due to weight of overlying sediment to form carbonate rock, coal, oil, gas and limestone

Question 32

What are Food chains?

Answer 32

A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten, carbon compounds are also transferred

Question 33

What is an equilibrium?

Answer 33

a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced.

Question 34

What is Flux?

Answer 34

a state of continual change or movement, describes the relative rates of flow of carbon