Carbon

Question 1

Name 6 stores of c

Answer 1

Plants 
Oceans 
Soils
Atmosphere 
Fossil fuels
Earths crust

Question 2

Name 4 fluxes

Answer 2

Photosynthesis
Évapotranspiration
Combustion of dissolved fuels
Respiration

Question 3

What is the largest c store

Answer 3

Earths crust

Question 4

What is the smallest carbon store

Answer 4

Biosphere

Question 5

How much c do fossil fuels store

Answer 5

4000 GTC/yr

Question 6

How much c does biosphere and atmosphere store

Answer 6

600 GTC /yr

Question 7

How much c do photosynthesis and respiration flux each

Answer 7

120gtc/yr

Question 8

How much c does the atm gain a year

Answer 8

4gtc

Question 9

What causes the increase in carbon in the atm and by how much

Answer 9

Combustion of fossil fuels

By 7gtc/yr

Question 10

Why is adding only 4gtc of carbon a year bad

Answer 10

It is a rapid exchange (increasing year by year)
Small carbon store = less than 1% of the atm is made of carbon
So any increase is a large proportional difference
Has direct impact on the earth eg. Global warming

Question 11

What is mass balance

Answer 11

On a global scale total carbon is conserved over time

Not created or destroyed

Question 12

Carbon pathway between the land and atm

Answer 12

Atm c is fixed in the biosphere by photosynthesis
And transferred up the trophic levels by digestion
Carbon is lost back to the atm by respiration
Dead organic matter gets decomposed and adds the soil store for other plants to take up
Soil respiration (decomposers and detritus feeders)

Question 13

Explain photosynthesis

Answer 13

6h20 + 6co2 -> c6h12o6 + o2
Used as hexose sugars
Carbohydrates eg. Starch or cellulose

Question 14

What is decomposition.

Answer 14

CO2 returned to the atm
Bacteria abs fungi digest the organic matter on a microorganism level
Microorganisms respire producing CO2
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) produced

Question 15

How does the biosphere produce no net loss or gain in the atm

Answer 15

Photosynthesis and respiration are in eqm

Question 16

When factors affect rate of decomposition

Answer 16

Temperature

Oxygen availability for aerobic respiration of microorganisms

Question 17

How much energy do we get from fossil fuel combustion

Answer 17

85%

Question 18

Why does burning fossil fuels increase carbon atm

Answer 18

Fossil fuels are stores from long term lithosphere
But humans burn it at a much faster rate than it is being formed (non renewable and finite)
So not in eqm with anything

Question 19

What is methanogenesis

Answer 19

The production of ch4

From anaerobic respiration of décomposers in peatlands

Question 20

Explain the greenhouse effect

Answer 20

Uv light emitted by sun 
Passes through troposphere 
Earth re radiates energy as IR 
IR has a longer wavelength than UV 
Greenhouse gasses absorb IR 
Heat held in atmosphere 
Causes global warming

Question 21

Why is the biosphere on a seasonal cycle

Answer 21

Spring growth = more photo than resp = carbon sink

Autumn death = more decomposition = more mictions respiration and less photo = carbon source

Question 22

How does global warming affect the water cycle

Answer 22

Warmer temps = more convectional rain
The moisture holding capacity of the atm increases 7% per degree = heavier rain
More droughts = persistant and widespread