Carbon Cycle Flashcards
(246 cards)
when carbon moves directly from the atmosphere to surface ocean?
diffusion / direct gaseous exchange
what is the rate of carbon from the atmsohere to the surface ocean?
92 PgC/year
from the surface ocean back to the atmosphere flux rate is what?
90 PgC/year
when carbon is sequestered by phytoplankton, this is known as?
photosynthesis
carbon sequestration by phytoplankton accounts for what % of carbon sequestered from the atmopshere?
50%
when carbon is re-released into the atmosphere by marine biota the flux is known as?
respiration
how many more times larger are the oceans than the atmopshere as a carbon store?
50x
dissolved carbon dioxide is moved from the surface to the deep ocean via what process?
downwelling
carbon can be held in the surface ocean as what gas?
CO2
what are the 3 names of the ocean pumps?
1 - physical
2 - biological
3 - carbonate
the physical pump os also known as?
thermohaline ciruclation
how many PgC reach the ocean floor to become surface sediment?
0.2
the surface sediment over time undergoes the process of what?
sedimentation
the surface sediment is then transformed into what?
sedimentary / calcium rock
carbon can be removed from the terrestrial lithospere and makes its way to the oceans again via what flux?
weathering (chemical and mechanical)
what is the flux rate of weathering process in PgC/year
50
anthropogenic activity can release carbon from the lithosphere premeaturley via what process?
combustion
the flux of combustion happens at how many PgC/year
35
carbon can naturally return to the atmosphere from the lithosphere via what flux?
volcanic outgassing
what is the rate of volcanic outgassing?
0.15 PgC
why is volcanic outgassing needed to maintian what?
natural greenhouse effect
vegitation in the terrestrial biosphere sequesters carbon via the flux of what?
photosynthesis
what is the flux of photosynthesis per year?
123 PgC/year
at night, vegitation will release CO2 via what flux?
respiration