Carbon Cycle

Question 1

what is the carbon cycle?

Answer 1

the movement of atoms and molecules containing the element carbon (carbon dioxide, glucose, methane) between sources and sinks

Question 2

what is the difference between some carbon reservoirs compared to others?

Answer 2

some of the reservoirs in which carbon compounds occur in the carbon cycle hold those compounds for long periods of time, while some hold them for relatively short periods of time

Question 3

what is the mini-loop in the carbon cycle?

Answer 3

carbon cycles between photosynthesis and cellular respiration in living things

Question 4

what is the major time discrepancy in the carbon cycle?

Answer 4

plant and animal decomposition have led to the storage of carbon over millions of years while the burning of fossil fuels quickly moves that stored carbon into atmospheric carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide; burial (the formation of fossil fuels) takes longer than extraction and combustion which means they increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Question 5

what steps in the carbon cycle are quick? which ones are slow?

Answer 5

fossil fuel combustion is very quick while sedimentation and burial are very slow

Question 6

the differences in the amount of time involved in each step of the carbon cycle leads to:

Answer 6

an imbalance in which reservoirs or sinks are storing carbons

Question 7

what is a key reservoir of carbon?

Answer 7

the atmosphere

Question 8

what happens if there are increasing levels of carbon in the atmosphere?

Answer 8

global warming

Question 9

what is a carbon sink?

Answer 9

a carbon reservoir that stores more carbon than it releases

Question 10

what are some examples of carbon sinks?

Answer 10

the ocean (algae and sediments), plants, soil

Question 11

what is a carbon source?

Answer 11

processes that add carbon to the atmosphere

Question 12

what are some examples of carbon sources?

Answer 12

fossil fuel (oil, coal, natural gas) combustion, animal agriculture (cow burps/farts release methane), and deforestation releases carbon dioxide from trees and prevents more atmospheric carbon from being absorbed

Question 13

which organisms perform photosynthesis?

Answer 13

plants, algae, phytoplankton

Question 14

what does photosynthesis do in the carbon cycle?

Answer 14

it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it to glucose

Question 15

what is glucose?

Answer 15

a biological form of carbon, stored as chemical energy in the form of sugar

Question 16

photosynthesis is a carbon dioxide __________
cellular respiration is a carbon dioxide __________

Answer 16

sink
source

Question 17

which organisms perform cellular respiration and why?

Answer 17

done by plants and animals to release stored energy

Question 18

cellular respiration uses __________ to break down __________ and release __________ which releases __________ into the __________

Answer 18

oxygen, glucose, energy, carbon dioxide, atmosphere

Question 19

are cellular respiration and photosynthesis quick or slow processes?

Answer 19

they are both very quick

Question 20

where and how do cellular respiration and photosynthesis cycle carbon?

Answer 20

they cycle carbon between the biosphere and atmosphere in balanced amounts so there is no net carbon increase in the atmosphere

Question 21

what is direct exchange in the carbon cycle?

Answer 21

carbon dioxide moves directly between the atmosphere and the ocean by dissolving into and out of ocean water at the surface

Question 22

is direct exchange a quick or slow process?

Answer 22

it is a very quick process

Question 23

how is direct exchange in the carbon cycle balanced?

Answer 23

it happens in equal directions which balances levels of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and ocean

Question 24

what are the consequences of direct exchange?

Answer 24

an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to an increase in carbon dioxide in the ocean, leading to ocean acidification

Question 25

how can carbon dioxide be taken out of the ocean?

Answer 25

through carbon sinks like:
- algae and phytoplankton take carbon dioxide out of the ocean and atmosphere through photosynthesis
- coral reefs and marine organisms with shells also take carbon dioxide out of the ocean to make calcium carbonate exoskeletons
- sedimentation
- burial

Question 26

what is ocean sedimentation in the carbon cycle?

Answer 26

when marine organisms die, their bodies sink to the ocean floor where they’re broken down into sediments that contain carbon

Question 27

what is burial in the carbon cycle?

Answer 27

over long periods of time, the pressure of water compresses carbon containing sediments on the ocean floor into sedimentary stone like limestone and sandstone; it’s a slow geological process that sores carbon in underground sinks like sedimentary rock or fossil fuels

Question 28

burial/sedimentary stones are a:

Answer 28

long term carbon reservoir

Question 29

how are fossil fuels formed?

Answer 29

coal, oil, and natural gas are formed from fossilized remains of organic dead matter like dead ferns (coal) or marine algae and plankton (oil)

Question 30

what are the extraction and combustion steps of the carbon cycle?

Answer 30

digging up or mining fossil fuels and burning them as an energy source which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

Question 31

how does burial store carbon in underground sinks?

Answer 31

sediments like bits of rock, soil, and organic matter are compressed into sedimentary rock or fossil fuels by pressure form overlying rock layers or water