Carbon cycle

Question 1

Store - marine sediments and sedimentary rock

Answer 1

Largest carbon store (stores over 99.9% of carbon)
Long term

Question 2

Store - oceans

Answer 2

CO2 absorbed directly from air

Cold oceans can absorb more

Question 3

Store - fossil fuel deposits

Answer 3

Hydrocarbons such as coal, oil and gas are long term stores
Are exploited for power and release carbon through combustionSt

Question 4

Store - Soil organic matter

Answer 4

Carbon remains here for hundreds of years

Can be released through deforestation, erosion or land use change

Question 5

Store - atmosphere

Answer 5

Carbon held as CO2

Enhanced greenhouse effect due to increased emissions

Question 6

Store - vegetation

Answer 6

Photosynthesis and respiration absorb and release CO2 to the atmosphere

Question 7

Transfer - Photosynthesis

Answer 7

Fast cycle
Process where plants use light energy from the sun to produce carbohydrates
Absorbed through chlorophyll

Air - plant

Question 8

Transfer - Respiration

Answer 8

Fast cycle
Chemical process occurring in all cells where glucose is converted to energy for growth and repair

Plant - Air

Question 9

Transfer - Decomposition and soil respiration

Answer 9

Fast cycle
When organisms die they are consumed by decomposers such as bacteria, fungi and earthworms

Body - Air

Question 10

Transfer - Weathering and erosion

Answer 10

Slow cycle
Involves the breakdown or decay of rocks in situ
Carbon is absorbed by rainwater to form mildly acidic carbonic acid which erodes rocks such as limestone

Air - rock

Question 11

Transfer - Burial and compaction / sedimentation

Answer 11

Slow cycle
Corals and shelled organisms take up CO2 from the water and convert it to calcium carbonate and use it to build shells.
When these organisms die shells accumulate on the seabed which become compacted into rocks such as limestone and store carbon

Water - shells - rock - lithosphere

Question 12

Transfer - oceanic carbon pumps

Answer 12

Slow cycle

Vertical deep mixing occurs when warm water in oceans is carried from the warm tropics to cold polar regions

Water is cooled and becomes dense enough to sink below the surface layer

When this water returns to the surface it releases CO2 to the atmosphere.

Ocean - atmosphere

Question 13

Transfer - biological pumps

Answer 13

Slow cycle
Living things in the ocean move carbon from the atmosphere into surface waters and then into deeper ocean and rocks

The carbon becomes incorporated into marine organisms as organic matter of structural calcium carbonate, when bodies die they sink and release CO2

Ocean - rock

Question 14

Transfer - Volcanic activity

Answer 14

Slow cycle
CO2 released from volcanoes
Warming effect of the released CO2 is counterbalanced by sulphur dioxide which is also released

Volcano - atmosphere

Question 15

Transfer - Cement manufacturing

Answer 15

Fast cycle
Contributes CO2 to the atmosphere when calcium carbonate is heated producing lime and CO2
Produces 5% of all anthropogenic CO2

Fossil fuels - atmosphere

Question 16

Transfer - Wildfires

Answer 16

Fast cycle
Can be started naturally or by humans
Fires release large quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere and as a result can turn forests from carbon sinks to carbon sources

Vegetation - atmosphere

Question 17

Transfer - Land use change

Answer 17

Fast cycle
Accounts for up to 30% of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions

Question 18

Transfer - Permafrost

Answer 18

Slow cycle
As the ice thaws bacteria breaks down organic matter which releases carbon into the atmosphere as CO2 or methane

Cryosphere - Atmosphere

Question 19

Transfer - Peat bogs

Answer 19

Slow cycle
Capture CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis
Plants growing in peat bogs don’t fully decompose so don’t release carbon which would otherwise return to the atmosphere

Atmosphere - Vegetation and Peat

Question 20

Transfer - Biomass combustion

Answer 20

Fast cycle
Burning of living and dead vegetation including human induced

Vegetation - Atmosphere

Question 21

Transfer - deforestation

Answer 21

Fast cycle
Driven by the need for agricultural land
Slash and burn agriculture releases CO2

Vegetation - atmosphere

Question 22

Carbon sequestration

Answer 22

Concept of capturing and storing CO2

Can be through human process and technology or natural such as peat bogs

Question 23

Positive feedback loop

Answer 23

Increased temperature
Melting of sea ice
Albedo decreases
More heat absorbed back into ocean
Ocean absorbs less
Increased temperature

Question 24

Positive feedback loop

Answer 24

Increased temperature
Oceans heat up
CO2 is released as cannot store as much
Increased greenhouse effect
Increased temperature

Question 25

Negative feedback loop

Answer 25

Decreased temperature
Oceans get colder
More sea ice
Increase albedo
Decreased temperature

Question 26

Negative feedback loop

Answer 26

Decreased temperature
Oceans cool
Oceans take in more CO2
Less CO2 in atmosphere
Decreased greenhouse effect

Question 27

Natural and physical causes of change - natura climate change

Answer 27

CO2 and temperature has always fluctuated
At points with higher temperatures there are higher levels of CO2 which amplifies this effect

Question 28

Natural and physical causes of change - Cold conditions

Answer 28

Chemical weathering processes much more active as cold water holds more CO2

Decomposers are less effective in cold conditions (carbon transfers to soils decreases)

Less water in oceans as more in snow and ice

Soils would be frozen meaning less transfers from soil

Question 29

Natural and physical causes of change - Warm conditions

Answer 29

Melting of ice and permafrost in polar regions
Carbon and methane previously stored in ice will be released
Oceans warm and can hold less carbon

Question 30

Natural and physical causes of change - Wildfires

Answer 30

Turn forests into carbon sources

Question 31

Natural and physical causes of change - Volcanic activity

Answer 31

Returns carbon to the atmosphere

Lava erupted contains silicates that slowly weather converting CO2 on the air to carbonates

Question 32

Human causes of change - Combustion of fossil fuels

Answer 32

Burnt to generate energy and power
Carbon released

Question 33

Human causes of change - Land use change

Answer 33

Responsible for 10% global carbon release

Farming practices e.g. ploughing, rearing, fertilisers and livestock disrupt soil structure and vegetation

(shimpling park named example)

Question 34

Human causes of change - deforestation

Answer 34

Removes trees and therefore reduces photosynthesis and the size of the vegetation store

Question 35

Human causes of change - urbanisation

Answer 35

Replacement of countryside and vegetation

Urban areas occupy 2% of world surface but contribute for 97% of all anthropogenic carbon emissions

Question 36

Carbon budget

Answer 36

Uses data to describe the amount of carbon that is stores and transferred within the carbon cycle (difference between inputs and outputs)
Measured in petagrams (Pg)

Question 37

Mitigation

Answer 37

Actions taken to reduce the causes of climate change including international agreements, alternative energy production, carbon capture and tree planting

Question 38

Kyoto protocol

Answer 38

1997
167 countries agree to cut emissions

Question 39

Copenhagen agreement

Answer 39

2009
183 countries agree to limit rise in temperature to 2 degrees
HICs agree to help developing nations
Exploration of carbon markets and carbon trading

Question 40

Paris Agreement

Answer 40

2015
194 countries
limit emissions
Limit temperature rise to below 2 degrees
Become carbon neutral
Support developing countries