Carbon Cycle

Question 1

Define sequestration

Answer 1

The natural storage of carbon by physical or biological processes such as photosynthesis

Question 2

What is inorganic carbon?

Answer 2

Carbon in rocks

Question 3

What is organic carbon?

Answer 3

Organic carbon

Question 4

What is gaseous carbon?

Answer 4

Carbon in CO2, CH4 and CO

Question 5

Define respiration

Answer 5

The process in which living organisms involving the production of energy, with the intake of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide

Question 6

What is the geological carbon cycle?

Answer 6

The movement of carbon between land oceans and atmosphere

Question 7

What is the biogeochemical carbon cycle?

Answer 7

The exchange of carbon between its four main reservoirs - the atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere, oceans and sediments

-> the geological cycle is part of this
-> the second part is the biological carbon cycle

Question 8

What is the biological carbon cycle?

Answer 8

The faster cycle with rapid turnovers between the atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere

Question 9

What are 3 terrestrial stores of carbon?

Answer 9

Limestone
Shale
Fossil fuels

Question 10

Define fossil fuels

Answer 10

Dead organic material builds at bottom of rivers and seas and decays.
Heat and pressure is exerted
This becomes coal oil and gas

Question 11

What is shale?

Answer 11

Organic carbon from dead organisms are embedded in layers of mud. Millions of years of heat and pressure compresses this into sedimentary rock

Question 12

How does carbon get from the ocean to atmosphere?

Answer 12

Subduction of the sea floor at plate margins means some carbon ends up in earths lower mantle

Some hidden limestone can be exposed through tectonic uplift

Pockets of C02 in crust. Can be disturbed by volcanic activity
-Eg: pinatubo eruption 1991

Question 13

What are the largest carbon stores?

Answer 13

-Terrestrial/crustal
-sedimentary rocks
-Slow cycled

-Deep in ocean
-Inorganic carbon stored at great depths and slowly cycled

Question 14

What 4 main processes make up the fast (biological) carbon cycle?

Answer 14

Photosynthesis
Respiration
Decomposition
Combustion

Question 15

Define decomposition

Answer 15

Breaking down of organic matter and releasing CO2 into soils

Question 16

Define combustion

Answer 16

Burning of biomass/fossil fuels releases C02 and other greenhouse gases into atmosphere

Question 17

What are phytoplankton booms?
How do they remove Co2 from atmosphere?

Answer 17

-Phytoplankton are micro-algae with calcium carbonate shells
-Sunlight conditions can cause a boom
-They sequester CO2 in their shells
-This sinks to bottom of the ocean
-When they die it is stored as sediment

Question 18

Biological pump

Answer 18

Large phytoplankton absorb co2 and convert it to organic carbon
Organic carbon is transferred through marine food web
Dead organisms sink to deeper ocean
Decomposition releases CO2
Some long term storage occurs

Question 19

Carbonate pump

Answer 19

Marine organisms like plankton, coral, oysters use carbonate ions to form shells and inner skeletons

When they die the shells sink to ocean floor

Some shells accumulate as sediment
Or shells dissolve and carbon is in deep ocean currents

Question 20

Physical pump

Answer 20

CO2 is easily absorbed in cold water, therefore there is a high density of CO2 in deep ocean water and at the poles
• Warm waters release more CO2 to the atmosphere
• Ocean currents move water around so that warm water cools and absorbs CO2, and so that cold water sinks due to high density, taking CO2 from the surface to the deep ocean

Question 21

Thermohaline circulation

Answer 21

Thermohaline circulation maintains the oceans’ biological and carbonate pumps by providing the correct conditions for phytoplankton to live and reproduce.

Question 22

What is the anthropogenic greenhouse effect

Answer 22

Greenhouse effect enhanced by humans

Less heat escapes into space

Higher concentration of greenhouse gases (25% higher) since Industrial Revolution

Question 23

How does the normal greenhouse effect work?

Answer 23

Some solar radiation is reflected by earth and atmosphere

Some infrared radiation passes through atmosphere

Some is absorbed by greenhouse gases and remitted in all directions

This warms the earths surface

Question 24

How does the carbon cycle affect temperatures?

Answer 24

Solar isolation is more intense at equator and more dispersed at the poles
Wind distributes heat
Greenhouse effect

Question 25

How does the carbon cycle affect precipitation?

Answer 25

Distribution of heat affects this
Warm air rises and cools, condenses and causes clouds and rain.
This results in high rainfall around equator
Low rainfall low latitudes where air pressure rises

Question 26

How does the carbon cycle affect atmospheric composition?

Answer 26

Photosynthesis regulates atmospheric composition
By sequestering CO2 through phytoplankton and terrestrial photosynthesis

Little CO2 absorbed in deserts

Question 27

Healthy soil

Answer 27

Dark, crumbly, porous
Worms and organisms present
Air and water provides nutrients for microorganisms

Question 28

Define energy mix

Answer 28

The combination of different available energy sources used to meet a country’s demand

Question 29

Define energy security

Answer 29

Refers to the reliability and availability of energy to meet the needs of a population

Depends on supply accessibility, availability affordability and reliability
Vital for country to function

Question 30

What are the main factors affecting the energy mix?

Answer 30

Climate change commitments -COP
Economy - Fossil fuels cheaper
Resource depletion
Availability - EG Iceland geothermal
Rising demand
Geopolitical

Question 31

USA vs France energy security

Answer 31

USA
15% imported
82% fossil fuels

France
46% imported
50% fossil fuels
41% nuclear