carbon cycle Flashcards
Carbon cycle
The process in which carbon moves through our earth ( short term and long term)
Greenhouse effect
a natural process in which certain gases in the atmosphere trap in heat radiated by earth
Greenhouse gases
co2(carbon dioxide), CH4 (methane), H2O(water vapor),ect.
Interstadial events
intervals lasting a few hundred to thousand years during which icey land(greenland) warms up rapidly then cools at first slowly then quickly - not predicted by milankivitch
Carbon cycle changes/imbalance
there is an increase in emission from eco-systems and increase in emissions from human activity. there is a decrease in global eco-systems capacity to absorb greenhouse gases.
Carbon reservoirs/sinks
a reservoirs where some form of carbon is stored ex- oceans, rocks, atmosphere
respiration
breathing (co2)
photosynthesis
plants absorbing co2
combustion
burning
weathering
carbon stored in rocks
decomposition
plants and animals break down to basic elements
short term carbon cycle
This cycle operates over one to a few hundreds of years.
works by photosynthesis of green plants, the largest contribution comes from ocean surface phytoplankton
respiration and decomposition
The short-term carbon cycle refers to the circulation of carbon among the surface reservoirs: the ocean, the atmosphere, the soil, and the biosphere (Figure 2). As noted, this cycling can be rapid, taking from months to decades to centuries. In the land-based part of the short-term carbon cycle, photosynthesis removes carbon from the atmosphere. The reaction for photosynthesis, which is driven by sunlight,
long term carbon cycle
It operates over thousands to hundreds of thousands of years through the land and oceans. In both cases the organic carbon from dead life forms is pressurized over ages of time to form solid fossil carbon.
On land this is fossil carbon- coal, oil and gas. The coal we burn up in no time took millions of years to form.
The ocean process forms rock- limestone and dolomite. This starts with the minute ocean surface plants called phytoplankton. This is how most of the carbon dioxide gets absorbed. Through the ocean food chain the carbon gets converted by shell forming organisns to calcium carbonite. Through ages of time and pressure in the ocean floor sediment, calcium carbonate based rock is formed- limestone and dolomite.
We are rapidly returning this carbon to the atmosphere by burning it. Land fossil carbon we burn to produce heat energy as fossil fuels. Limestone we burn to make cement.
largest carbon resevior
ocean
what does carbon in the atmosphere do for our planet
absorbs visible light(sunlight) and keeps most of the heat in. the trees release co2 so when there is trees it becomes hotter.
how do humans lead to an imbalance
we burn fossil fuels, which releases more co2, when there is too much co2 there becomes an imbalance
What are the 3 cycles that are closely related to historical climate change in Earth’s past? Describe them. What are the lengths of these cycles?
Eccentricity– Over a time period of 100,000 years, the orbit ranges from being a nearly perfect circle to being an oval and back to a near-circle again. provides more sunlight to different parts of the earth based on which side is closer to the sun in its orbit
tilt– The earth’s tilt, causes the seasons, one side is getting more sunlight ehich affects climate, 40,000 years
precession–The precession is how much the earth wobbles on its axis. it takes 20,000 and it affects the amount of sunlight each hemp. gets
what cycle does milankavitch coincide with?
the basic climate cycle
how are ice layers similar to tree trunks
they both hav layers from several past years
rings and layers help determine age
why is data from older ice less reliable
bc as it gets older the pressure that has been exerted on the ice cores has caused more and more distoration and it becomes hard to read
what are the five secrets
ice remembrance, thickness of ice layers, dust particles, oxygen isotopes, air bubbles
air bubbles
ancient air gets trapped as gas forms
we extract the air from the ice core adn we study it to see all the molecules and determine its composition knowing comp. and greenhouse affect so we can estimate temp.
thickness of layers
thicker layers= more percip. that shows there was a warmer climate bc there was more room for moisture
isotopes
water can be heavier if it contains isotopes of oxygyn that have an extra neutron
when humid air is cold, heavier h2o falls first and by the time the air hits land only light h2o remains– so if you mostly see h2o you know it was colder
