carbon cycle Flashcards
how is carbon found in the atmosphere?
in the form of co2 and methane
how is carbon found in the biosphere?
found in trees and plants, plants absorb co2 for photosynthesis
how is carbon found in the cryosphere?
rapped in snow and ice, methane hydrates are trapped in permafrost, as it melts carbon is released
how is carbon put into the hydrosphere?
oceans absorb co2, used for shell growth, animals and plants die, decay relase it, sinks, layer of carbon sediments, creates rocks, tectonic uplift
what is carbon?
one of the most chemically versatile elements (forms most compounds such as diamonds and coal)
what percent of carbon released through anthropogenic fossil fuel burning?
90%
what percentage of anthropogenic carbon released is absorbed by the sea?
24%
what is a carbon sink?
more carbon enters than leaves
what is a carbon store?
more carbon leaves than enters
what is the process why which carbon moves known as?
transfer or fluxes
what is a store?
total amount of a material held within a part of a system
what is a flux?
measurements of the rate of flow of material between stores
what are major carbon stores? (6)
ocean ocean sediment soils atmosphere bedrock vegetation
why is atmospheric carbon a major global issue?
due to carbon dioxide adding to the greenhouse gases
how do green plants absorb carbon?
through chlorophyll in leaves
what does respiration do?
return carbon to the air
how does decomposition produce carbon?
decomposers such as fungi respirate and release c02
why is an increase of co2 an example of a positive feedback loop?
starts to melt the ice, cause wildfires, more carbon is released raising temperature more
what marine organisms can help with global cooling?
phytoplankton
what do phytoplankton do?
use angry from the sun to photosynthesis to live and grow, release chemical substance known as DMS, this evaporates and produces clouds, causing sun to cover and cooling less melting of ice etc
why is it bad if the oceans warm up?
less carbon is absorbed meaning it stays in the atmosphere
what are some human changes to the carbon cycle? (4)
- sequestrian
- farming practises
- urbanisation
- deforestation
how does sequestration cause changes in the carbon cycle?
we capture co2 and put it in long term stores
can inject it into deleted oil reservoirs and dissolve into deep underground in oceans
plants trees
who does farming change carbon cycle?
using machinery burning on fossil fuels
ploughing soil exposes organic material which is then decomposed
farm animals release large amounts of methane
how much methane do US cattle release a year?
5.5 million tonnes
