Carbon Eq1

Question 1

What is the carbon cycle?

Answer 1

Exchange of carbon between its 4 main stores/pools

Question 2

What are the four main stores/pools in the carbon cycle?

Answer 2

Atmosphere
Terrestrial biosphere
Oceans
Lithosphere

Question 3

What is the slow carbon cycle?

Answer 3

It is a geological carbon cycle where carbon is stored in rocks and sediments

Question 4

What is the fast carbon cycle?

Answer 4

A biological cycle where carbon is within vegetation, soils + atmosphere

Question 5

What is a carbon flux?

Answer 5

A flux is a flow with a quantity
Process of transferring carbon between stores

Question 6

What is a carbon sink?

Answer 6

A store with more carbon entering then leaving

Question 7

What is the largest carbon store?

Answer 7

A store with more carbon entering then leaving

Question 8

What is a petagram?

Answer 8

Measurement of carbon moving between and into stores (PgC)

Question 9

What is the largest carbon flux?

Answer 9

Photosynthesis
120 PgC

Question 10

What is the importance of terrestrial, atmospheric and ocean stores?

Answer 10

Movements between are quicker and affect us more

Question 11

What are different forms of carbon on earth?

Answer 11

Organic components: ethanol, methane, glucose
Calcium carbonate
Hydrocarbons
Carbs, lipids, enzymes

Question 12

What are fossil fuels and how do they form?

Answer 12

Heat + pressure on decomposing matter over millions of years
Oil- compaction of decomposed matter= peat
Oil- formed from bodies of plankton=takes millions of years
Natural gas- methane formed from formation of oil

Question 13

What are the key process of the fast carbon cycle?

Answer 13

Photosynthesis- absorption of CO2
Digestion- release of carbon compounds
Decomposition- break down of organic matter
Combustion- natural fires release carbon compounds

Question 14

What is the ocean, atmosphere exchange?

Answer 14

Mutual transfer between the lower atmosphere and ocean

Question 15

How many steps are in the slow carbon cycle?

Answer 15

5

Question 16

What is the first step in the slow carbon cycle?

Answer 16

CO2 from atmos reacts w water to form carbonic acid
Usually from volcanoes + respiration

Question 17

What is the second step in the slow carbon cycle?

Answer 17

Silicate weathering
Carbonic acid reacts w rocks forming soluae bicarbonate ions- carried by rivers

Question 18

What is the third step in the slow carbon cycle?

Answer 18

Bicarbonate ions used by animals to make shells

Question 19

What is the fourth step in the slow carbon cycle?

Answer 19

Lithification
Formation of rocks from calcium carbonate due to build of it from shells
eg limestone

Question 20

What is the final step of the carbon cycle?

Answer 20

Volcanic outgassing
CO2 emitted to atmosphere during volcanic eruptions due to being heated to melting point during subduction

Question 21

What are the 3 different ocean pumps?

Answer 21

Biological
Carbonate
Physical

Question 22

What is the biological ocean pump?

Answer 22

Uptake of carbon by marine organisms- eventually transferred to deeper ocean
Phytoplankton in surface waters photosynthesis- reduces CO2 levels
It dies carbon transferred to food web + excreted = sinks as organic matter
Decomp- matter sinks to deep ocean and remains for long time

Question 23

What is the carbonate ocean pump?

Answer 23

Related to production/dissolution of calcium carbonate
Use carbonate ions for shells + when they die shells dissolve or sink to the floor
Carbonate sediments can lock carbon away for millions of years + over time geo processes return stored carbon to ocean + atmosphere

Question 24

What is the physical ocean pump?

Answer 24

Physical/solubility to absorb CO2
Dissolves in sea water at cold temps
Transported by currents + downwelling
Remains in deep ocean for 100s of thousands of years before upwelling returns it

Question 25

What is downwelling?

Answer 25

Cooler water sinks to deep ocean

Question 26

What is upwelling?

Answer 26

Cold water brought to the surface + warm waters release CO2

Question 27

What is thermocline circulation?

Answer 27

Flow of ocean water caused by density change

Question 28

What is shortwave radiation?

Answer 28

Solar radiation from sun in form of visible light + uv radiation

Question 29

What is long wave radiation?

Answer 29

Radiation returning from earth in form of infrared radiation or heat

Question 30

Why is the carbon cycle an example of a dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 30

Carbon moves in and out of stores but the size of thestore remains relatively unchanged

Question 31

What is arctic amplification?

Answer 31

Where the arctic warmed almost 4x more then global average since 1970s

Question 32

What factors affect arctic amplification?

Answer 32

Reduced lapse rate (temp change w altitude) Loss of sea ice Additional heat absorption

Question 33

What is the importance of soils on the global carbon cycle?

Answer 33

They store over 2,700 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon Biomass- living bacteria + fungi Non biomass- cellulose, starch + lignin in dead plants 133GT lost from soil since start of agriculture Causes soils to become degraded

Question 34

What happens when soils have a lack of carbon?

Answer 34

Become degraded Unable to provide nutrients for plant growth = desertification + famine Need to improve to mitigate + adapt for climate change and to produce more food to meet demand

Question 35

What is a feedback loop?

Answer 35

Where carbon outputs redirected back at inputs Can dampen initial change (neg feedback loop) or amplify/intensify (pos feedback loop) Humans push it towards positive and towards tipping point

Question 36

What are the natural changes to carbon cycle over time?

Answer 36

Periods of increased volcanic activity Glacial periods Reduction in volcanic atmosphere

Question 37

What are human changes to carbon cycle over time?

Answer 37

Burning fossil fuels Clearing vegetation Carbon capture schemes Reforestation

Question 38

What is the terrestrial cycle?

Answer 38

Dominated by photosynthesis- stored within biomass Transferred via leaf litter, roots + plant debris Cycled quite rapidly through organic systems

Question 39

What is the oceanic cycle?

Answer 39

Stored as dissolved CO2 in bicarbonate ions Inputs= atmosphere with direct exchange Phytoplankton absorbs CO2 Operates transferring carbon from upper layers to sea bed

Question 40

What is the atmospheric cycle?

Answer 40

Form of CO2 or methane Methane 20x powerful at absorbing solar radiation but short lived compared to CO2 CO2 combines w water molecules in clouds= carbonic acid = terrestrial weathering + ocean acidification