Carbon Stores Flashcards
What is inorganic carbon?
carbon stored in non-living forms (eg rocks)
What are 5 major stores of Carbon?
- lithosphere (which includes the pedosphere)
- hydrosphere
- biosphere
- cryosphere
- atmosphere
What is organic carbon?
carbon stored in living forms
What is gaseous carbon? give 2 examples
carbon stored as a gas
CO2 and CH4
What is an example of carbon stored in the lithosphere?
- carbon stored in marine sediments and sedimentary rocks
- fossil fuel deposits
How is carbon stored in the hydrosphere?
- dissolved in water
- marine sediments and animals
How is carbon stored in the atmosphere?
as CO2 and CH4
What is the pedosphere?
layer composed of soil
Which store holds carbon for the longest?
lithosphere
What is a carbon sink?
a store that has more carbon entering than leaving
What is a carbon source?
a store that has more carbon leaving than entering
Approximately how much carbon is stored in marine and sedimentary rocks?
100,000 billion metric tonnes
What percentage of carbon is stored in the lithosphere?
99.985%
What percentage of carbon is stored in the hydrosphere?
0.0076%
What is sequestration?
sinks that remove C from the atmosphere and store it (for long periods)
