EQ1 Flashcards
What are the 6 carbon stores?
- Atmosphere
- Biosphere
- Cryosphere
- Pedosphere
- Lithosphere
- Hydrosphere
What are the 6 carbon fluxes
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Decomposition
- Gaseous dissolution
- Lithification
- Combustion
Name earth geological carbon and how it is formed
- Coal
Formed when dead plant or animal material is decomposed into peats. The weight of the ground and Earth’s temperature coverts it into coal. The ground heat removes compounds except carbon. - Limestone
Formed via limestone diagenesis
Grains of calcium carbonate compact, dissolve due to pressure and reprecipitate as cement via pressure dissolution
2 processes: compaction and cementation
Chemical weathering
Rainwater becomes a weak carbonic acid when it absorbs
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that then reacts with
silicate minerals. This chemical weathering process releases
ions such as calcium, which are transported by rivers to the
oceans, where organisms combine calcium with dissolved
carbon to create calcium carbonate. Carbonate rock forms via
sedimentation of dead organisms
How is carbon dioxide released back into the atmosphere via volcanism?
Co2 stored within magma and in Earth’s crust is released during outgassing. Gas is also released at ocean ridges, subduction zones and geysers. When this occurs rocks in these areas undergo metaphorphism due to intense temperatures and pressure.
Name and describe 2 ways in which carbon is sequested into the ocean
- Solubility pump
This is where co2 is more soluble in cold saline waters therefore it can dissolve more easily in cold waters such as the North Atlantic.
The thermohaline circulation pushes this dissolved carbon from the surface ocean to the deep ocean. - Biological pump
This is where co2 in the atmosphere can be consumed by large numbers of phytoplankton through photosynthesis. They are at the bottom of the food chain but co2 can be transferred up.
Some carbon is carried to the deep ocean when phytoplankton die.
Overall, transfers 10 gigatonnes of carbon from the atmosphere to the deep ocean each year.
How does global warming impact how carbon is sequested into the ocean?
Solubility pump
-Increased heating of the ocean means that less co2 is dissolved so more co2 in the atmosphere
-More freshwater than salt as crysophere melts, thermohaline circulation is distrupted
Biological pump
-If acidity of the water changes the phytoplankton will die
How does carbon move from surface to deep ocean?
- Co2 dissolves from surface to deep ocean
- Phytoplankton consumed by other marine organisms, release Co2 during respiration.
- Carbon can sink via thermohaline circulation or due to death of marine organisms
- Formation of calcium carbonate form shells of marine organisms
- Carbon sequestered via phytoplankton
Terrestrial stores
- Forests
Plants take in Co2 and produce glucose
Some carbon is lost due to respiration, rest is stored or released by decomposers - Mangroves
Sequest carbon through photosynthesis
Most carbon is stored as large pools in soil or dead roots
14% carbon sequesteration
3.Decomposers
Detrivores transfer carbon from dead biomass tissue to atmosphere and soil -nitrogen cycle
Depends on soil type, geology and vegetation cover
Terrestrial sequestration
- primary producers-plants- take co2 out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis and release back into atmosphere through respiration
- when consumer animals eat plants, carbon from the plant becomes part of its fat and proteins
- Microorganisms and detritus feeders feed on waste material from animals
- after plant and animal death, tissues such as leaves decay faster thn more resistant structurees. Decompostion is faster in tropical climates with high rainfall, temperatures and o2 levels
carbon fluxes may vary:
Diurnally- during the day the fluxes are positive, from the atmosphere to the ecosystem. At night, the flux is negative, with loss from the ecosystem to the atmosphere.
Seasonally- In the northern hemisphere winter, when few land plants are growing and many decaying atmospheric co2 concentration rise.
The capacity of soil to store organic carbon is determined by:
- Climate-dictates plant growth and detrivote, microbial activity. Rapid decomposition occurs at higher temperatures or under waterlogged conditions. Increased potential carbon storage
- Soil type- clay rich soils have a higher carbon content than sandy soils. Clay protects carbon from decomposition.
Natural greenhouse effect
- Incoming short wave solar radiation heats earth.
- Some is re-emitted s long wave radiation
- The outgoing terrestrial radiation ca get trapped by greenhouse gases which absorb or reflect the radiation. This keeps earth at a temperature suitable for life.
The concentration of atmospheric carbon (carbon dioxide and
methane) strongly influences the natural greenhouse effect,
which in turn determines the distribution of temperature and
precipitation
GHG increases temperatures which in turn affect precipitation patterns.
The warming of the Earth’s surface leads to changes in precipitation patterns. Warmer temperatures can increase the rate of evaporation, leading to more moisture in the atmosphere. This can result in more intense storms in some regions and droughts in others.
Some regions may become wetter, while others may experience more arid conditions. For instance, areas that are already prone to flooding may see more frequent and intense rainfall, while regions that are typically dry may face extended droughts.
Soil health is
influenced by stored carbon, which is important for ecosystem
productivity.
Carbon is the main component of soil organic matter and helps give soil its water retention capacity, its structure and its fertility.
Organic carbon is concentrated in the surface soil layer as easily eroded particles, so soil erosion is a major threat to carbon storage and soil health.
