Flux table carbon cycle Flashcards
What is the process of diffusion?
Carbon dioxide diffuses from the atmosphere to water into plants
Carbon dioxide also diffuses from the atmosphere to the ocean.
What are the oceans 2 carbon cycle ‘pump’ mechanisms referred to as?
Physical pump and Biological pump
Describe the physical pump
- CO2 from atmosphere to ocean by diffusion
- Carbon dioxide dissolved in the surface of the ocean can be transferred to the deep ocean in areas where cold dense surface waters sink.
- This ‘downwelling’ carries carbon molecules to great depths where they may remain for centuries.
- When cold water returns to the surface and warms up again it loses carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Describe the biological pump
- These move carbon dioxide from the ocean surface to marine plants called phytoplankton through photosynthesis
- This effectively converts carbon dioxide into food for zooplantic (microscopic animals) and their predators.
- Most of the carbon dioxide taken up by phytoplankton is recycled near the surface. About 30% sinks into deeper waters before being converted back into carbon dioxide by marine bacteria.
How long does diffusion take?
Seconds
What is photosynthesis
Plants use energy from sunlight to combine CO2 from the atmosphere with water from the soil to create carbohydrates.
In this way CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored in the structure of plants.
Photosynthesis equation
Carbon Dioxide + Water → Light Energy → Oxygen + Glucose
Explain photosynthesis in marine plants
Higher amounts of carbon dioxide are removed from the atmosphere into the oceanic biological pump.
Removing greenhouse gas molecules from the atmosphere mitigates the warming effect of CO2 fossil fuel emissions
Higher amounts of carbon drawn into the biological pump eventually move down into deep ocean currents and sediments.
Carbon stored in deep ocean currents is there for time scales of hundreds to thousands of years.
The carbon that makes its way to sea floor sediments is stored for time scales of millions to billions of years.
How much of atmospheric carbon dioxide do global forest cycles make up for?
Photosynthesis in global forest cycles account for approximately one-twelfth of atmospheric carbon dioxide every year, accounting for about 50% of terrestrial (land based) photosynthesis.
How long does photosynthesis take?
Seconds
What is respiration?
- happens in all cells - common in plants and animals
- takes oxygen from the atmosphere and replaces it with carbon dioxide
How long does respiration take?
Seconds
Explain consumption in animals as a carbon flux
Animals feed on plants and other animals. Carbon is passed along the food chain.
Explain consumption in marine animals as a carbon flux
Phytoplankton in the ocean is consumed by other marine organisms and carbon is passed long the food chain by fish and larger sea animals as they consume one another.
How long does consumption take
Minutes hours