Geological Processes : The Slow Carbon Cycle - Lesson 2 Flashcards
Define the term diagnesis?
The physical and chemical changes occurring during the conversion of sediment to sedimentary rock.
Define the term anaerobic?
The absence of air.
Define the term anticline?
Up folds of rock created where tectonic plates collide.
Define the term phytoplankton?
Minute plants, such as cyanobacteria, found in upper layers of the oceans, which fix large amounts of carbon through photosynthesis and form the base of aquatic food webs.
Define the term outgassing?
The release of a gas that was dissolved or stored due to changes in heat or pressure.
Define the term diffusion?
The movement of a substance from a higher concentration to a region of lower concentration.
Define the term autotrophs?
An organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide and other chemicals.
Define the term anthropocene?
The current geological age that is viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.
What is the geological component of the carbon cycle?
This is a natural cycle that moves carbon between land, oceans and the atmosphere. It’s the slow part of the carbon cycle that is centred on the huge carbon stores in rocks and sediments.
What is the biological component of the carbon cycle?
This is the fast component of the carbon cycle that has relatively large exchange fluxes and ‘rapid’ reservoir turnovers of a few years up to a milennia.
Describe the first stage of the geological carbon cycle?
Terrestrial carbon that is kept in the mantle is released when volcanoes erupt. This is known as outgassing, the carbon is released in the form of carbon dioxide.
Where is torrestrial carbon usually stored?
In the mantle
