Lesson 1 and 2 Flashcards
What is the carbon cycle?
Biochemical cycle where carbon is stored and moved between spheres through flows or fluxes. Its a closed system. Carbon stores can add carbon (sources) or remove carbon (sinks)
When is the carbon cycle equilibrium (balanced)
When the sources = the sinks
What can changes result in the carbon system
positive or negative feedback
What are the 4 earth spheres
Atmosphere - gasses in the air
lithosphere - solid earth
Hydrosphere - in water
Biosphere - In life on earth
Why is carbon so important?
its the building blocks of life
What are the 2 main components of the carbon cycle?
(slow) geological carbon cycle
(fast) geological carbon cycle
What is the (slow)geological carbon cycle?
Carbon stored ion rocks or sediment
What is the (fast)geological carbon cycle?
Carbon stored in vegetation, soil and atmosphere
What does it mean by anthropogenic factors?
Ways humans have altered the stores and fluxes in various ways
What are stores of carbon also referred to as?
pools, stocks and reservoirs
Examples of stores? (3)
terrestrial (land), oceanic (seas) and atmospheric (air) stores
What is a flux?
the movement or transfer of carbon between stores (They create feedback)
What does the Geological carbon cycle do?
Moves carbon between land, ocean and atmosphere (it occurs naturally)
The movement involved in the geological cycle creates chemical reactions, what do theses reactions create?
New stores and trap carbon
Usually the Geological carbon cycle is balanced but sometimes imbalances occur, why do these imbalances occur?
Major volcanic eruptions which emit large quantities of carbon
