Lesson 10- What is the carbon budget and how does it impact on land, oceans and the atmosphere?

Question 1

What is the carbon budget?

Answer 1

• The carbon budget is the netchange between inputs from acarbon source and outputs to acarbon sink.
• The budget includes carbon emissions by various processes (i.e. burning fossil fuels) putting carbon into the atmosphere and compares this against carbon removed from the atmosphere by natural or human sequestration

Question 2

Types of carbon budget

Answer 2

• Individual carbon budget
• Business carbon budget
• Country carbon budget
• Global carbon budget

Question 3

Types of carbon budget-Individual carbon budget

Answer 3

• How much carbon is produced by activities such as heating our home, the food we eat, how we get around, less how much carbon is absorbed by the plants in our gardens, our use of renewable energy like solar etc.

Question 4

Types of carbon budget- Business carbon budget

Answer 4

How much carbon is produced to run the business whether its sources of energy or how its emmitted.

Question 5

Types of carbopn budget-Country Carbon Budget

Answer 5

• As part of international agreements countries must consider how much carbon is produced in their country compared to how much is absorbed in biological and geologic sequestration, or captured using technology.

Question 6

Types of carbon budget-Global Carbon Budget

Answer 6

• As the carbon system is interconnected and global, changes to the budget in one part of the world will have impacts upon other parts of the world.
• Since many of the carbon emissions have occurred in wealthier countries they have a bigger impact on other countries.

Question 7

How does carbon get into the atmosphere?

Answer 7

• Human and natural sources

Question 8

How does carbon get into the atmosphere-Human sources

Answer 8

• Fossil fuel combustion (lithosphere – atmosphere)
• Deforestation (biosphere – atmosphere)
• Land use change (pedosphere or biosphere – atmosphere)

Question 9

How does carbon get into the atmosphbere-Natural sources

Answer 9

• Ocean-Atmosphere Exchange (hydrosphere – atmosphere)
• Plant and animal respiration (biosphere – atmosphere)
• Soil respiration and decomposition (pedosphere – atmosphere)
• Volcanic eruptions (lithosphere – atmosphere)

Question 10

What are carbon sinks?

Answer 10

• Carbon sinks absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than they give out. They are a store of carbon.
• E.g Tundra, Rainforest, Soil

Question 11

What are carbon sinks-Tundra

Answer 11

• This biome supports a slow-growing ecology in white plants, such as sphagnum moss, extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during growth.
• Carbon is stored during the cold when there are acidic anerobic conditions in the bogs

Question 12

What are carbon sinks- Soil

Answer 12

• One of the largest carbon sinks depending on the prevailing conditions
• Animal faeces and dead vegetative matter in the form of leaves and roots may be slow to decompose if conditions are too acidic or anaerobic

Question 13

Impacts of the carbon cycle on earth

Answer 13

• Maintains temperature for life on earth
• Cooling global temperature
• Helping form clouds
• Removing CO2 from the atmosphere

Question 14

Impacts of carbon cycle on earth-Maintains temperature for life on earth

Answer 14

• CO2 and other greenhouse gases that absorb outgoing long-wave radiation; warming the lower atmosphere meaning earth is warm enough to support life

Question 15

Impacts of the carbon cycle on earth-Cooling global temperature

Answer 15

• Ash and gases from volcanic activity release CO2, which again absorb insolation cool the earth down

Question 16

Impacts of carbon cycle on earth-Helping clouds form

Answer 16

• Phytoplankton can release dimethyl sulphide into the atmosphere, which can increase cloud formation as they act as condensation nuclei

Question 17

Impacts of carbon cycle on earth- Removing C02 from the atmosphere

Answer 17

• Plants remove CO2 and release water and oxygen; areas of dense vegetation shows increased precipitation rates

Question 18

Impacts of the carbon budget

Answer 18

• Land
• Oceans
• Atmosphere

Question 18

Impacts of the carbon budget-Land
-Why is the land important for the carbon cycle

Answer 18

• Soil is made from organic matter and cycled through the carbon system, which also brings important trace nutrients to assist in further vegetation growth
• Carbon stored in grass provides food for animals - hay, silage etc.
• Carbon also provides energy in the form of fossil fuels (hydrocarbons) and wood
• Carbon also provides a valuable resource in charcoal, diamonds and graphite

Question 19

Impacts of the carbon budget-Land
-How do plants affect the carbon budget?

Answer 19

• It is thought that plants on land have taken up 25% of the carbon dioxide that humans have put into the atmosphere.
• The world’s plants (biosphere) have increased the amount of carbon it absorbs since 1960 (although the amount varies from year to year).
• The reason the amount stored and taken in by plants has increased is a bit complicated

Question 20

Impacts of carbon budget-Land
-Carbon Fertilization

Answer 20

• The more CO2 in the atmosphere the more the plants can grow as they can photosynthesis more
• This extra growth of plants due to extra carbon in the atmosphere is called carbon fertilization
• This is because fertilizers are things that make plants grow faster, and carbon is one of them.

Question 21

Impacts of the carbon budget-Land
-How can Carbon Fertilization lead to negative feedback?

Answer 21

1) More carbon in the atmosphere
2) Plants grow faster as more photosynthesis occurs as plants need carbon to photosynthesize
3) More plants means more carbon is taken in from the atmosphere
4) This reduces the amount of carbon in the atmosphere
5) Less photosynthesis occurs
6) Plants grow more slowly / less plants
7) This means CO2 levels in the atmosphere rise again.

Question 22

Impacts of the carbon budget- Land
-Permafrost melting

Answer 22

1) The permanently frozen soil, the permafrost—is thawing due to increased temperatures from increased atmospheric carbon

2) Permafrost contains rich deposits of carbon non decomposed plants trapped in frozen soil because the cold slows decay

3) When the soil warms, the organic matter decays and carbon—in the form of methane and carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere

4) This causes temperature to increase further

5) This means more permafrost melts and the cycle starts again

Question 23

Impacts of the carbon budget- Land

-How can the permafrost melting feedback loop be counteracted by plant growth?

Answer 23

1) Carbon dioxide increases temperatures, extending the growing season and increasing humidity.

2) This has led to some additional plant growth which means more photosynthesis taking carbon out the atmosphere.

3) However, warmer temperatures also stress plants.

4) With a longer, warmer growing season, plants need more water to survive.

5) Plants in the Northern Hemisphere slow their growth in the summer because of warm temperatures and water shortages.

6) Higher temperatures can “bake” the soil, this allows the rate at which carbon seeps out to increase in some places.

Question 24

Impacts of the carbon budget- Oceans

-Why are oceans an important part of the carbon cycle?

Answer 24

• Provides material for shells
• Forms sedimentary rocks
• Supports phytoplankton life
• Can cause algal blooms

Question 25

Impacts of the carbon budget- Oceans

-Why are oceans an important part of the carbon cycle- Provides material for shells

Answer 25

• Calcium carbonate is derived from carbon and is used by marine animals to build shells and skeletons

Question 26

Impacts of the carbon budget- Oceans

-Why are oceans an important part of the carbon cycle- Forms sedimentary rocks

Answer 26

• Plant and animal remains are dropped to the ocean floor and compress into sedimentary rock and hydrocarbons effectively locking carbon in a long-term cycle (hydrosphere – lithosphere transfer)

Question 27

Impacts of the carbon budget- Oceans

-Why are oceans an important part of the carbon cycle- Supports phytoplankton life

Answer 27

• Phytoplankton use CO2 during photosynthesis, which is then transferred along the marine food chain

Question 28

Impacts of the carbon budget- Oceans

-Why are oceans an important part of the carbon cycle- Can cause algal blooms

Answer 28

• Increased levels of CO2 and warming of the oceans has led to algal blooms and blocking of sunlight for photosynthesis by phytoplankton

Question 29

Impacts of the carbon budget- Oceans

-What are all the impacts of changing carbon budget on oceans?

Answer 29

• Ocean acidification
• Ocean warming and phytoplankton
• Changes in sea level
• Ocean salinity and the thermoline conveyor

Question 30

Impacts of the carbon budget

-Impacts of changing carbon budget- Ocean acidification

Answer 30

• As carbon dioxide dissolves into the ocean it creates carbonic acid, and this increases the acidity of the water.
  -30% of human C02 emissions have been put into ocean
• This is bad for sea creatures as carbonic acid reacts with carbonate that is in the shells. Making shells thinner and more fragile. It also causes coral bleaching.
• A benefit of acidification is that in the long-term acidic sea water will dissolve limestone rocks (calcium carbonate) which will release more carbonate ions and increase the oceans capacity to absorb more Co2.

Question 31

Impacts of the carbon budget

Impacts of changing carbon budget-Ocean warming and phytoplankton

Answer 31

-Oceans get warmer due to more carbon in the atmosphere increasing temperatures

• Phytoplankton population increases as water gets warm (not too hot though or they will die)
• Phytoplankton release a chemical called DMS which leads to more cloud formation as it acts as a condensation nuclei
• More cloud cover reduces direct sunlight on oceans
• This reduces ocean temperatures
• This means phytoplankton population decreases
• This means less clouds form

Question 32

Impacts of the carbon budget

Impacts of the changing carbon budget-Changes in sea level

Answer 32

• Global sea level rising as fresh water is melting
• This means there is more water in the hydrosphere and less in the cryosphere
• This means there is potential to have more carbon stored in the hydrosphere as there is more water in general
• However the water is warmer which can store less carbon
• Global sea level is rising at 3.2mm per year

Question 33

Impacts of the carbon budget- Oceans

• Impacts of the changing carbon budget- Ocean salinity and the thermoline conveyor

Answer 33

1) As ocean water moves northwards towards the higher latitudes it both cools and increases in salt content at the surface as some water evaporates and/or salt is ejected in the forming of sea ice.

2) The saltier colder water is denser and heavier, it drops deep into the ocean.

3) This water moves along the depths until it can rise to the surface near the equator, often in the Indian or Pacific Ocean

4) Heat from the sun then warms the cold water at the surface, and evaporation leaves the water saltier.

5) The warm salty water is then carried northwards; it joins the Gulf Stream (AMOC), a large powerful ocean current that is also driven by winds.

6) The warm salty water travels up the U.S. east coast, then crosses into the North Atlantic region where it releases heat and warms Western Europe.

7) With Global warming, it is a concern that large amounts of melting ice in Greenland could dilute the salty water and weaken or even shut down this circulation. This would cool large parts of western Europe.

Question 34

Impacts of the carbon budget- Atmosphere

-Why is the atmosphere a key part of the carbon cycle?

Answer 34

• CO2 in the atmosphere warms the Earth through the natural greenhouse effect
• Increases in carbon emissions has led to the enhanced greenhouse effect and
  threatens the delicate atmospheric balance
• Carbon is stored by vegetation and act as carbon sinks, holding carbon on a short-term basis. Wildfires and deliberate burning, releases carbon quickly into the atmosphere
• Deforestation disturbs the balance between length and capability of trees to store carbon, removal of trees not only releases carbon, but also reduces the availability of oxygen and water

Question 35

Impacts of the carbon budget- Atmosphere

-Impacts of the changing carbon budget- Enhanced Greenhouse gas effect

Answer 35

• The impact on global climate of additional heat retained in the atmosphere due to the additional greenhouse gasses such as Carbon dioxide that humans have emitted into the atmosphere.