Movement of Carbon - Combustion Flashcards
Combustion
What is combustion?
When organic matter is burned in presence of oxygen to give off carbon dioxide, water, energy.
Give examples of what the organic matter being burned can be?
Vegetation.
Fossil fuel - methane, oil,coal.
What do organic materials contain which can release pollutant molecules?
Hydrogen/carbon.
Combine with oxygen to from sulphur/nitogen oxides.
What is biomass combustion?
Burning of living/dead vegetation.
Including human induced burning as well as naturally occurring fires.
Give examples of places where biomass combustion occurs?
Tropical forests - Amazon.
Boreal forest - Russia.
Savannah Grassland - Africa.
What happens when a forest dies after a severe fire?
New growth will occur - storing carbon.
If a forest fully replaces itself there will be no net carbon change.
Old trees decompose - emitting carbon.
Organic layer of soil accumulates - storing carbon.
How much does the fire consume from the trees?
10-20% directly emitting it into atmosphere.
Every year how much land does fire burn?
3-4 million km2.
Releasing over a billion tonne of carbon dioxide into atmosphere.
