physical paper 1- carbon

Question 1

What is organic carbon

Answer 1

Form found in living organisms such as plants and trees

Question 2

What is inorganic carbon

Answer 2

Carbon extracted from ores and minerals

Question 3

What is anthropogenic co2

Answer 3

Carbon dioxide generated by human activity

Question 4

What happens in a simple carbon cycle

Answer 4

Sunlight releases c02 which plants take in for photoysynthesis. Plant may die and decay- atmosphere. Or be eated by an animal which takes in the co2, animals release to atmosphere by respiration, they eventually die and waste/bones get buried in the rock. Those fossil fuels then get burnt for energy and co2 emitted.

Question 5

What is the primary store of carbon on the earth and how it can release carbon

Answer 5

In the earths mantle- it escapes by constructive and destructive plate margins
Much released at destructive plate margins from metamorphism

Question 6

What are different carbon compounds and where are they found

Answer 6

CO2- atmosphere, soils and oceans
CH4 (methane)- atmosphere, soils and sedimentary rocks
CaCO3 (calcium carbonate)- calcareous rocks, oceans, skeletons, shells
Hydrocarbons- solids, liquids, gasses- sedimentary rocks
Bio-molecules- living things- proteins, carbs, fat, oil and DNA

Question 7

What is the fast/short term carbon cycle and processes

Answer 7

Moves carbon much faster, instead of millions of years it happens over years. The increased speed is because the fast carbon cycle moves carbon through living things. Moves 1000x more carbon per year than a slow.
Photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition

Question 8

What is the slow/long term carbon cycle and processes

Answer 8

Moves carbon between the atmosphere, lithosphere and oceans. 10-10m tonnes of carbon per year and takes 100-200m years for carbon to move through. Carbon is removed into long term storage by burial of sedimentary rock layers e.g. coal
Compression, burial, volcanic eruptions

Question 9

What do the different flows of carbon move through

Answer 9

Photosynthesis
Respiration
Combustion
Decomposition
Diffusion
Weathering and erosion
Burial and compaction
Carbon sequestration

Question 10

Flows of carbon between the atmosphere and lithosphere

Answer 10

Combustion- burning of FF
Erupting volcano

Question 11

Flows of carbon between the atmosphere and biosphere

Answer 11

Combustion- wildfires
Respiration
Photosynthesis

Question 12

Flows of carbon between the atmosphere and hydrosphere

Answer 12

Diffusion

Question 13

Flows of carbon between the lithosphere and hydrosphere

Answer 13

Erosion/weathering

Question 14

Flows of carbon between the lithosphere and biosphere

Answer 14

Sequestration
Decomposition

Question 15

Flows of carbon between the hydrosphere and biosphere

Answer 15

Crustations take carbon to build shells
Marine plant take in co2- phytoplankton

Question 16

What are the measures of carbon

Answer 16

Giggatone (GTG)
Gigatonne per year (CTCy-1)

Question 17

What is carbon stored as in the lithosphere

Answer 17

Stored in both organic and inorganic forms
Inorganic- fossil fuels- coal, oil, gas- 4100 GTG
Organic- litter, organic matter and humus in soil- 1500-1600 GTG
Stored in: mantle, marine sediments and rocks- 100m GTG
Peat- 250GTG

Question 18

What is carbon stored as in the hydrosphere

Answer 18

Oceanic stores:
Surface layer: sunlight penetrates so photosynthesis can take place- 900GTG
Intermediate layer: deep layer of water- 37100 GTG
Living organic matter and dissolved organic matter
Oceanic carbon in total is 40 000 GTG

Question 19

How does carbon get into the intermediate layer of oceans with no sunlight

Answer 19

When organisms die their dead cells, shells and other parts sink into deep water. Decay releases co2 into deep water and form layers of carbon rich sediment.
Over millions of years chemical and physical processes turn these sediments into rocks

Question 20

What is atmospheric carbon like

Answer 20

Very high millions of years ago and the lowest concentration has been the past 2 millions years suggesting It changes over time. Makes up 0.04% the earths atmosphere.

Question 21

Where is atmospheric carbon measured and why

Answer 21

Mauna Loa observatory as the air is undisturbed and in a remote location and limited influence from vegetation and human activity

Question 22

Why has atmospheric increased over the past 60 years

Answer 22

Increased 100ppm
Due to human activity such as deforestation farming and burning of fossil fuels

Question 23

Where is carbon stored in the biosphere

Answer 23

In the tropics due to high biodiversity and nutrient rich soils containing carbon. Lots of farming can take place which increases co2.

Question 24

What is the net carbon sink and net carbon source

Answer 24

If more carbon enters a store than leaves this is known as the net carbon sink. If more carbon leaves it then it’s known as a net carbon source.

Question 25

Explanation of how the different types of rock are formed.

Answer 25

Sedimentary rocks are formed by different rocks in the ocean due to erosion/weathering and being compacted and buried over a long period of time. This can form into metamorphic rock due to the burial of rock leading to high pressures and high temperatures so the layers distort/melt together. Igneous rocks are formed by the high temperatures and melting of rock to produce magma and also magma from molten crust and mantle which cools and hardens to form igneous rocks.

Question 26

The movement of carbon- factors driving change in magnitude of stores over time- lithosphere

Answer 26

1. In water, carbon is removed from the atmosphere by dissolving to form carbonic acid. As this acidic water reaches the surface as rain it reacts with minerals on earths surface, dissolving their component ions through weathering.
   2.these component ions are carried in rivers and get back to oceans where they settle as minerals e.g. calcite, a form of calcium carbonate.
2. Coral and other shell builders extract this from water and they eventually die, build up on ocean floor and become buried and stored in layers of limestone
3. Tectonic forces cause plate movement to push the sea floor under continental Margins- subduction and the carbon sea floor is pushed deep into ground and melt.
4. Molten rock rises back to surface through volcanic eruptions or hot springs and returns back to atmosphere.

Question 27

Where is carbon stored in the terrestrial biosphere

Answer 27

Living vegetation
Plant litter
Soil humus
Peat
Animals