the carbon cycle Flashcards
what is carbon
all known living organisms are built of carbon compounds- it is the fundamental building block of life and an important component of many chemical processes
what different states can carbon be found
gas (carbon dioxide)
liquid (carbonic acidic water)
solid (calcium carbonate in rocks)
What is the carbon cycle?
the continuous movement of carbon compounds between the land, oceans, atmosphere and living organisms in its various states is referred to as the carbon cycle
what are the two main processes of the carbon cycle
processes that remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
processes that release it back into the atmosphere
where is most of Earth’s carbon stored
stored in rocks, with the remainder in the ocean, atmosphere, plants, soil and fossil fuels
explain the relationship between the carbon cycle and the atmosphere
while carbon dioxide is only a very small part of the atmosphere (0.04%), it plays a key role in the energy balance of the planet and in influeing climate
the atmosphere exchanges carbon dioxide
what natural causes remove carbon from the atmosphere
precipitation
photosynthesis in the oceans
erosion
sedimentation
describe carbon in water
as carbon enters the surface of the water, cold sinking water transfers the carbon down to the bottom layers of the ocean.
over time this carbon at the bottom of the ocean cements together with shells and other sediments to form the sedimentary rock limestone, which can be stored carbon for millions of years.
what happens if the carbon is brought back towards the surface
warm oceans and currents bring carbon back towards the surface, where through evaporation carbon is put back into the atmosphere.
what are plants continuously doing
exchanging CO2 with the atmosphere
describe photosynthesis and the carbon cycle
green plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis
plants absorb CO2 via their chlorophyll which is combined with water and heat energy to build the new carbon compound of glucose to supply the plant’s cells with energy for growth and functioning
CO2 is also a waste product in respiration. as such animals and humans exhale CO2 back into the atmosphere
what will the decaying/burning of plants result in
will result in CO2 being released back into the atmosphere.
what are the different carbon cycles
the fast carbon cycle
the slow carbon cycle
what is the fast carbon cycle
acts within a single lifetime
what is the slow carbon cycle
operates over 100-200 million years
describe the balance between the atmsphere and the carbon cycle
any change in cycle shifts carbon out of one part of the system and puts more carbon in other parts of the system.
over the long term, the carbon cycle seems to maintain a balance that prevents all of earths carbon from entering the atmosphere or from being stored underground
describe the earth’s temperature over a short period of time
for shorter time periods, 10-100 thousand years the temperature of the earth can vary, the earth swings between colder glacial periods (ice ages) and warmer interglacial periods on these time scales
parts of the carbon cycle may even amplify these short-term temperature changes
describe the earth’s temperature over a long period of time
on a very long time scale, millions to tens of millions of years, the movement of tectonic plants and changes in the rate at which carbon seeps from the interior of the earth may change the temperature
how does carbon regulate the earth’s global temperature
the carbon cycle has a critical role to play in regulating earths global temperature and climate by controlling the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere
CO2 is important because it helps the earth’s atmosphere to retain heat generated from the sun. without it, earth be much cooler and uninhabitable to humans and other life forms
disruptions to the carbon cycle include
direct burning of fossil fuels
reduction in strong capacity of carbon reservoirs through warming oceans
clearing forest
destroying wetlands
what can these disruptions cause to the atmosphere
this can lead to too much CO2 in the atmosphere. this enhances the greenhouse effect, causing unnatural warming of the planet.
since the industrial revolution CO2 in the atmosphere has risen by 48% which causes a 1.1 degree warming of surface temperature
as the amount of CO2 increases through human activity so will its cooling effect
what do higher temperatures cause
changing rainfall patterns
increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards (draughts, bushfires, floods, storms and tropical cyclones)
the additional burden of CO2 in the atmosphere will remain for a very long time, of the order of 1000’s of years, if we must rely on natural mechanisms to remove it.
