The Carbon Cycle

Question 1

main stores of carbon on earth

Answer 1

Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Marine sediment and sedimentary rock -(largest store stores up 100million Gtc )

Question 2

inorganic carbon vs organic carbon

Answer 2

inorganic-fossil fuels
organic is from biomass like animals and plants

Question 3

where did carbon originate from ?

Answer 3

the earths interior in the mantle

Question 4

where did carbon originate from ?

Answer 4

the earths interior in the mantle

Question 5

lithosphere stores

Answer 5

fossil fuels
marine
peat(decaying soil)
soil

Question 6

hydrosphere stores

Answer 6

living organisms e.g fish and plankton
surface
intermediate

Question 7

biosphere stores

Answer 7

living plants
plant litter
soil humus
animals

Question 8

atmospheric stores

Answer 8

• any form of gaseous carbon(Co2)

Question 9

all the movements of carbon

Answer 9

oceanic carbon pumps
human activity
photosynthesis
combustion
volcanoes
combustion
wild fires

Question 10

budget sink vs budget source

Answer 10

source-releases more carbon than it stores
sink-absorbs more carbon than it releases

Question 11

geological movements

Answer 11

rock cycle:
-weathering
-burial
-subduction
-volcanic activity

Question 12

how is limestone formed

Answer 12

when H20 with c02 and forms carbonic acid H2C03) and TBC

Question 13

release or store carbon:
photosynthesis
respiration
decomposition

Answer 13

photosynthesis-requires C02
respiration releases C02
decomposition releases C02 into soil

Question 14

explain oceanic carbon pumps

Answer 14

C02 carried on surface of oceans when circulated to the poles it becomes cooler and more dense so the C02 ends up deep in the ocean and then warmed at the tropics causing upwelling of CO2 and some released into atmosphere

Question 15

combustion?

Answer 15

burning of fossil fuels which releases C02

Question 16

volcanic eruptions?

Answer 16

release C02 which originates from the mantle via eruptions

Question 17

human activity that impacts the carbon budget

Answer 17

-urban growth
-farming-cattle ranching releases CH4 and slash/burn
-Hydrocarbon extraction-extracting FF
-burning cement

Question 18

human activity which impacts carbon budget positively

Answer 18

carbon sequestration -capturing C02 and putting it in storage

can be terrestrial-in plants and trees
or
geological-in rocks

Question 19

carbon cycle impact on land

Answer 19

not studied long enough

Question 20

carbon cycle impact on oceans

Answer 20

sea level rise
thermal expansion
phytoplankton breed-makes water cloudy and plants can’t photosynthesise
less ice which causes less reflection of solar rays(positive feedback )

Question 21

carbon cycle impact on atmosphere

Answer 21

-global warming
due to radiative forcing

Question 22

fast vs slow carbon cycle

Answer 22

slow can take up to millions of years to complete

Question 23

flows and transfers of carbon

Answer 23

decomposition
photosynthesis+respiration
combustion
oceanic carbon pump

Question 24

emission of volcanoes

Answer 24

130-380 metric tons of Co2 per year

Question 25

emissions of wildfires

Answer 25

emitted 8 billion tons of Co2 in the past 20 years

happens in areas where they are rare e.g. Siberia

Question 26

cement production

Answer 26

china
makes up 45% of world wide output
cement accounts for 5% of global CO2 emissions

Question 27

Russia hold 50% of the northern hermispheres carbon.

Question 28

Methane is 30% more potent than co2