The Carbon Cycle Flashcards
main stores of carbon on earth
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Marine sediment and sedimentary rock -(largest store stores up 100million Gtc )
inorganic carbon vs organic carbon
inorganic-fossil fuels
organic is from biomass like animals and plants
where did carbon originate from ?
the earths interior in the mantle
where did carbon originate from ?
the earths interior in the mantle
lithosphere stores
fossil fuels
marine
peat(decaying soil)
soil
hydrosphere stores
living organisms e.g fish and plankton
surface
intermediate
biosphere stores
living plants
plant litter
soil humus
animals
atmospheric stores
- any form of gaseous carbon(Co2)
all the movements of carbon
oceanic carbon pumps
human activity
photosynthesis
combustion
volcanoes
combustion
wild fires
budget sink vs budget source
source-releases more carbon than it stores
sink-absorbs more carbon than it releases
geological movements
rock cycle:
-weathering
-burial
-subduction
-volcanic activity
how is limestone formed
when H20 with c02 and forms carbonic acid H2C03) and TBC
release or store carbon:
photosynthesis
respiration
decomposition
photosynthesis-requires C02
respiration releases C02
decomposition releases C02 into soil
explain oceanic carbon pumps
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
combustion?
burning of fossil fuels which releases C02
volcanic eruptions?
release C02 which originates from the mantle via eruptions
human activity that impacts the carbon budget
-urban growth
-farming-cattle ranching releases CH4 and slash/burn
-Hydrocarbon extraction-extracting FF
-burning cement
human activity which impacts carbon budget positively
carbon sequestration -capturing C02 and putting it in storage
can be terrestrial-in plants and trees
or
geological-in rocks
carbon cycle impact on land
not studied long enough
carbon cycle impact on oceans
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 )
carbon cycle impact on atmosphere
-global warming
due to radiative forcing
fast vs slow carbon cycle
slow can take up to millions of years to complete
flows and transfers of carbon
decomposition
photosynthesis+respiration
combustion
oceanic carbon pump
emission of volcanoes
130-380 metric tons of Co2 per year
emissions of wildfires
emitted 8 billion tons of Co2 in the past 20 years
happens in areas where they are rare e.g. Siberia
cement production
china
makes up 45% of world wide output
cement accounts for 5% of global CO2 emissions
Russia hold 50% of the northern hermispheres carbon.
Methane is 30% more potent than co2
