The Carbon Cycle

Question 1

describe the lithosphere

Answer 1

over 99.9% of the carbon on earth is stored in sedimentary rocks such as limestone, about 0.004% is stored in fossil fuels

Question 2

describe the atmosphere

Answer 2

carbon is stored as co2 and as ch4 in smaller quantities, the atmosphere contains about 0.001% of the earth’s carbon

Question 3

describe the hydrosphere

Answer 3

co2 is dissolved in rivers, lakes and oceans, the oceans are the second largest carbon store containing approx. 0.04% of the earth’s carbon. it is mostly found deep in the ocean as dissolved inorganic carbon

Question 4

describe the biosphere

Answer 4

carbon is stored in the tissues of living organisms, it is transferred to the soil when living organisms die and decay, it contains approx. 0.04% of the earth’s total carbon

Question 5

describe the cryosphere

Answer 5

it contains less than 0.01% of the earth’s carbon, most is in the soil in areas of permafrost where decomposing plants and animals have frozen into the ground

Question 6

what is the carbon cycle?

Answer 6

it is the process by which carbon is stored and transferred, it is a closed system so the amount of carbon remains the same

Question 7

what is photosynthesis?

Answer 7

this is the transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to biomass, carbon is passed through the food chain and released through respiration and decomposition

Question 8

what is respiration?

Answer 8

this transfers the carbon from living organisms to the atmosphere

Question 9

what is decomposition?

Answer 9

this transfers the carbon from dead biomass to the atmosphere and the soil, after death bacteria and fungi break organisms down and release co2 and ch4

Question 10

what is sequestration?

Answer 10

sequestering is capturing and holding carbon in sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels

Question 11

what is weathering?

Answer 11

chemical weathering transfers carbon from the atmosphere to the hydrosphere and biosphere, atmospheric carbon reacts with water vapour to form acid rain which dissolves rocks

Question 12

how do wildfires affect the carbon cycle?

Answer 12

they rapidly transfer large quantities of carbon from biomass to the atmosphere, loss of vegetation decreases photosynthesis so less carbon is removed from the atmosphere
they can encourage the growth of new plants which will take carbon from the atmosphere for photosynthesis