The effects on carbon stores Flashcards
What impact does climate change have on the world’s carbon cycle?
It is likely to have a massive impact on carbon stored in ice, oceans, and the biosphere.
What is the largest carbon store within the Earth system?
The continental crust and mantle.
How much carbon is stored in soils and vegetation?
2,300 gigatons.
What is the carbon storage capacity of permafrost?
1,600 gigatons of carbon.
How much carbon is potentially stored in the Antarctic Ice Sheet?
Up to 20,000 gigatons of organic carbon.
What forms of carbon storage are mentioned in the oceans?
Carbon is stored in the water and in marine organisms.
What are the three main ways the ocean absorbs carbon?
- Photosynthesis of microalgae
- Sedimentation of dead organisms
- Structures of shell-building organisms
What is the Solubility Pump?
A process where carbon dioxide dissolves in water and forms carbonic acid, which then disassociates into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate.
What effect does climate change have on ocean temperatures?
Oceans are becoming warmer.
True or False: Warmer oceans absorb higher levels of carbon dioxide.
False.
What has been the decrease in the amount of carbon removed and stored in the deep ocean over the past 30 years?
1.5%.
What negative impact does increased ocean acidity have on marine organisms?
It reduces the amount of carbonate ions needed for building shells and coral skeletons.
What has been the change in pH of surface ocean waters over the last 200 years?
A fall by 0.1 pH units, representing a 30% increase in acidity.
What is the total amount of carbon stored in the biosphere?
2,300 gigatons.
Which ecosystems store more organic carbon in phytomass than in soils?
Tropical forests.
What is carbon turnover?
The average rate at which carbon flows through a stock.
What happens to carbon stored in ecosystems with slow turnover rates?
They are more sensitive to climate change.
What can increase the frequency and severity of disturbances in ecosystems?
Warmer temperatures and extreme weather.
What is the impact of drought and fire on forests’ ability to sink carbon?
Their ability to sink carbon is reduced.
How much did the Amazon rainforest reduce its carbon take-up according to a 2015 study?
By 33% in just 10 years.
What are boreal forests facing as climate conditions become less suitable?
Potential declines leading to dramatic carbon release.
Fill in the blank: The active layer of permafrost ______ in summer and refreezes in winter.
[thaws]
What can the thawing of permafrost potentially release?
Up to half of the carbon budget by 2100.
