The Main Carbon Stores Flashcards
what is a carbon sink?
takes in more carbon than it emits
what is a carbon source?
emits more carbon than it stores
example of a carbon source
forest fires
burning fossil fuels
plants and animal decaying
volcanic eruptions
example of a carbon sink
an intact tropical rainforest
the ocean
soil
what is the order in magnitude of the main carbon stores?
marine sediments and sedimentary rocks
oceans
fossil fuel deposits
soil organic matter
atmosphere
terrestrial plants
what is the size of the marine sediments and sedimentary rocks store?
66,000-100,000 million billion metric tons of carbon
what is the size of the ocean store?
38,000 billion metric tons of carbon
what is the size of the fossil fuel deposits store?
4,000 billion metric tons of carbon
what is the size of the soil organic matter store?
1,500 billion metric tons of carbon stored
what is the size of the atmosphere store?
750 billion metric tons of carbon stored
what is the size of the terrestrial plants store?
560 billion metric tons of carbon
where is the marine sediments and sedimentary rocks store found?
lithosphere - long term
where is the oceans store found?
hydrosphere - dynamic
where is the fossil fuels deposit store found?
lithosphere - long term but currently dynamic
where is the soil organic matter store found?
lithosphere - mid term
