global environment week five

carbon

useful for forming molecules because can make 4 bonds at once → forms wide range diamonds to fats

most important element for life, long term stable climate

carbon bonds

stable at room temp, but as temp increases it allows for breakage because energy is required, especially with oxygen there is combustion

more energy released by broken carbon than needed (exothermic)

biological battery

carbon hydrogen bonds

can be hundrends in very large molecules

form of energy storage for life (sugars, fats) and for modern civilization (cobustion of dead plants/animals) fossil fuels

only reason we haev stable global temp to maintain water

global carbon cycle

movement of carbon through a.biotic reservoirs on planet

source - releasing more than recieving, sink recieving more c than release

values estimated and will vary

inorganic carbon cycle

between only ocean, rocks, atmosphere (inorganic reservoirs), before biological life on planet

precipitation

water moving from atmosphere to terrestrial, co2 in atmosphere reacts with water vapor in atmosphere forming carbonic acids h2co3 - weak acid, rain is not naturally acidic, not same as anthropogenic acid rain

carbonic acid falls into ocean, moving from atmosphere to ocean

chemical weathering

breakdown of larger minerals, elements/ions can be released, products depend on initial chemical make up of mineral being weathered, not all are part of carbon cycle

carbboni cacid precipitates and reacts with exposed rock, calcium and bicarbonate ions released, washing into ocean

solubility pump

involves direct exchange of carbon from atmosphere to ocean, co2 moves in both directions, co2 soluble in water, dissolves in surface to produce reversible reaction

co2→carbonic acid→bicarbonate ions→carbonate ions and h+

deposition

carbon transported to ocean doesn’t remain in form of ions/carbonic acid, enters sedimentary rock for long term stable storage, depositing of sediment

ocean calcium ions and carbonate ions combine in solution to form calcium carbonate, in modern cycle calcium carbonate made by shell-producing life forms, in inorganic cycle form spontaneously in solution in ocean (before life), deposites on ocean floor, forming carbonate rocks

volcanism