The Carbon Cycle and Its Impact on Climate Change

Thermohaline circulation

Global ocean current cycling carbon throughout oceans.

Photosynthesis

Process by which seaweed and algae convert sunlight into energy.

Sediment storage

Accumulation of dead organisms as sediment in ocean.

Weathering/Erosion

Breakdown of rocks releasing carbon back into ocean.

Decomposition

Breakdown of organisms releasing carbon over time.

Fossil fuels

Carbon-rich energy sources formed from ancient organisms.

Climate change

Result of burning fossil fuels faster than accumulation.

Greenhouse gases

Molecules like methane trapping heat in Earth's atmosphere.

Carbon sinks

Natural systems absorbing carbon, e.g., photosynthesis.

Carbon sources

Processes releasing carbon, e.g., respiration and combustion.

Volcanic eruptions

Natural events releasing CO2, influencing slow carbon cycle.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Most prevalent carbon compound in the atmosphere.

Carbon transfer

Movement of carbon through food chains and ecosystems.

Respiration

Process where organisms release carbon back into atmosphere.

Combustion

Burning fossil fuels adding carbon to the atmosphere.

Carbon in food chain

Carbon moves from plants to herbivores to predators.

Ocean carbon exchange

Process where CO2 diffuses in and out of ocean.

Carbon storage in shells

Marine life storing carbon in their shells.

Carbon in atmosphere

Carbon exists primarily as CO2 in the air.

Carbon pairings

Carbon easily bonds with other elements.

Long-term geological carbon cycling

Slow processes involving carbon movement through Earth's systems.