2.1.6 - the global carbon cycle

What is the greenhouse effect

• Short wave UV radiation from the sun easily penetrates the atmosphere

• When the short wave radiation reaches the earths surface it’s heated and the heat is radiated in the form of long wave radiation

• The radiated heat heats the air above so CO2 methane and water vapour rise to form a natural blanket of greenhouse gases within the atmosphere to retain the heat

How have human activities affected the greenhouse gases within effects

After the Industrial Revolution we started burning things like fossil fuels which release huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere and so more heat is trapped

Is the global carbon system open or closed

Closed

Why is carbon important

It’s the basis for all living things and can be found in varying places

How has atmospheric CO2 changed since 1700

It’s nearly doubled

Which carbon stores are in the lithosphere

• sedimentary rocks

• Coal

• Oil

• Gas

Which carbon stores are in the hydrosphere

• deep ocean currents

Which carbon stores are in the atmosphere

• diffusion

Which carbon stores are in the biosphere

• Decomposition

• Burning

• Plants

Which subsystem is the largest store of carbon

Lithosphere- 100,000bmt

How much carbon is stored in the oceans

40,000bmt

How much carbon is stored in the atmosphere

766bmt

What does bmt stand for

Billion metric tons

Which flow transfers carbon from the atmosphere into the biosphere

Photosynthesis

Which flow transfers carbon from the biosphere to the atmosphere

Respiration

Which flow transfers carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean

Diffusion

Which flow transfers carbon from the ocean to the lithosphere

Calcium carbonate sinks and is compressed into sedimentary rocks

Which flow transfers carbon from the lithosphere to the atmosphere

• volcanic eruptions

• Combustion

How can we used interdependence to explain flows between the atmosphere and the biosphere

Humans release CO2 when breathing and plants absorb that to release oxygen during photosynthesis and the atmosphere transfers it between us

How might carbon be stored in the cryosphere

Stored in a permafrost or decomposed flora and fauna that are frozen to the ground

What does the term store mean

The amount of carbon that is being held in a particular part of the global system

What is a carbon sink

a store that absorbs more carbon than it releases

What is a carbon source

A store that releases more carbon than it stores

What is an example of a fast carbon flow

• respiration

• Decomposition

• Combustion

• Photosynthesis

What is an example of a slow carbon flow

• weathering

What impact do plants have on CO2 during spring and summer

They absorb the carbon dioxide in order to complete photosynthesis

Where do plants get their energy for photosynthesis

The sun

What impact do plants have on CO2 during winter

They release carbon dioxide through the process of decomposition

Where can slow carbon be found

In coal, fossil fuels or rock underground

How can you reduce your carbon footprint

• walk more

• Use public transport

• Buy local

• Consume less

Photosynthesis

• plants and phytoplankton absorb CO2 and change it into glucose using the suns energy

• This is passed through the food chain and released through respiration and decomposition

Respiration

• Glucose is converted to energy and used for movement and growth and repair

• CO2 is then returned to the atmosphere mostly exhaled by air

Decomposition

• After death bacteria and fungi break down dead organic matter

• CO2 and methane is released

Combustion

Organic matter is burned and CO2 is released into the atmosphere

Carbon sequestration

• natural capture and storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere from things like photosynthesis

Physical pump (oceans)

CO2 is dissolved into the surface of the oceans and can be transferred to deep ocean areas where cold dense surface water sink

Where does the physical pump transfer from and to

• transfers from the atmosphere to the ocean by diffusion

• Slow

Biological pump (oceans)

• Phytoplankton absorb CO2 by photosynthesis

• phytoplankton form the bottom of the marine food web and are eaten which passes the carbon through the food chain

Weathering

• atmospheric carbon reacts with water vapour to form acid rain

• This may then dissolve rocks or once in the ocean can be used by marine organisms for shells

Where does weathering transfer carbon from and to

Atmosphere to hydrosphere and biosphere

River transfers

Through biotic material e.g. twigs and leaves falling in the rivers and being taken to the ocean and decomposed