exam 3: carbon cycle and the irony of oil review sheet

Why does an increase in volcanic activity lead to a hot house earth?

This increases the amount of carbon dioxide that is released, which is trapped and warms the earth up

What two igneous rocks did you observe in lab form from volcanic activity?

Basalt and pumice

Explain how carbonic acid forms in the atmosphere using a simple chemical equation.

CO2 + H2O= H2CO3

Why is there an increase in atmospheric water vapor when CO2 levels rise?

Earth gets warmer, causing more water to evaporate, adding more water vapor into the atmosphere.

Describe how carbonic acid affects the weathering rates of rocks, especially in mountainous regions. What two rocks did you observe in the lab that are commonly found in the mountainous areas?

It speeds up the chemical weathering of rocks, which breaks down minerals over time; granite and limestone are commonly found in mountainous areas.

Describe how weathering removes carbon from the atmosphere and deposits the carbon into the oceans. In particular, what element is common in the weathered rocks that react with acid to form the mineral calcite?

Calcium is broken down, forming calcite, which is carried into the oceans and stores carbon on the sea floors.

Are we currently in a hot house or the Ice Age phase of the carbon cycle?

Ice age phase

Over geologic time, which phase is more common: hot house or ice age?

Hot house.

1. Which sedimentary rock you observed in the lab acts as a tomb for carbon?

calcite

What is subduction? Explain how subduction leads to magma becoming carbonated.

When one tectonic plate slides under another and sinks, it carries ocean floor rocks and carbon down, releasing carbon dioxide; magma is fully carbonated.

On your diagram, indicate where carbon is in the form of a gas, liquid, and a solid

Gas: in the atmosphere and is released from volcanoes and burning fossil fuels; liquid: in oceans and rivers as dissolved CO2 or carbonic acid; solid: in rocks like  limestone or fossil fuels

How long does it take for carbon to cycle through the carbon cycle?

Millions of years

Explain why the long-term carbon cycle cannot solve the current problem of increasing human carbon emissions.

It takes time for carbon to go through the carbon cycle

Is the long-term carbon cycle a positive or negative feedback in the earth's climate system? Explain.

Negative feedback is because it removes carbon over time, like weathering or forming carbon-rich sediments; it is taking something from the environment.

Why was there an increase in volcanism during the Jurassic period? How did this affect the global climate?

Because the tectonic plates move apart, they create volcanic hotspots from things being pushed together, releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which warms the earth.

Explain why the oceans became stagnant during this time. How does this affect the amount of oxygen in the oceans?

Because of reduced circulation caused by the changes in oxygen, some areas have very low oxygen.

What are phytoplankton? Explain why phytoplankton blooms were so numerous every day during the Jurassic. Period. In particular, what caused the fertilization of the oceans to allow phytoplankton to pate? Where is this happening today?

They are plant-like organisms that live in the ocean and use sunlight to produce food through photosynthesis. They were popular due to volcanic activity because the nutrient-filled water rose to the surface.

What is an anoxic zone? Describe how the oceans of the Jurassic period became anoxic. Why did this lead to the accumulation of organic material at the bottom of the ocean floor?

Parts of the ocean where there is little to no oxygen; this caused organic matter to sink to the bottom of the ocean floor without decomposing and over time makes oil, gas, and shale

What type of sedimentary rock did you observe in the lab formed from mud and organic matter on the ocean floor?

Shale

explains the irony of oil.

You have to burn oil to get energy, which releases CO2, which contributes to climate change, but, by burning it, we create the best atmosphere to make more oil because of the CO2

Are fossil fuels such as oil and coal considered renewable resources in the long term or the system? How about in a human lifetime?

Not renewable in the long-term or human life time scale because it takes millions of years for oil to form