Climate Change Topic

The Carbon Cycle

  • Carbon and other nutrients cycle through nature.

  • The Earth has 4 spheres

  • The biosphere: consists of all life on Earth

  • The geosphere (also lithosphere): consists of the land (crust to land). Its made of metals and rocks.

  • The atmosphere: The sphere which has a lot of gases (mostly nitogen (78%), oxygen (21%)) The atmosphere has 5 layers (the troposphere (we live here), stratosphere (ozone layer) , mesosphere, thermosphere and the exosphere)

  • The hydrosphere: made up ALL of the water in the world.

  • Location doesn’t matter, its more about what it contains (hydrosphere, biosphere)

  • The carbon cycle is the movement of carbon through the different sphere.


Climate Change Topic Notes | Knowt

Climate Change Topic

5d ago

The carbon cycle:

  • carbon and other nutrients cycle through nature

  • The Earth has 4 spheres: biosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.

  • The carbon cycle is the movement of carbon through the different spheres.

The carbon cycle goes through various processes (either increasing or decreasing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere):

  1. Photosynthesis

  2. Transfer of carbon via the food chain

  3. Respiration

  4. Decomposition or excretion

  5. Formation of fossil fuels

  6. Combustion

  7. Formation of limestones

Photosynthesis

During photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide interacts with the water (absorbed by the roots), making glucose (C6H12O6).

carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

Transfer of Carbon via the Food Chain

All living organisms are made up of carbon. Carbon is the primary component of macromolecules, including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates.

Animals obtain carbon by consuming other plants and animals; their carbon content is transferred through the food chain.

Respiration

Plants and animals breathe in oxygen to break down glucose, forming carbon dioxide and water.

glucose + oxygen →carbon dioxide + water

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O

Decompostion & Excretion

Dead organic matter is broken down by decomposers, which respire, releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

Urine, feces, and even fallen leaves consist of carbon content.

Formation of Fossil Fuels

The carbon content of these animals and plants (organic matter) is broken down (over millions of years) into usable fuels to provide us with energy.

Fossil fuels include: coal, oil, gas, etc.

Combustion

When fossil fuels are burned in oxygen (combustion), carbon dioxide and water are formed, causing carbon dioxide to enter the atmosphere.

Tectonic plates

- Continental crust is significantly thicker than oceanic crust, but it is less dense than oceanic crust due to granite

-Oceanic crust is denser, but thinner, as it is made of basaltic rocks. is younger than the continental crust at 200 million (4 billion for continental)

- The mantle is liquid and really hot. The mantle engages in convection, where the hotter liquid rises and the cooler liquid falls. As the mantle convects and moves, the crust also moves

-Convergent zones are where 2 plates move towards each other and crash into each other.

  • The 1st type is subduction, where the oceanic crust subducts because it is less dense. During subduction, the friction causes crust to melt into magma, causing volcanoes. THIS ONLY HAPPENS ONE OCEANIC AND ONE CONTINENTAL CRUST.

  • The 2nd type is collision, where two types of crust collide and cause upward fragmentations, which create mountains in both continental and oceanic crusts.

- Transform zones are when plates grind together and cause massive earthquakes. They also cause cracks in the continental crust. 

- Divergent boundaries are constructive because they create crust. When 2 plates move away from each other, and allows magma to come up and cool to create new crust.

- Sea-floor spreading is when the new crust causes the sea floor to spread and creates larger bodies of water.

-When