1.4 - Carbon Cycle

Question 1

What is the carbon cycle?

Answer 1

The movement of molecules that contain Carbon between sources and sinks

Question 2

T or F
All steps in the carbon cycle take the same time

Answer 2

False
Some steps are very quick (FF combustion); some are very slow (sedimentation & burial)

Question 3

How does the unequal balance of time in the steps of the carbon cycle lead to an imbalance

Answer 3

Carbon sinks into the ground (sedimentation and burial) much slower than it takes for Fossil Fuels to ve released into the atmosphere (combustion) so it creates an imbalance in which reservoirs or carbon sinks are storing carbon

Question 4

What is the key Carbon reservoir

Answer 4

Atmosphere

Question 5

How does the atmosphere lead to global warming

Answer 5

the atmosphere is the main reservoir for carbon, increasing levels of carbon in the atmosphere leads to global warming

Question 6

What is a carbon sink

Answer 6

a carbon reservoir that stores more carbon than it releases

Question 7

What are examples of carbon sinks

Answer 7

ocean (algae and sediments), plants, soil

Question 8

What are carbon sources

Answer 8

processes that add carbon to the atmosphere

Question 9

What are examples of carbon sources

Answer 9

• Fossil fuel (oil, coal, nat gas) combustion
• Animal ag. (cow burps & farts = CH4)
• Deforestation, releases CO2 from trees

Question 10

Explain Photosynthesis

Answer 10

• Plants, algae, phytoplankton
• Removes CO2 from the atmosphere & converts it to glucose
• Glucose = biological form of C & stored (chemical) energy in form of sugar
• CO2 sink

Question 11

Explain Cellular Respiration

Answer 11

• Done by plants & animals to release stored energy
• Uses O2 to break glucose down & release energy
• Releases CO2 into atmosphere
• CO2 source (adds CO2 to atm.)

Question 12

Is photosynthesis a sink or source?

Answer 12

Sink because it stores CO2 in the plants and turns it into glucose

Question 13

Is cellular respiration a sink or source?

Answer 13

Source because it releases CO2 after O2 breaks down glucose and releases it back into the atmosphere

Question 14

Explain the relationship between Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis

Answer 14

• Both processes are extremely quick
• They balance each other out because what is released in Photosynthesis is absorbed through Cellular respiration and vise versa

Question 15

What is the relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere in the carbon cycle?

Answer 15

• A direct exchange - CO2 moves directly between atmosphere and ocean by dissolving into and out of ocean water at the surface
• Happens very quickly & in equal directions, balancing levels of CO2 between atm. & ocean

Question 16

What happens because of the direct exchange of the ocean and atmosphere

Answer 16

Because of direct exchange, increasing atm. CO2 also increases ocean CO2, leading to ocean acidification

Question 17

How does algae and phytoplankton help CO2 in the ocean and atmosphere

Answer 17

Algae & phytoplankton: take CO2 out of the ocean & atm. through photosynthesis

Question 18

What organisms also take CO2 out of the ocean?

Answer 18

Coral reef & marine org. with shells also take CO2 out of the ocean to make calcium carbonate exoskeleton

Question 19

What is sedimentation

Answer 19

when marine org. die, their bodies sink to ocean floor where they’re broken down into sediments that contain Carbon

Question 20

What is Burial in the ocean

Answer 20

• over, long, periods of time, pressure of water compresses Carbon-containing sediments on ocean floor into sedimentary stone (limestone, sandstone)
• long-term Carbon reservoir

Question 21

What is burial

Answer 21

• slow, geological process that stores carbon in underground sinks like sedimentary rock or fossil fuels
• Sediments (bits of rock, soil, organic matter) are compressed into sed. rock, or Fossile Fuels, by pressure from overlying rock layers or water

Question 22

What are fossil fuels

Answer 22

coal, oil, and Nat. gas are formed from fossilized remains of org. matter

Question 23

What is extraction

Answer 23

Digging up fossil fuels

Question 24

What is combustion

Answer 24

burning fossile fuels as an energy source, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere

Question 25

What happens between burial, extraction, and combustion

Answer 25

Burial (formation of FFs) takes far longer than extraction & combustion, which means they increase concentration of CO2 in atmosphere