Carbon Cycle Exam 3

Question 1

The ocean is the largest reservoir of carbon

Answer 1

~38,000 pg

Question 2

Soils are distant second reservoir of carbon

Answer 2

~2,000 pg

Question 3

Similar amounts of carbon in atmosphere

Answer 3

~897 pg

Question 4

in living terrestrial plants

Answer 4

~600 pg

Question 5

ocean surface

Answer 5

900 pg

Question 6

photosynthesize as much as land plants in a year
Negligible as a reservoir

Answer 6

phytoplankton

Question 7

changes in CO2 - inputs to atmosphere - Volcanism

Answer 7

0.05 - 0.2 per year

Question 8

emissions from freshwater

Answer 8

0.1 pg

Question 9

emissions from ocean

Answer 9

0.1 pg

Question 10

outputs from atmosphere - weathering of rock

Answer 10

0.3 pg per year

Question 11

Preindustrial Atmosphere is

Answer 11

~600 pg

Question 12

Very long-term process (>1 million years)

Answer 12

Geologic factors (volcanism, weathering)
Evolution of plants

Question 13

Medium term process (Glacial/interglacial ~ 0.1 million years)

Answer 13

Changes in solar radiation (milankovitch cycle)
Ocean/Atmosphere interactions

Question 14

When earth is warmer…….

Answer 14

Weathering increases
CO2 declines
Each cools

Question 15

When earth is cooler,,,,,,,,,

Answer 15

Weathering decreases
CO2 increases
Earth warms

Question 16

the sun has _______ intensity through time

Answer 16

increased

Question 17

living processes _____ faster than geologic processes

Answer 17

100x

Question 18

terrestrial respiration

Answer 18

plant primary production

Question 19

release of CO2 from ocean……

Answer 19

absorption of CO2 from ocean

Question 20

changes in CO2 could _______ response by increasing surface temperature

Answer 20

amplify

Question 21

changes would be _______ because CO2 stays in atmosphere for much longer

Answer 21

global

Question 22

Possible oceanic mechanism

Answer 22

Temperature effect on bicarbonate system
higher export of production to depth

Question 23

possible terrestrial mechanisms

Answer 23

Temperature effects on plant biomass
Sequestration or release of soil C

Question 24

Under preindustrial conditions: Amount of CO2 is upwelled water depends on _______ of water and ________ CO2 when water sank

Answer 24

temp, atmospheric

Question 25

Under preindustrial conditions: amount lost to atmosphere after upwelling in tropics increases with ______ of temp after upwelling

Answer 25

increases

Question 26

During warming: warmer conditions result in _______ absorption of CO2 by sinking water

Answer 26

less

Question 27

During Warming : the water that upwells to the surface also ______ more CO2 because it _______ more

Answer 27

looses, warms

Question 28

During Cooling: Cooler conditions result in _______ absorption of CO2 by _______ water at poles

Answer 28

more, sinking

Question 29

During cooling: the water that upwells to the surface in tropics _______ less CO2 because it _______ less

Answer 29

looses, warms

Question 30

During cooling: this results in a net movement of CO2 from the ________ to the __________

Answer 30

atmosphere, ocean

Question 31

During warming: this results in a net movement of CO2 from the _______ to the ________

Answer 31

ocean, atmosphere

Question 32

reestablishing equilibrium takes.....

Answer 32

200-100 years

Question 33

recent changes in carbon cycle

Answer 33

patterns, evidence for human effects, the "airborne fraction"

Question 34

CO2 in the atmosphere indicates that system is _____ currently at steady state

Answer 34

Not

Question 35

what contributes to sequestration of CO2

Answer 35

on land in Oceans

Question 36

Changing carbon storage in terrestrial environment (dynamic controls):

Answer 36

fertilization effects/agriculturalization, deforestation in tropics, reforestation in temperate forests

Question 37

Looks at whole ecosystem responses to increasing CO2

Answer 37

FACE experiments

Question 38

Loss of vegetation- Main causes:

Answer 38

Human-set fires shifting fire-regions (climate, forest management)

Question 39

Intensity of fire affect

Answer 39

vegetation recovery soil carbon and nutrients

Question 40

Net effects on vegetation

Answer 40

traditional slash and burn, intensive farming and animal agriculture

Question 41

traditional slash and burn

Answer 41

at low human population densities- forest have time to regrow as populations increase the proportion of forest in earlier stages of succession increases eventually frequency of burning is too fast to allow any forest to attain maximum biomass

Question 42

intensive farming and animal agriculture

Answer 42

Suppress regrowth of forests, animal agriculture requires more land in rangeland or grassland state, spatial changed in vegetation carbon results from changing centers

Question 43

Arctic soil carbon

Answer 43

50-75% more C in atmosphere 60% permanently frozen top 3m = 50% of soil C found everywhere else

Question 44

methane trapped in ice

Answer 44

stable in cold temps and high pressures