The Biogeochemical Carbon Cycle (Lesson 1)

Question 1

What is the Carbon sink?

Answer 1

A carbon reservoir that takes in and stores (sequesters) more carbon than it releases . Carbon sinks can serve to partially offset greenhouse gas emissions.

Question 2

Give two examples of large Carbon sinks

Answer 2

Forests
Oceans

Question 3

What can Carbon fixation be defined as?

Answer 3

The incorporation of carbon into organic compounds by living organisms, chiefly by photosynthesis in green plants

Question 4

What is a Carbon Pool?

Answer 4

A system that has the capacity to store or release carbon (of which there are five)

Question 5

Why does the Carbon cycle need to be balanced?

Answer 5

To support planetary health

Question 6

What controls the movement of carbon between stores on land, the oceans and the atmosphere?

Answer 6

Physical processes control the movement

Question 7

Where is most global carbon?

Answer 7

It is locked in terrestrial stores as part of the long term geological cycle, reliance on fuels has caused significant changes to carbon stores and has amplified climate change=

Question 8

How many PGC’s of carbon is the flux from the atmosphere

Answer 8

123 PGC/yr

Question 9

What is the size of the flux from the atmosphere to ocean?

Answer 9

80 PGC/yr

Question 10

What is the store in Sedimentary rock?

Answer 10

83,000,000 pgc/yr

Question 11

What is the carbon store in intermediate and deep ocean store?

Answer 11

37,100 pgc/yr

Question 12

What are the top 3 stores of Carbon?

Answer 12

1. Sedimentary rock-83,000,000 pgc
2. Intermediate and deep ocean store-37,000 pgc
3. Soil store-1,950 pgc

Question 13

What are the top three fluxes of Carbon?

Answer 13

1. Photosynthesis-123 Pgc
2. Respiration and fire-118.7 pgc
3. Atmosphere to Ocean-80 pgc