The carbon cycle

Question 1

What type of cycle is the carbon cycle?

Answer 1

It is biogeochemical

Question 2

Where is most of the carbon stored?

Answer 2

In rocks

Question 3

What are the other stores of carbon?

Answer 3

Ocean, atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere

Question 4

What is the carbon cycle?

Answer 4

It is the movement of carbon between stores

Question 5

How is the carbon cycle closed?

Answer 5

It is in balance over long time scales

There are sources and sinks of carbon

Question 6

What are the two components that the carbon cycle can be divided into?

Answer 6

Geological

Biological

Question 7

What is the geological component?

Answer 7

A long time scale of millions of years

Question 8

What is the biological time scale?

Answer 8

Shorter such as days to thousands of years

Question 9

What is the slow component of the carbon cycle like?

Answer 9

Carbon moves between the rocks, soil, ocean and atmosphere

Question 10

How is carbon moved in the long term cycle?

Answer 10

Through chemical recations and tectonic activity

Question 11

How many grams of carbon are passed through the slow carbon cycle every year?

Answer 11

10^13 to 10^14 grams

Question 12

How many grams of carbon pass through the fast carbon cycle each year?

Answer 12

10^16 to 10^17

Question 13

How many extra grams of carbon into the atmosphere do humans add each year?

Answer 13

10^15

Question 14

In which gases does carbon feature in the atmosphere?

Answer 14

CH4

CO2

Question 15

How do CO2 and CH4 act in the atmosphere?

Answer 15

They absorb and retain heat in the atmosphere

Question 16

What is the fast carbon cycle mostly movement through?

Answer 16

The biosphere

Question 17

Why does carbon play an essential role in biology?

Answer 17

It is able to chemically bond and is in living cells

Question 18

What do chains of carbon bonds contain and how is this released?

Answer 18

They contain lots of energy which is released when the chains are broken. This acts as a source of fuel for all living things

Question 19

What are short term carbon cycle changes dictated by?

Answer 19

Photosynthesis and respiration of plants and phytoplankton

Question 20

What is the difference in the amount of carbon moving in the geological and biological timescales?

Answer 20

Amount of C moving between the atmosphere and biosphere each year is 1000x greater than the amount of C through the geological cycle

Question 21

How is CO2 removed from the atmosphere?

Answer 21

Through photosynthesis by plants and plankton

Question 22

What is the photosynthesis equation?

Answer 22

CO2 + H2O + energy = CH2O + O2

Question 23

How is CO2 returned to the atmosphere?

Answer 23

By respiration through plants and soil

Question 24

What is the respiration equation?

Answer 24

CH2O + O2 = CO2 + H2O + energy

Question 25

What changes can photosynthesis and respiration cause?

Answer 25

Diurnal and seasonal changes

Question 26

What happens during the day in growing season?

Answer 26

Leaves absorb sunlight and take up CO2 from the atmosphere whilst organisms consume the carbon in organic matter and return CO2 to the atmosphere

Question 27

What happens at night?

Answer 27

Photosynthesis stops but respiration continues

Question 28

What happens in winter in the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 28

Photosynthesis ceases when many plants lose leaves but respiration increases leading to an increase in CO2

Question 29

What happens in spring in the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 29

Photosynthesis resumes and atmospheric CO2 concentrations are reduced

Question 30

What is the rate of carbon accumulation in peat dictated by?

Answer 30

The balance between productivity and decay

Question 31

How does temperature influence productivity?

Answer 31

Warmer temperatures increase productivity

Question 32

How does temperature influence decay?

Answer 32

Warmer temperatures increase the rate of decay

Question 33

How does moisture affect decomposition and decay?

Answer 33

Wet= limited decompostion | Too dry = limited accumulation

Question 34

What is an issue with the peat carbon sink?

Answer 34

There are two competing processes and responses: | Projected warming is likely to cause substantial increases in decomposition, nutrient release and primary production

Question 35

What are the projections for the present-day global sink?

Answer 35

The present day global sink will increase slightly until around AD2100 and then decline

Question 36

How is carbon moved from the atmosphere to the land and ocean surface?

Answer 36

By dissolving into water bodies

Question 37

How is carbon moved from the atmosphere to the lithosphere and ocean?

Answer 37

Through rain

Question 38

What acid is formed when carbon combines with water?

Answer 38

Carbonic acid

Question 39

What is released when carbonic acid dissolves rocks?

Answer 39

Calcium ions

Question 40

What is one of the most important forms of carbon sequestration?

Answer 40

Oceaanic absorption of CO2

Question 41

What occurs at the ocean surface?

Answer 41

Two way carbon exchange

Question 42

What does photosynthesis within oceans allow?

Answer 42

For carbon to be passed through the food chain

Question 43

Where can carbon be stored for centuries?

Answer 43

At ocean depths