The Carbon Cycle

Question 1

What is Carbon DIoxide and where is it found?

Answer 1

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a gas found in the atmosphere, soils and oceans.

Question 2

What is Methane and where is it found?

Answer 2

Methane (CH4) is a gas found in the atmosphere, soils, oceans and sedimentary rocks

Question 3

What is calcium Carbonate and where is it found?

Answer 3

Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) is a solid compound found in calcareous rocks, oceans and in the skeletons or shells of ocean creatures

Question 4

What are hydrocarbons and where are they found?

Answer 4

Hydrocarbons are solids, liquids or gases usually found in sedimentary rocks.

Question 5

What are bio-molecules are where are they found?

Answer 5

Bio molecules are complex carbon compounds found in all living things. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats and oils and DNA are examples of bio-molecules.

Question 6

What are the major stores of carbon?

Answer 6

Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Atmosphere

Question 7

What is Anthropogenic CO2?

Answer 7

Carbon dioxide generated by human activity

Question 8

What is the biosphere?

Answer 8

The total sum of all living matter
Carbon is stored in:
- Decayed plant and animal matter
- Peat
- Soil
- Humus

Question 9

Define Carbon Sequestration

Answer 9

The capture of CO2 from the atmosphere or capturing anthropogenic CO2 form large scale stationary sources like power plants before it’s released into the atmosphere.

Once captured, CO2 is put into long term storage

Question 10

What is a carbon sink?

Answer 10

A store of carbon that absorbs more carbon than it releases.

Question 11

What is the lithosphere?

Answer 11

The crust and uppermost mantle; this constitutes the hard and rigid outer layer of the Earth.
Carbon is found in its inorganic form in fossil fuels and limestone. Can be found in its organic found within living material.
Carbon is stored in:
- Fossil Fuels
- Soil
- Peat
- Marine sediments

Question 12

What is weathering?

Answer 12

The breakdown or rocks in situ by a combination of weather, plants and animals.

Question 13

What are some natural changes in the carbon cycle?

Answer 13

• Volcanic Eruptions - Release of huge clouds of ash and carbon
• Asteroid Impacts - The vaporisation of carbonate rocks on impact creates large amounts of carbon dioxide and monoxide
• Wildfires - Wildfires are becoming increasingly larger and occur more frequently

Question 14

What are some human changes to in carbon cycle?

Answer 14

• Farming practices
• Land use change
• ## Urban Growth

Question 15

How are farming practices having an impact on the carbon cycle?

Answer 15

• When soil is ploughed, the soil layers invert so air mixes in and soil microbial activity dramatically increases
• Results in organic matter being rapidly broken down and carbon is lost into the atmosphere
• Additionally, the vehicles ploughing the fields emit a lot of carbon dioxide
• In 2011 livestock accounted for 39% of all carbon emissions within agricultural practice emissions.

Question 16

How is land use change impacting the carbon cycle?

Answer 16

• CO2 emissions resulting from land use change account for 30% of anthropogenic emissions.
• Deforestation happens to expand urban or agricultural land. This process emits CO2 from the machines, and the trees can no longer absorb CO2
• Wildfires and rapid burning of forests releases carbon dioxide quickly

Question 17

How is the expanding urban area impacting the carbon cycle?

Answer 17

• Over 50% of the world population live in urban areas

- Expanding cities are emitting more and more carbon to account for more people are more transport

Question 18

What is carbon sequestration?

Answer 18

• The process of capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and putting it into long term storage.
• There are two different types: Geological and Terrestrial/Biological

Question 19

What is geological sequestration?

Answer 19

CO2 is captured at its source and injected into porous rocks underground, which could include depleted oil reservoirs, deep salt formations, deep sea crevasses and uneconomic coal seams.

Question 20

What is terrestrial/biological sequestration?

Answer 20

• ## Involves use of plants to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and store it as carbon in the stems and roots of the plants as well as in the soil.

Question 21

What percent of greenhouse gases emitted come from agriculture and food production?

Answer 21

25%

Question 22

What are aerosols and what impacts are they having on the climate and carbon cycle?

Answer 22

When fossil fuels are burnt, aerosols are released alongside CO2. They are a nasty pollutant, but they reflect heatwaves in the atmosphere, decreasing global warming.

Question 23

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 23

• CO2 and carbon dissolved into the ocean water
• Carbon is locked up within aquatic sea life
• Carbon is stored in:
• Sea plants
• Living organic matter
• The Water

Question 24

What is the atmosphere in context of the carbon cycle?

Answer 24

• Current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is 0.04%

- Atmospheric concentration of CO2 has been increasing, called the greenhouse effect