The Carbon Cycle (Unit 1, Topic 3)

Question 1

What different forms can Carbon be found in?

Answer 1

Co2- gas in the atmosphere, soil, water and rocks

Methane- gas in atmosphere, soil, water and rocks

Calcium Carbonate- solid compound, calcareous rocks

Hydrocarbons- found usually in all stores in sedimentary rock

Bio- molecules in complex compounds in living things

Question 2

What is Carbon stored as in the different spheres?

Answer 2

Hydrosphere- inorganic- oceans and people

Cryosphere- inorganic- ice sheets and bubbles

Atmosphere- inorganic- gas and Co2

Biosphere- organic- plants and animals

Lithosphere- inorganic- sedimentary rocks

Question 3

What is the Fast Carbon Cycle?

Answer 3

Carbon is cycled quite rapidly through organic systems between the atmosphere, vegetation and soils this is called the Fast Carbon Cycle

Question 4

What is the Slow Carbon Cycle?

Answer 4

The cycling of carbon between the surface bedrock and atmospheric or ocean stores is known as the Slow Carbon Cycle

Question 5

What is a Store of Carbon?

Answer 5

The total amount of the material of interest held within part of the system

Question 6

What is a Carbon Flux?

Answer 6

Measurements of the rate of flow of material between the stores

Question 7

What is a Carbon Process?

Answer 7

Physical mechanisms which drive the flux of material between the stores

Question 8

What is the Sere Scale?

Answer 8

The stages between a plants succession, note that different sere’s are named after the starting point of succession

Question 9

How does Weathering affect Carbon Fluxes?

Answer 9

Breakdown of rocks close to the surface, causes the carbon stored inside to return to the atmosphere. Acidic rain passes the carbon from the atmosphere to the soil and plants on the ground. It is also transported in the hydrosphere

Question 10

How does Burial and Compaction affect Carbon Fluxes?

Answer 10

Organic matter dies and is buried by sediments and becomes compacted under immense pressure and by millions of years forms hydrocarbons

Question 11

How does Photosynthesis affect Carbon Fluxes?

Answer 11

Process whereby plants use light energy to produce carbohydrates to form glucose. It converts absorbed Co2 into oxygen and glucose

Question 12

How does Respiration affect Carbon Fluxes?

Answer 12

Opposite of photosynthesis, the breathing of living organisms causes Co2 to be released into the atmosphere after converting oxygen into energy and Co2

Question 13

How does Decomposition affect Carbon Fluxes?

Answer 13

When organisms die they are consumed by decomposers such as bacteria, fungi and earthworms. Carbon escapes from their bodies into the atmosphere

Question 14

How does Carbon Sequestration (Geological) affect Carbon Fluxes?

Answer 14

Co2 is captured at its source and injected as a liquid deep underground in a variety of stores

Question 15

How does Combustion affect Carbon Fluxes?

Answer 15

Organic material stores carbon, when burned its released with water, the Co2 then is returned to the atmosphere

Question 16

How does Carbon Sequestration (Terrestrial) affect Carbon Fluxes?

Answer 16

Use plants to capture Co2 and its stored in its stems and roots. But Co2 can be released if burnt

Question 17

What Human Factors lead to change in the Carbon Cycle?

Answer 17

Burning Fossil Fuels
Deforestation
Agriculture
Urbanisation
Sequestration

Question 18

What Physical Factors lead to change in the Carbon Cycle?

Answer 18

Volcanic Eruptions
Climate Change
Wildfires

Question 19

How does Volcanic Activity lead to changes in the Carbon Cycle?

Answer 19

When volcanoes erupt magma consisting of Co2 is released as well as water vapour and sulfur. Even volcanoes that don’t erupt release Co2 through soil, fumaroles

Question 20

How do Forest Fires lead to changes in the Carbon Cycle?

Answer 20

Trees are burned releasing Co2 but grow back bigger and stronger reabsorbing all the escaped Co2 back from the atmosphere causing a negative feedback loop.

Question 21

How does Fossil Fuel Consumption lead to changes in the Carbon Cycle?

Answer 21

90% of human caused carbon is from fossil fuels, this is absorbed by trees and oceans. China, USA and India are all growing contributors of the worlds Co2. The Co2 we release is millions of years too early. Vegetation helps to absorb 50% combined with oceans

Question 22

How does Farming Practices lead to changes in the Carbon Cycle?

Answer 22

The organic matter that decomposes like grass when ploughing. Cows produce lots of methane, rice paddies also generate lots of methane

Question 23

How does Land Use lead to changes in the Carbon Cycle?

Answer 23

Co2 emissions from land use account for 30% of human induced carbons. Around 13 million hectares of forest are cut down. Carried out by subsistence farmers using the ‘slash and burn’ technique. Logging operations cut down desirable trees, they also build roads to make the process more efficient.

Equally they deforest due to urban sprawl. Overall, 3% of forests were lost between 1995 and 2005, lack of tress dries out soil as there is limited shade cover

Urban Growth focuses on more agricultural land and housing to be built on greenfield sites. Expected 60% of people in 2030 to be living in urban areas, 47% of Co2 emissions came from urban areas in 2012

Question 24

What is the Carbon Budget Calculation?

Answer 24

Uses data to describe the amount of carbon that is stored and transferred within the carbon cycle. Measured in peta-grams (1 x 10 power of 15)

Question 25

What is the Greenhouse affect?

Answer 25

Gases absorb long radiation from the earth and lower atmosphere trapping the heat and allowing life to form, Anthropogenic activities have increased Greenhouse Gases making them more effective at trapping heat this is known as the enhanced greenhouse effect. Since 1880 greenhouse temperatures have increased by 0.8 degrees

Question 26

What Natural Factors of the Earth can affect Radiation Absorption?

Answer 26

There are natural variations such as the eccentricity cycle which determines how close or far we are from the sun, Obliquity cycle which determines how far we wobble and the precession of the equinoxes which is which way the earth is tilted towards the sun

Question 27

What is a Countries Carbon Budget?

Answer 27

A Carbon Budget is the cumulative amount of Co2 emissions permitted over a period of time to keep within a certain temperature threshold

Question 28

What are some Impacts of Changing Carbon Budgets?

Answer 28

Land- Desertification, Forest Fires
Ocean-Raising Sea Levels, Ice Caps Melting
Atmosphere-Enhanced Global Warming

Question 29

How do Land Impacts affect Climate Change?

Answer 29

Carbon moves between the lithosphere, cryosphere and biosphere with both physical and human factors resulting in positive and negative feedback

Photosynthesis, essential for plant growth and in the form of wood and fossil fuels, more Co2 leads to increased growing season for plants but also increased decay of organic matter

Permafrost covers 22% of land remaining frozen for 2+ years when temperature increases more carbons released, resulting in a positive feedback loop, currently permafrost holds 1,672 GtC

Question 30

How does Ocean Impacts affect Climate Change?

Answer 30

Oceans cover 70% of our planet containing 38-40,000 GtC making it Earths 2nd largest store. It is believed that oceans have absorbed 38%of anthropically produced Co2 which helps to create a buffer to regulate carbon concentrations on land and in the atmosphere

30% of released Co2 is diffused into the ocean though direct chemical exchange, this creates a carbonic acid making the oceans less alkaline. Carbonic acid reacts with carbonate ions in the water to form bicarbonate. However, animals like coral and phytoplankton need these ions to make their shells.

Melting sea ice is part of a feedback mechanisms. Highly reflective ice is replaced by more absorbent water, This then absorbs more sunlight which amplifies warming but also provides a habitat for algae. The loss affects food chain from krill to bears. Decrease in salinity in the deep North Atlantis, more freshwater added to oceans, slowing down the large-scale oceanic circulation in the North East Atlantic

Question 31

How do Atmospheric Impacts affect Climate Change?

Answer 31

Increasing Co2 is now higher than any change in the last 800,000 years and is set to increase further. This led to enhanced greenhouse effects as much as 20% of additional Co2 will remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years.

Energy is constantly flowing from the atmosphere in the form of sunlight, 30% is reflected back into space, the rest is absorbed. Vegetation removes Co2 and releases water and oxygen within dense vegetation experiencing high rates of photosynthesis and respiration. This causes the level of humidity and cloud cover which can have regional climates and rainfall

Question 32

What happens after Changing Climate Budget has been Impacted?

Answer 32

All areas will be significantly effected with the ocean potentially experiencing tipping points for biodiversity. There could be economic crises and social problems. There will be an increase in loss of habitats, animals and plants as well as diseases and increases in sea salinity and ocean acidity. Droughts will become more common as well as flooding. USA will lose 23% GDP for every degree.