the carbon cycle

Question 1

give 4 things the carbon cycle regulates

Answer 1

1. temperature
2. rivers
3. rainfall acidity
4. oceans

Question 2

what are the 6 carbon cycle spheres?

Answer 2

1. atmosphere
2. biosphere
3. lithosphere
4. hydrosphere
5. pedosphere
6. cryosphere

Question 3

what is the pedosphere?

Answer 3

carbon stored in soil layers from decomposed plants and animals

Question 4

what is the lithosphere?

Answer 4

carbon found in sedimentary rock and fossil fuels

Question 5

give 3 major carbon compounds

Answer 5

1. carbon dioxide
2. methane
3. hydrocarbons

Question 6

what are the 2 different types of transfers between carbon systems?

Answer 6

1. long term/ slow - movement of carbon between atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere
2. short term/fast - movement of carbon from living things to the atmosphere and oceans

Question 7

rank the residence time in spheres of carbon from shortest to longest

Answer 7

1. atmosphere
2. biosphere
3. hydrosphere
4. pedosphere
5. cryosphere
6. lithosphere

Question 8

what % of the total carbon does the lithosphere store?

Answer 8

99.9%

Question 9

give 4 factors which change the size of global stores

Answer 9

1. global distribution of vegetation
2. carbon uptake is greater in the northern hemisphere
3. seasonal change in biosphere
4. size of ecosystem

Question 10

what is a carbon source?

Answer 10

something which releases more carbon than it stores

Question 11

what is a carbon sink?

Answer 11

something that absorbs more carbon than it releases such as a plant

Question 12

what % of wood is carbon?

Answer 12

50%

Question 13

give 4 examples of carbon transfers

Answer 13

1. photosynthesis
2. respiration
3. decomposition
4. combustion

Question 14

what is a ‘sere’?

Answer 14

a stage in the succession of an ecosystem

carbon transfers in stages of ecological progression until community cli

Question 15

what are the 4 types of seres?

Answer 15

1. lithosere - vegetation succession on bare rock
2. hydrosere - succession in water
3. halosere - salt rich environment succession
4. psammosere - sandy areas e.g dunes

Question 16

when does the succession of seres stop?

Answer 16

when equilibrium is met, mostly caused by climate called ‘ climatic climax community’

Question 17

what type of store is the ocean?

Answer 17

sink

Question 18

what is the current atmospheric carbon concentration?

Answer 18

420ppm

Question 19

what is permafrost?

Answer 19

ground frozen for 2+ consecutive years

Question 20

what is an interglacial period?

Answer 20

a period of high carbon concentration and temperature

Question 21

what is a glacial period?

Answer 21

a period of low carbon concentration and low temperatures

Question 22

what type of feedback loop is permafrost melting?

Answer 22

positive - carbon released increases temperatures

Question 23

when did the last ice age end?

Answer 23

25,000 years ago

Question 24

give 4 impacts of a glacial period on the carbon cycle

Answer 24

1. cold water holds more co2
2. reduced respiration and photosynthesis
3. more sediment stores in ice and snow (co2)
4. frozen soil reduces carbon transfer

positive feedback loop

Question 25

give 3 impacts of an interglacial period on the carbon cycle

Answer 25

1. increased rate of decomposition and soil transfer 2. melts permafrost 3. enhanced greenhouse effect | positive feedback loop

Question 26

give 3 impacts of wildfires on the carbon cycle

Answer 26

1. transfers co2 from biosphere to atmosphere 2. causes carbon emmissions to spike - turns sinks into stores 3. ash fertilises soil and frees space for vegetatiom growth

Question 27

give 3 impacts of volcanic activity on the carbon cycle

Answer 27

1. carbon stores for millions of years is released into the atmosphere 2. 130-380 million tonnes of co2 is released annually 3. reduces photosynthesis

Question 28

where are hydrocarbons found?

Answer 28

in the lithosphere

Question 29

how does oceanic life form fossil fuels?

Answer 29

as carbon based shells and skeletons sink to the bottom of the ocean floor

Question 30

how much of carbon emissions come from fossil fuels extraction and burning?

Answer 30

90% | 50% from extraction

Question 31

how many tonnes of hydrocarbons was extracted in 1970 vs now?

Answer 31

1970 : 6bn tonnes now : 15bn tonnes

Question 32

give 3 impacts of hydrocarbon extraction

Answer 32

1. destroys biodiveristy 2. reduces vegetation 3. reduces photosynthesis

Question 33

how much has carbon concentration risen from 1960s to now?

Answer 33

1960s : 320ppm now : 420 ppm

Question 34

what % of carbon is released through land use change?

Answer 34

10%

Question 35

give 2 indirect carbon releases in farming practices

Answer 35

1. fossil fueled machinery 2. fertilisers based on fossil fuels

Question 36

give 3 direct releases of carbon in farming

Answer 36

1. disturbing soil 2. land burning in rearing cattle 3. rice farming produces nitrous oxide (greenhouse gas)

Question 37

what % of the earths land is urban and what % of emissions is it responsible for?

Answer 37

1. 2% 2. 97%

Question 38

what % of anthropogenic emissions is caused by cement industry?

Answer 38

7.5%

Question 39

what % of emissions is caused by deforestation?

Answer 39

20% | immediately transferred through wood burning ## Footnote also reduces lands ability to absorb co2

Question 40

what is the carbon budget?

Answer 40

the amount of carbon stored and transferred globally or locally | emissions vs sequestration

Question 41

what is carbon sequestration?

Answer 41

the intake and storage of carbon, reducing the volume in the atmosphere

Question 42

what is afforestation?

Answer 42

the process of planting trees to create a new forest in an area that wasn't forested before | increases carbon absorption

Question 43

what is dissolution?

Answer 43

carbon diffusing into water and the ocean

Question 44

how does the ocean emitt oxygen?

Answer 44

through photosynthesis by marine organisms like phytoplankton

Question 45

what is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 45

the process in which greenhouse gases trap radiation (heat) from the earths surface

Question 46

how much more carbon does the ocean store than the atmosphere?

Answer 46

50x

Question 47

what is the physical carbon pump?

Answer 47

The absorption of CO₂ by cold ocean water which then sinks through downwelling currents and stores carbon in the deep ocean.

Question 48

what is the biological carbon pump?

Answer 48

Phytoplankton photosynthesise CO₂ and carbon sinks when organisms die and sink to the seabed.

Question 49

What is ocean acidification?

Answer 49

A drop in ocean pH caused by dissolved atmospheric CO₂.

Question 50

Why does ocean warming accelerate climate change?

Answer 50

Warm oceans absorb less CO₂ and may release it.

Question 51

what does ocean acidification result in?

Answer 51

1. destroys coral reefs 2. reduced carbon sink 3. reduced shell integrity for carbon based animals

Question 52

give 3