Carbon Cycle

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

Carbon Cycle a description of how carbon is moving through Earth’s Systems this movement of carbon includes living things as carbon-based molecules provide the basis for the structure of every living thing

Earth’s Systems just like in the water cycle, Earth’s systems serve as temporary stores of carbon until is moves on to a new system Hydrosphere Lithosphere Biosphere Atmosphere

Earth Systems

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

1. Hydrosphere Earth’s surface water can primarily store carbon in the form of carbonic acid (H2CO3) when carbonic acid levels get high, the pH of the water drops

1. Hydrosphere In a lab experiment, a sea butterfly (pteropod) shell placed in seawater with increased acidity slowly dissolves over 45 days. Credit: Courtesy of David Littschwager/National Geographic Society

1. Hydrosphere Low pH levels kill coral. Coral provide habitats for many other ocean-dwelling species.

2. Lithosphere many of Earth’s sedimentary rocks have large amounts of carbon

2. Lithosphere fossil fuels buried in the Earth also contain large amounts of carbon

3. Biosphere all living things are made of molecules made of carbon recently dead living things also make up the soil on the surface of the earth

4. Atmosphere most of the carbon in the air is in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2)

4. Atmosphere carbon dioxide levels have been steadily increasing due to increased combustion of fossil fuels

4. Atmosphere Graph of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration vs. mean global temperature during the past 1,000 years.

Which system stores the most carbon? Reservoir Amount of Carbon (gigatons) Atmosphere 720 Oceans (total) 38,400 Surface ocean layer 670 Deep ocean layer 36,730 Lithosphere 75,004,130 Rocks 75,000,000 Fossil fuels (total) 4,130 Coal 3,510 Oil 230 Gas 140 Peat 250 Biosphere 2,002 Land biosphere (total) 2,000 Living biomass 800 Dead biomass 1,200 Aquatic biosphere 2 Lithosphere Hydrosphere Biosphere Atmosphere

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

Carbon Transition Processes carbon has many ways of moving between earth’s systems there is no specific order to this movement Burning CO2 Exchange Decay Deep circulation Extraction Organic Consumption Photosynthesis Respiration Rock formation Run-off

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

1. Burning when organic materials burn, carbon dioxide is released into the air Examples of organic materials include wood and fossil fuels

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

2. Carbon Dioxide Exchange when CO2 levels increase in the air, more CO2 will dissolve into the ocean when CO2 levels decrease in the air, more CO2 will dissolve out of the ocean

4. Atmosphere Carbon dioxide levels have been steadily increasing due to increased combustion of fossil fuels

2. Carbon Dioxide Exchange when CO2 levels increase in the air, more CO2 will dissolve into the ocean when CO2 levels decrease in the air, more CO2 will dissolve out of the ocean when carbon dioxide dissolves in water it forms carbonic acid

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

3. Decay when living things die, their tissues become a part of the soil as their tissues continue to breakdown, some of the carbon is released as CO2 into the air methane (CH4) is also released but in much smaller amounts than CO2

4. Deep Circulation some carbon from phytoplankton sinks into deep ocean currents and might not return to the surface for hundreds of years

4. Deep Circulation some carbon from phytoplankton is carried into deep ocean currents and might not return to the surface for hundreds of years phytoplankton – small, plant-like organisms

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

5. Extraction bringing buried fossil fuels to the surface most fossil fuels have been buried for millions of years

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

6. Organic Consumption when one organism consumes (eats) another organism, carbon remains in the biosphere

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

7. Photosynthesis plants, some protists, and some bacteria take CO2 out of the air and use it to make their body parts and to make sugar for food

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

8. Respiration when living things use food for chemical energy, they release CO2 as a waste product

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

9. Rock Formation many sedimentary rocks are made of pieces of formerly living things many shelled animals make their shell out of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) sediments containing lots of calcium carbonate(CaCO3) from shells can be turned into rock over millions of years this rock can be pushed up to form land by tectonic Earth movements

9. Rock Formation buried organic material can also turn into fossil fuels over long periods of time

9. Rock Formation buried organic material can also turn into fossil fuels over long periods of time

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

10. Run-off running liquid water weathers (wears away) the land to form sediment eventually this sediment reaches the oceans and sinks run-off also carries organic remains of organisms that have passed away

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

Summary Is the carbon cycle an open system or a closed system on Earth?