Carbon Cycle Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the Carbon Cycle?

Involves only terrestrial biosphere

Depends on photosynthesis and aerobic respiration (correct)

Is the process of fossil fuel creation

Is a one-way transfer of carbon

What do land producers do?

They remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

What are aquatic producers?

Plants that do photosynthesis and manufacture food, removing CO2 from water.

What is the role of decomposers in the Carbon Cycle?

They release carbon stored in dead organisms back into the air as CO2. Signup and view all the answers

What are marine sediments?

Earth's largest supply of carbon. Signup and view all the answers

How are fossil fuels formed?

By cumulative dead plant matter and bacteria compressed between layers of sediment. Signup and view all the answers

How do humans intervene with the Carbon Cycle?

By adding excess CO2 into the atmosphere through deforestation and burning fossil fuels. Signup and view all the answers

What does organic material contain?

Carbon and hydrogen. Signup and view all the answers

Which reservoirs contain the most carbon?

Oceans, soil, atmosphere, standing biomass. Signup and view all the answers

What are carbon sources?

Reservoirs that release more carbon than they absorb. Signup and view all the answers

What are carbon sinks?

Reservoirs that absorb and store more carbon than they release. Signup and view all the answers

What does flux refer to?

The rate of transfer from one reservoir to another. Signup and view all the answers

What is the safe level of CO2?

Around 340-350 ppm. Signup and view all the answers

What factors influence carbon concentration?

Elevation, population, temperature, wind, and plants. Signup and view all the answers

What does sequester or sequestration mean?

To remove carbon from the atmosphere. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to algae during sequestration?

Algae is pressurized to the bottom of the ocean and transforms into fossil fuels. Signup and view all the answers

At what state of temperature do carbonated items contain more CO2?

Colder items contain more CO2. Signup and view all the answers

What is a feedback loop?

A domino effect that feeds back on itself to either increase or decrease over time. Signup and view all the answers

What do pH levels indicate?

0 = acidic; 7 = neutral; 14 = basic Signup and view all the answers

What is the Keeling Curve?

A graph plotting the ongoing change in CO2 concentration in Earth's atmosphere. Signup and view all the answers

What is CO2's role in the environment?

It is not combustible, creates carbonic acid in oceans, and reduces seawater pH. Signup and view all the answers

What is albedo?

Reflectivity of a surface Signup and view all the answers

What greenhouse gases have the highest warming potential?

Nitrous Oxide and Methane. Signup and view all the answers

What is mitigation in environmental terms?

The action of reducing the severity of something. Signup and view all the answers

What is adaptation in the context of climate change?

Adapting to climate change. Signup and view all the answers

What contributes more to CO2 emissions: economic growth or population growth?

Economic growth. Signup and view all the answers

What is the greenhouse effect?

The process by which greenhouse gases trap heat and warm the earth. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Carbon Cycle

Involves the exchange of carbon among four main reservoirs: atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere, oceans, and sediments.
Relies on photosynthesis and aerobic respiration by living organisms.

Land Producers

Remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
Examples include trees, grass, and plants.

Aquatic Producers

Remove CO2 from water through photosynthesis to produce food.
Include phytoplankton, algae, kelp, and mosses.

Decomposers

Release carbon from dead organisms back into the atmosphere as CO2.
In aquatic environments, they convert insoluble carbonates in sediments back to carbon.

Marine Sediments

Contain Earth's largest supply of carbon.

Fossil Fuels

Formed from compressed dead plant matter and bacteria under high pressure and heat.
Nonrenewable resources, includes coal (40%), oil (40%), and natural gas (20%).

Human Impact on the Carbon Cycle

Contribute to excess CO2 emissions by deforestation and burning fossil fuels and wood.
Deforestation in tropical regions reduces CO2 absorption capability of trees.

Organic Material

Composed of carbon and hydrogen.

Major Carbon Reservoirs

Oceans are the largest carbon reservoir, followed by soil, atmosphere, and standing biomass (plants and trees).

Carbon Sources

Reservoirs that release more carbon than they absorb; anthropogenic emissions are notable sources.

Carbon Sinks

Reservoirs that absorb and store more carbon than they release, helping to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
Examples include forests and oceans.

Carbon Flux

Refers to the rate of transfer of carbon between different reservoirs.

Safe CO2 Levels

Ideal concentration is around 340-350 parts per million (ppm).

Influencing Factors on Carbon Concentration

Elevation, population density, temperature, wind patterns, and vegetation.

Sequestration

The process of removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) is a type of carbon sequestration.

Algae and Fossil Fuel Formation

Algae undergo long-term pressurization at the ocean's bottom, transforming into fossil fuels.

Temperature and Carbonated Items

Colder conditions increase CO2 retention in carbonated items.

Feedback Loop

A cyclical process where an effect feeds back to increase or decrease the initial cause.

pH Levels

Scale ranges from 0 (acidic) to 14 (basic), with 7 as neutral.

Keeling Curve

Graph tracking the ongoing increase of atmospheric CO2 concentration since 1958, measured at Mauna Loa Observatory.

Properties of CO2

Non-combustible gas that forms carbonic acid in oceans, lowering seawater pH and affecting marine life.

Albedo

Measure of surface reflectivity; high albedo surfaces (e.g., snow, ice) reflect more solar radiation than they absorb.

Greenhouse Gases with High Warming Potential

Nitrous Oxide (NOx) has a warming potential 296 times that of CO2.
Methane (CH4) is 23 times more effective than CO2 but has a shorter atmospheric residence time.

Mitigation

Actions taken to reduce the severity of climate change impacts.

Adaptation

Adjusting societal and environmental strategies in response to climate change.

Economic Growth and CO2 Emissions

Economic growth is a greater contributor to CO2 emissions compared to population growth.

Greenhouse Effect

The trapping of heat in the Earth's atmosphere by greenhouse gases, leading to global warming.

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Description

Test your knowledge of the carbon cycle with these flashcards. Explore the roles of terrestrial and aquatic producers in the exchange of carbon among Earth's reservoirs. Perfect for understanding photosynthesis and respiration processes.