Carbon Cycle
What is a carbon sink
Something that removes carbon from the carbon cycle
Two examples of greenhouse gases
eg. CO2, CH4
What is one example of a future effect of climate change?
Eg. ocean acidification, conflict, wildfires, food scarcity, ocean conveyor belt collapse, etc...
Why are mycorrhizal fungi important in regulating the carbon in our atmosphere?
The take a lot of carbon from producers and store it underground for a very long time, acting as a large sink that removes carbon from the cycle.
What affect do greenhouse gases have on the Earth's temperature?
CO2 and water react and it creates H+ (hydrogen ions)
What is an example of one way in which the ocean sequesters carbon?
Calcium carbonate used by organisms and then stored as limestone.
Decomposing matter settles to ocean floor and some ends up locked away there.
Describe a time before humans in which greenhouse gas levels changed suddenly?
Global cooling events after the evolution of moss or vascular plants. Global warming due to volcanic activity (breakup of Pangea, Siberian basalt baths)
What is one way in which climate change makes forest fires more frequent?
More heat means for evaporation from soil, can shift rainfall patterns and lead to drought in certain areas.
What makes carbon able to form the backbone of all biomolecules?
It forms 4 covalent bonds (which is a lot). More connections allow for more complex molecules.
Which of these is a more powerful greenhouse gas?
A. CO2
B. H2O
C. CH4
D. O2
C. CH4 (80x more powerful than CO2)
Why is the ocean conveyor belt affected by climate change?
Melting ice means less saline water, doesn't sink. Warmer water near the poles doesn't sink as well either, so cycle slows down.
Which would impact the carbon in the atmosphere more and WHY- 3 tons of carbon released by thousands of people exhaling or 3 tons of carbon released by burning fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels because it's releasing carbon that has been locked away for a very long time and removed from the cycle, whereas breathing is not.
HOW exactly do greenhouse gases warm up the Earth?
Absorb infrared radiation coming off the Earth and reflect it back in all directions (including back towards earth).
What are 2 ways in which climate change could impact food systems?
Floods/drought, nutrient dilution, pests like fungi and insects