carbon cycle
What is the carbon cycle?
The movement of carbon through various spheres
what are each of the spheres in the carbon cycle?
biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere
what are 2 main types of greenhouse gasses?
methane and carbon dioxide
What role does water vapor play in global warming?
Water vapor increases as temperatures rise, leading to more evaporation and further enhancing the greenhouse effect.
how does matter move through its ecosystem?
Flows - an example would be the carbon cycle
Humans have been removing carbon from the long term carbon cycle and moving it into the short term carbon cycle by primarily doing this...
burning fossil fuels
Where is carbon stored in the lithosphere?
Carbon is stored in fossil fuels, sedimentary rocks, and organic matter in soils.
what are greenhouse gasses
atmospheric gas that traps heat
The equilibrium between the energy received from the sun and the energy radiated back to space, primarily by Earth's atmosphere and surface.
Earth's energy balance
Give an example of a carbon storage.
Plants, the ocean, soil, fossil fuels, the atmosphere
In this part of the carbon cycle plants use oxygen and produce carbon dioxide.
Respiration
This sphere of the earth is where most of the carbon produced from burning fossil fuels ends up, causing its pH to drop.
hydrosphere
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is the process by which greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, keeping the climate warm and necessary for life.
What is global warming?
Global warming refers to the increased average global temperatures caused by an accumulation of greenhouse gases.
This would measure how much CO2 could be dissolved in the ocean.
solubility
What is the significance of photosynthesis in the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis allows plants to absorb CO2 and convert it into glucose, which is essential for energy and growth.
How does carbon exist in the biosphere?
Carbon is found in living organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. Plants absorb CO2 during photosynthesis to produce glucose.
This occurs when a change in the environment leads to a further increase of that same change, such as when melting Arctic sea ice reduces the Earth's reflectivity and causes even more warming?
positive feedback loop
These are long-term variations in Earth's orbit and axis which drives long-term climate changes, such as the timing of ice ages.
Milankovitch cycles
This process, caused by the ocean's absorption of excess atmospheric CO2, make it chemically challenging for oysters to form and maintain their calcium carbonate shells?
Ocean Acidification
Give three processes that are part of the carbon cycle.
1 - photosynthesis, 2 - respiration, 3 - decomposition, 4 - combustion, 5 - carbon sequestration, 6 - ocean absorption
This sphere of the earth stores (sequesters) carbon underground in rocks and fossil fuels.
lithoshere
What are the primary causes of increased greenhouse gases?
1. CO2 from burning fossil fuels, 2. Deforestation, 3. Natural events like volcanoes and fires, 4. Methane from animal waste and landfills, 5. Increased water vapor due to higher temperatures.
Most of the carbon dioxide that humans add to the environment ends up here.
The Ocean
Burning fossil fuels causes this to increase in the atmosphere, which can cause an increase in global temperatures, acidification of the ocean, and potentially changing weather patterns.
Carbon dioxide (CO2)