Transcript The Carbon Cycle

The Carbon Cycle
What About Carbon?
• It can be a gas
– Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
– Methane (CH4)
• It can be a liquid
– Gasoline (C8H18)
• It can be a solid
– Rocks (CO3)
• It is present in all organic material and materials
•
made from once living things
It is also found in inorganic material such as
rocks
Carbon and the Four Spheres
• Carbon is present in all four spheres
• Atmosphere - Air
• Biosphere - Life
• Hydrosphere - Water
• Lithosphere - Land
Atmosphere
• Carbon Dioxide enters
the atmosphere by:
– Humans and animals
breathing out (Bio)
– Fires (Bio)
– Volcanic eruptions (Litho)
– Exchanges with ocean
water (Hydro)
– Burning fossil fuels (Bio)
– Rocks reacting with
chemicals (Geo)
Atmosphere
• Carbon Dioxide leaves
the atmosphere by:
– Photosynthesis by
plants (Bio)
– Photosynthesis of
phytoplankton, or tiny
water plants (Bio)
– Dissolved by sea water
(Hydro)
Biosphere
• Carbon Dioxide enters
the biosphere by:
– Photosynthesis of plants
(Atm)
– Photosynthesis of
phytoplankton, or tiny
water plants (Atm)
– Animals eating plants and
phytoplankton (Bio)
Biosphere
• Carbon Dioxide AND
Methane leaves the
biosphere by:
– Decomposition of
plants and animals
(Atm)
– Respiration (breathing
out) (Atm)
Hydrosphere
• Carbon Dioxide enters
the hydrosphere by:
– Dissolved by sea waves
(Atm)
– Decomposition of plants
and animals (Bio)
Hydrosphere
• Carbon Dioxide leaves
the hydrosphere by:
– Carbon compounds are
exchanged (Atm)
(geo)
Lithosphere
• Carbon Dioxide enters
the lithosphere by:
– Formation of fossil
fuels (Bio)
– Formation of Rocks like
limestone (Hydro)
Lithosphere
• Carbon Dioxide leaves
the lithosphere by:
– Burning of fossil fuels
(Atm)
– Volcanic Eruption
(Atm)
Brainstorm:
• List some places that carbon is stored.
• What processes cause carbon to move
from on reservoir to the other.
• Use this information to fill out the concept
map on the next slide
The Carbon Cycle Among Spheres
List examples under each sphere, and make an arrow for processes.
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Answer Key
Atmosphere
* Soot deposition onto
rock from dirty
power plants
• Volcanic
eruptions
• Burning of
fossil fuels
• Humans and animals breathing
• Fire
• Photosynthesis
of plants
• Burning of fossil fuels
• Dissolved
• Decomposition of
eruptions
• Photosynthesis
plants and animals
of phytoplankton
or tiny water
plants
• Formation of fossil fuels
Geosphere
Biosphere
* Formation of shells/coral
* Deposition of
sediment
* Minerals dissolving
into water supply
* Humans drink soda
• Released
from ocean
water
• Carbon
compounds
are broken
down
Hydrosphere
• Decomposition of
plants and
animals