Atmosphere
Description:
The atmosphere comprises all of the gases that surround our planet. The carbon in the atmosphere is generally in the form of carbon dioxide and methane gases. These are greenhouse gases, which help to maintain the temperature of the planet. Carbon Dioxide gas may also get dissolved into the rain drops and form a weak acid called carbonic acid.
The atmosphere comprises all of the gases that surround our planet. The carbon in the atmosphere is generally in the form of carbon dioxide and methane gases. These are greenhouse gases, which help to maintain the temperature of the planet. Carbon Dioxide gas may also get dissolved into the rain drops and form a weak acid called carbonic acid.
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Carbon Transfer Process Combustion
NET EFFECT: Carbon that was stored in chemicals is released to the atmosphere, mostly as CO2.
CARBON FLUX: 5 Billion metric tons / year added to the atmosphere
When carbon based biomass (such as wood or ethanol) and fossil fuels (i.e. oil, natural gas & oil) are burned (combusted), carbon and hydrogen in the fuel reacti with oxygen from the air to form CO2, water & heat. The CO2, water vapor, and other by-products are released to the air though smokestacks such as the ones at the coal-burning power plant as shown in the photo. The heat may be transformed into electricity and transported to people's homes and businesses for power, or may be transformed into mechanical energy in cars, trucks, or other vehicles. The net effect of the combustion of fossil fuels and other organic materials is to release CO2 in the atmosphere.
CARBON FLUX: 5 Billion metric tons / year added to the atmosphere
When carbon based biomass (such as wood or ethanol) and fossil fuels (i.e. oil, natural gas & oil) are burned (combusted), carbon and hydrogen in the fuel reacti with oxygen from the air to form CO2, water & heat. The CO2, water vapor, and other by-products are released to the air though smokestacks such as the ones at the coal-burning power plant as shown in the photo. The heat may be transformed into electricity and transported to people's homes and businesses for power, or may be transformed into mechanical energy in cars, trucks, or other vehicles. The net effect of the combustion of fossil fuels and other organic materials is to release CO2 in the atmosphere.
Carbon Transfer Process: Ocean / Atmosphere Diffusion
NET EFFECT: Variable; depends on the temperature of the ocean.
CARBON FLUX:
There is a limited amount of CO2 that can be dissolved in seawater. That amount depends on the temperature of the water.
Cold water can hold more CO2 than warm water, so cold seawater tends to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Warmer water has higher kinetic energy. This higher kinetic energy increases molecular motion which breaks intermolecular bonds and causes gases to escape from the solution. Therefore, warm seawater tends to release CO2 to the atmosphere. So the net effect of the oceans on atmospheric CO2 varies with the ocean temperature, as shown in the map.
Higher latitude oceans tend to remove more CO2 from the atmopshere than they release (although as the water warms, this balance can change), and tropical oceans tend to release more CO2 to the atmosphere than they take up.
CARBON FLUX:
- 92 Billion metric tons / year moves from the atmosphere to the ocean.
- 90 Billion metric tons / year moves from the ocean to the atmosphere.
There is a limited amount of CO2 that can be dissolved in seawater. That amount depends on the temperature of the water.
Cold water can hold more CO2 than warm water, so cold seawater tends to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Warmer water has higher kinetic energy. This higher kinetic energy increases molecular motion which breaks intermolecular bonds and causes gases to escape from the solution. Therefore, warm seawater tends to release CO2 to the atmosphere. So the net effect of the oceans on atmospheric CO2 varies with the ocean temperature, as shown in the map.
Higher latitude oceans tend to remove more CO2 from the atmopshere than they release (although as the water warms, this balance can change), and tropical oceans tend to release more CO2 to the atmosphere than they take up.
Carbon Transfer Process: Respiration and Decomposition
NET EFFECT: Carbon in plants and animals is released, mostly as CO2.
CARBON FLUX: 100 Billion Metric Tons / Year added to the atmosphere.
Respiration (the reverse of photosynthesis) involves the breakdown of sugar, using oxygen to obtain energy and building blocks to form new biomolecules. These reactions release CO2, water, and energy as products and by-products. Respiration occures in both plants and animals such as the dog in the photo.
Another important way that CO2 is added to the atmosphere is decomposition. When organisms decompose, they are consumed mostly by bacteria and fungi, and CO2 is released. The net effect of respiration and decomposition is that carbon stored in carboyhydrates within plants and animals is released to the atmosphere in the form of CO2. A generalized chemical equation for the process of respiration is:
CARBON FLUX: 100 Billion Metric Tons / Year added to the atmosphere.
Respiration (the reverse of photosynthesis) involves the breakdown of sugar, using oxygen to obtain energy and building blocks to form new biomolecules. These reactions release CO2, water, and energy as products and by-products. Respiration occures in both plants and animals such as the dog in the photo.
Another important way that CO2 is added to the atmosphere is decomposition. When organisms decompose, they are consumed mostly by bacteria and fungi, and CO2 is released. The net effect of respiration and decomposition is that carbon stored in carboyhydrates within plants and animals is released to the atmosphere in the form of CO2. A generalized chemical equation for the process of respiration is: