the 3 main components of the carbon cycle

how is carbon held in the oceanic store?

- dissolved in oceanic waters - in tissues of ocean dwelling organisms

what are the 3 main components of the carbon cycle?

- terrestrial - oceanic - atmospheric

how long is methane's residence time in the atmosphere?

12 years

how much more powerful is methane than CO2?

23

how long is CO2's residence time in the atmosphere?

50 years

what 2 forms can atmospheric carbon take?

CO2 CH4

what are primary inputs/outputs of carbon to the oceans?

by gas exchange with the atmosphere

why is CO2 released back to the atmosphere from the terrestrial biosphere?

due to respiration of plants and animals and CO2 and methane released due to decomp of dead organic matter

what are almost all terrestrial ecosystems subject to?

intensive human impacts

due to methane being a reactive chemical what happens?

it is short-lived in the atmosphere

what have the potential to change the balance of carbon uptake and release in the terrestrial system?

land use change and other human activities

what are important long term stores of carbon?

ocean sediments (but only a small proportion of carbon is buried in these)

what is also a significant input of carbon into the oceans?

one of organic carbon and carbonate ions from continental runoff

what is the carbon flux with oceans controlled by?

physical, chemical and biological processes

what is CO2 in relation to methane?

relatively unreactive

due to the large size of the oceanic carbon what can happen?

small changes in carbon cycling can have significant global impacts

what is carbon cycled rapidly between in the terrestrial biosphere?

soil and vegetation and atmosphere (fast carbon cycle) - living systems

what is a significant carbon store?

the ocean

what are CO2 and CH4?

they are both GHGs but they interact with the atmosphere differently

how is CO2 usually removed from the atmosphere?

through interactions with terrestrial or oceanic carbon cycles (e.g. by photosynthesis or absorbed into surface waters)

what is the terrestrial component of the carbon cycle dominated by?

uptake of carbon dioxide from atmosphere by plant photosynthesis