Carbon cycle simple explanation. An Easy Explanation of the Carbon Cycle for Kids 2022-10-16

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The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is exchanged between the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land, and living organisms. It is a critical component of the Earth's climate system, as it helps to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.

Carbon is constantly being exchanged between the atmosphere, oceans, and land through various processes. For example, plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis and convert it into organic matter. When animals consume plants or other organisms, the carbon is transferred from the plants to the animals. When animals respire or decompose, the carbon is returned to the atmosphere as CO2.

The oceans also play a role in the carbon cycle. They absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, and the carbon is then transferred to marine plants and animals through the process of photosynthesis. When these organisms die, the carbon is returned to the oceans in the form of organic matter. Some of this organic matter sinks to the ocean floor and is converted into fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas, over millions of years.

Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have a significant impact on the carbon cycle. The burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, leading to an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Deforestation also contributes to an increase in atmospheric CO2, as trees absorb CO2 as they grow and release it when they die or are burned.

Overall, the carbon cycle is a complex process that plays a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate. It is important to understand the carbon cycle and how human activities can affect it in order to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.

Climate Change: The Carbon Cycle

carbon cycle simple explanation

Each of these reservoirs holds more carbon than all of the other reservoirs combined. The same atoms are recycled over and over in different parts of the Earth. The excess CO2 in the atmosphere is responsible for the increased CO2 dissolving into the ocean, which we will discuss later in this section. The carbon cycle is easiest to understand in terms of its processes and the conversion of carbon that they undertake. In addition, remember that the land that used to house native vegetation is now home to agricultural lands. In this process, plants release Oxygen as a by product.


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Carbon cycle — Science Learning Hub

carbon cycle simple explanation

Acknowledgement: The University of Waikato. Carbon dioxide is released from the burning of fossil fuels to power farming equipment, from the mining of minerals and the making of fertilizer. The effects of historic events such as the Great Depression of 1929-1939, World Wars, the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the Kuwait oil fires of 1991 can be seen. Carbon, just like all other elements, cycles through the environment and is constantly in the process of changing forms and locations. The most common of these are the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Carbon is a greenhouse gas, meaning it traps the heat from the Sun, and stops it from escaping into space. When temperatures remain cold all year-round organic material decays very slowly, and it remains in the soil.

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Carbon cycle

carbon cycle simple explanation

Activity: Better understanding the carbon cycle To further review the carbon cycle, and better understand the human impacts on it, use this interactive graphic from Woods Hole laboratories: Table 7. The Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen is an element that is found in both the living portion of our planet and the inorganic parts of the Earth system. Now as the phytoplankton mature, there are a couple of different things that can happen. Before being released, the extra carbon from the short-term cycle is held for a long period. Compare the production of CO 2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion across world regions in 1900, 1950, and 2011 in Figure 7. Carbon moves through our planet over longer time scales as well. Impacts of slash and burn agriculture and biomass burning, a Slash and burn agriculture in Maaninka, Finland.

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Explain carbon cycle with the help of a diagram. [5 MARKS]

carbon cycle simple explanation

This is another example of how humans have impacted the carbon cycle. Process Carbon starts as Carbon ends as Photosynthesis Carbon dioxide Glucose Respiration Glucose Carbon dioxide Combustion burning Fuel eg methane or wood Carbon dioxide. Our main source of energy is the Sun. These glucose molecules are either converted into other substances or used to provide energy for the synthesis of other biologically important molecules. As a result, it acts as a blanket for the entire planet.

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Carbon Cycle

carbon cycle simple explanation

The exhaust gases of cars and trucks are major sources of nitrogen oxides, as are the emissions from electrical power generation plants. Photosynthesis accounts for 123 Gt of C per year that is removed from the atmosphere and stored in plant biomass. Remember that animals and other heterotrophs complete cellular respiration using the carbon molecules that they bring in through their food. This is also, in part, responsible for the increased terrestrial photosynthesis that can be observed, as additional CO2 is available to plants for photosynthesis. The chemical reaction for combustion is identical to the chemical reaction for cellular respiration.

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An Easy Explanation of the Carbon Cycle for Kids

carbon cycle simple explanation

Acknowledgement: Maria Minor and Alastair Robertson Massey University Carbon dioxide exchange There is a constant vigorous exchange that is going two ways between the ocean and the atmosphere. What are the similarities? Ocean surface Exchange of carbon dioxide between the ocean and the atmosphere takes place at the surface. This CO2 is in equilibrium with the CO2 in the air. It is an intrinsic part of life on Earth, and its importance cannot be undermined. In contrast, the residence time of carbon in the fossil pool is dramatically different. Approximately 80% of the molecules in Earth's atmosphere are made of two nitrogen atoms bonded together N 2. All emissions estimates from the Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2013.

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The carbon cycle

carbon cycle simple explanation

Remember, you are what you eat! Our body takes the carbon molecules contained in this biomass, and uses them, along with the oxygen we breathe in, for cellular respiration to create the adenosine triphosphate ATP we need for energy. This carbon from land, as well as carbon atoms in CO 2 absorbed by the ocean from the atmosphere, can become incorporated into calcium carbonate CaCO 3 shells made by algae, plants, and animals. It can form millions of stable and diverse compounds, ranging from simple to extremely complex. These shells become buried. The oceans, and other bodies of water, absorb some carbon from the atmosphere. When considering the flux of respiration, living organisms are the source of carbon, and the atmosphere is the sink. This makes the Earth warmer, causing global warming.

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Biogeochemical Cycles

carbon cycle simple explanation

This is particularly apparent when comparing the data for Western Europe to that of India and Southeast Asia. Carbon Sources Carbon sources refers to all the elements — organic or inorganic, which release Carbon in some form into the atmosphere. This is released in the form of Carbon dioxide. Thus, deforestation typically releases carbon dioxide, unless all the material is used for construction, or for paper products. As countries become more industrialized, their reliance on and combustion of fossil fuels tends to increase.

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