Simple explanation of carbon cycle. Carbon cycle 2022-10-17

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The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is continuously circulated through the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land. It is a vital part of the planet's ecosystem and plays a key role in regulating the Earth's climate.

Carbon is a chemical element that is present in all living things. It is a building block for many of the molecules that make up the structure of plants, animals, and other organisms. Carbon can be found in several forms, including as a gas in the atmosphere, dissolved in the oceans, and stored in plants and animals.

The carbon cycle begins with the process of photosynthesis, which occurs in plants. During photosynthesis, plants use energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere into glucose, a simple sugar. The glucose is used by the plant as a source of energy and also serves as a building block for other molecules, such as cellulose and lignin, which make up the plant's cell walls and support structure.

As plants grow and mature, they take in CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in their cells. When plants die, their carbon is released back into the atmosphere through decomposition, a process in which microorganisms break down the plant matter into smaller molecules, releasing CO2 in the process.

The carbon cycle also involves the movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, and land. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be absorbed by the oceans, where it is converted into a form that can be used by marine organisms. These organisms, such as phytoplankton, use CO2 to build their own tissues and produce oxygen as a byproduct. When these organisms die, their carbon is either released back into the atmosphere or sinks to the bottom of the ocean, where it can be stored for long periods of time.

Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, can disrupt the carbon cycle by releasing large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. This can contribute to the greenhouse effect, in which the Earth's atmosphere traps more heat, leading to an increase in global temperatures.

In conclusion, the carbon cycle is a complex and vital process that plays a crucial role in the Earth's ecosystem and climate. It involves the movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, and land, and is essential for the growth and survival of plants and animals. Understanding the carbon cycle is important for helping to mitigate the effects of human activities on the planet and to address issues such as climate change.

Carbon Cycle Diagram

simple explanation of carbon cycle

Carbon Cycle Carbon cycle shows the movement of carbon in elemental and combined states on earth. Vegetation Plants store carbon as carbohydrates made from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Additionally, processes that include weathering and volcanism affect the carbon cycle over millions of years. Click the image on the left to open the Understanding Global Change Infographic. The role of decomposers is to eat the dead organism and return the carbon from their body back into the atmosphere. This is released in the form of Carbon dioxide. This return of carbon back into atmosphere as carbon dioxide is occurring at a rate that is hundreds to thousands of times faster than it took to bury it, and much faster than it can be removed by the carbon cycle for example, by weathering.

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Carbon cycle

simple explanation of carbon cycle

One can go on and on about the uses and benefits of this important element. Soil and organic matter Soil contains a lot of carbon in the form of dead plant material and in the many bacteria and other small organisms that live there. Also Read: Carbon Cycle on Land Carbon in the atmosphere is present in the form of carbon dioxide. The excess carbon from the short-term cycle is stored for a long time before they are released. And in addition, a number of other byproducts are also produced through inefficiencies in combustion like CO which are atmospheric pollutants.


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An Easy Explanation of the Carbon Cycle for Kids

simple explanation of carbon cycle

This makes the Earth warmer, causing global warming. The combustion of biomass during wildfires also release large amounts of carbon stored in plants back into the atmosphere. Before we come to the Carbon cycle, we have to understand why Carbon is so important in the first place. Carbon is a greenhouse gas, meaning it traps the heat from the Sun, and stops it from escaping into space. Acknowledgements: Dr Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research NIWA Phytoplankton and zooplankton images courtesy of NIWA Satellite image of phytoplankton bloom off East coast of NZ, by Jeff Schmaltz, courtesy of NASA and MODIS Rapid Response Team Sinking sediment When phytoplankton die, many sink and take their carbon calcium carbonate shells to form sediments at the bottom of the ocean. These accumulate on the seafloor and are eventually broken down by the waves and compacted under enormous pressure, forming limestone.

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Carbon Cycle

simple explanation of carbon cycle

The growing of crops and the raising of livestock also affects local productivity and biomass, and rates of photosynthesis, respiration, and decay of organic material. Fossil fuels are derived from the burial of photosynthetic organisms, including plants on land which primarily forms coal and plankton in the oceans which primarily forms oil and natural gas. These shells become buried. Furthermore, all known life on earth is based on carbon. Significance of Carbon Carbon is extremely important for the existence of almost all the organic and inorganic things present on the earth.

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Carbon cycle — Science Learning Hub

simple explanation of carbon cycle

Warming can increase these weathering reactions, but not at a rate that can offset the increase in carbon dioxide due to human activities. For example, the weathering of rocks removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon cycles through the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere via processes that include volcanism. Ergo, we would all perish! This is the process which breaks down Carbon dioxide into compounds that can be used as nutrition by the plants. Acknowledgements: Dr Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research NIWA Respiration Plants and animals release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through the process of respiration.

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simple explanation of carbon cycle

Scrub fire footage, courtesy Scion Photosynthesis Plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Acknowledgement: National Oceanic Atmospheric. Acknowledgement: The University of Waikato. When temperatures remain cold all year-round organic material decays very slowly, and it remains in the soil. These processes operate at various rates and on different spatial and temporal scales. Ecologically, oceans take in more carbon than it gives out. But the other thing that can happen is that, when they die, they can precipitate down into the deep ocean and when that happens because ocean circulation is so slow that carbon can be stored or sequestered in the ocean for a very long period of time.

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simple explanation of carbon cycle

But oceans exhibit dual behavior. Carbon Sources Carbon sources refers to all the elements — organic or inorganic, which release Carbon in some form into the atmosphere. Rock formation Sediments containing lots of calcium carbonate from shells can be turned into rock over millions of years. Some carbon trapped in the sediments forms gas and oil. Carbon atoms are then released as carbon dioxide when organisms respire. What is the carbon cycle? Acknowledgement: Terry and Janice Dowdeswell. Diamond and graphite are the elemental forms of carbon and in a combined state, it is found as carbonates in minerals and as carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere.

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simple explanation of carbon cycle

Other than these organisms, no other organisms can convert the energy obtained from the Sun into the nutrients required for their survival. When organisms with calcium carbonate shells die, their body decomposes, leaving behind their hard shells. When trees grow they take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and transfer it into their wood, leaves, bark and roots. Carbon is transferred between the ocean, atmosphere, soil, and living things over time scales of hours to centuries. The resulting eroded from the land to enter the ocean where they sink to the bottom.


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simple explanation of carbon cycle

The melting of permafrost, which is happening as global temperatures increase, releases methane. Ocean surface Exchange of carbon dioxide between the ocean and the atmosphere takes place at the surface. Acknowledgements: Dr Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research NIWA Phytoplankton Plants take up CO 2 — they essentially breathe it in and use it to build their physical structures — and phytoplankton are basically teeny tiny microscopic plants that live in the surface of the ocean, so essentially you have in the surface of the ocean these little tiny microscopic plants are taking carbon from the water and using it to build parts of their bodies. It can form millions of stable and diverse compounds, ranging from simple to extremely complex. As is clear from the discussion so far, there is a huge imbalance between the number of sources and sinks of Carbon, resulting in too much Carbon being released into the atmosphere but not being absorbed from it.

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