EQ1

• carbon reservoirs - any place where carbon is stored
• Carbon cycle - where carbon moves from one store to another . Closed system which is linked by subsystems
• Carbon flux - the process of transferring the carbon between carbon reservoirs for example respiration and photosynthesis
• Terrestrial - living or growing on land
• The carbon cycle occurs in 5 key steps . Photosynthesis , respiration , decomposition, ocean uptake and combustion
• Decomposition - describes the breakdown of dead or organic matter by detritivores and decomposers
• Photosynthesis - the taking in of CO2 and the use of light energy to make glucose
• Respiration - the release of CO2 into the atmosphere by living organisms
• the carbon cycle is describe as the flow of carbon in terms of carbon reservoirs and carbon fluxes . it occurs in 4 key processes , one of these being respiration which is the process of CO2 being released into the atmosphere via all living organisms , this CO2 can also be taken up via photosynthesising organisms which are known to be carbon sinks , some of these organisms will eventually die and therefore decomposition will occur via detritivores or decomposers
• in seconds to minutes plants photosynthesise and respire taking CO2 in and releasing oxygen
• between 10-500 years carbon from dead plant material is incorporated into soils which can take centuries to build up hummus in addition to this some decomposing microorganisms also release CO2 into the atmosphere
• million of years - organic matter is buried deep in sediments slowly forming coal oil and gas
• carbon sequestration - the process involved in carbon capture and the long term storage of atmoshpheric CO2
• inorganic carbon - carbon found in the form of other elements such as HCO3
• deep ocean sediments - a carbon reservoir that is rich in calcium carbonate , sediments accumulate over time . occurs at the bottom of oceans , 150 gigatons of carbon
• Rock cycle - process that allows for the transformation of sediments to rock , lithification occurs , sedimentation occurs from dead plankton .
• soil organic carbon - a carbon reservoir that allows soil organic carbon to be made from animal and plant material , high levels of microbial activity. wind and water erode soil agricultural processes do the same . 1600 gigatons of carbon
• sedimentary rocks - a carbon reservoir . carbon is found inorganically in the rock as seen by large amounts of calcium carbonate , shells of phytoplankton and high temperature and pressure which allow for production of hydrocarbons
• plants - plants photosynthesise and plants respire carbon and can be stored for months can contain 600 gigatons of carbon
• decomposition - a process undergone by saprotrophic organisms and detritivores , they respire CO2
• deep ocean currents - formed by sinking and rising water , cold water become heavier and sinks , a great number of dissolved carbon . 38,000 gigatons of carbon
• shellfish and corals - carbon reservoir where creatures can absorb calcium and carbonate ions to form crystals , carbon can be stored for months -years
• coal , oil and gas - a carbon reservoir - when burned releases CO2 , made almost 300 million years ago
• physical weathering - caused by physical changes in temperatures such as freezing , thawing (freeze-thaw , thermal expansion )
• chemical weathering - alters the chemical composition of rocks through interaction ( acid rain and carbonation )
• acid rain - CO2 in the atmosphere dissolves in water in the clouds rainwater is therefore more acidic
• carbonation - mixing of water with CO2 to make carbonic acid
• outgassing - the release of CO2 in the atmosphere . (from volcanic eruptions )
• volcanic activity releasing CO2 - carbon is stored deep in sedimentary rocks such as limestone both metamorphism and subduction allows the release of CO2 .

  metamorphism - when a rocks appearance and structure changes due to intense heat and pressure .

  subduction - when rocks are forced down into the mantle usually occurs at a destructive plate boundary and oceanic crust is forced under it . this forces CO2 in the magma to be released
• Due to Industrial Revolution the burning of fossil fuels was a widespread practice which was the beginning of this wave of a large amount of CO2 in the atmosphere via anthropogenic ways
• ocean acidification has increased by 30% since 1950s as a result of increased carbonic acid in the atmosphere
• some scientists believe we have reached or exceeded the tipping point for levels of CO2 in the atmosphere
• lithification - the process by which sediments compact under high pressures and gradually become solid rock
• carbon reservoir examples - earths crust , oceans and atmosphere
• lithosphere - 4000 gigs tons of carbon , oceans - 38,000 gigatons of carbon atmoshere - 750 gigatons of carbon
• relatively small size of atmosphere as a carbon reservoir makes it more susceptible to disruptions compared to reservoirs such as the earths crust
• Sequester - the natural storage of carbon by physical or biological processes such as photosynthesis
• accumulation - the gradual gathering of something
• thermohaline circulation - the global system of surface nd deep ocean currents is driven by temperature and salinity
• phytoplankton - the producer for the aquatic food web that feeds everything from zooplankton to whales