Lecture 6

• Carbon in the lithosphere:

  • decomposes and emits CO2
  • burning of fossil fuels releases CO2
  • carbon stored in soil
• Atmosphere:

  • increase in carbon uptake due to pollution - increased emissions by burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, land-use
• Oceans:

  • increase in carbon uptake
  • reaching its limit of how much carbon it can absorb - seen by increased sea temperatures, ocean heat waves, coral bleaching
• Terrestrial biosphere:

  • increase in carbon uptake
  • not enough forests to act as carbon sinks e.g. amazon is more of a source than a sink
• 7 Potential tipping points:

  Land: Ice: Sea:

  • Amazon - Greenland - Atlantic circulation
  • Permafrost - Antarctica - Coral reefs
  • Boreal forest