Carbon cycle transfers

• Main transfers in the carbon cycle

  • Photosynthesis
  • Respiration
  • Decomposition
  • Combustion
  • Bruial and compaction
  • Carbon sequestraion
  • weathering
• Photosynthesis - Living organisms convert Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere and Water from the soil, into Oxygen and Glucose using Light Energy. By removing CO ₂ from the atmosphere, plants are sequestering carbon (see below) and reducing the potential impacts of climate change.
• Respiration - Respiration occurs when plants and animals convert oxygen and glucose into energy which then produces the waste products of water and CO ₂. It is therefore chemically the opposite of photosynthesis
• Combustion - When fossil fuels and organic matter such as trees are burnt, they emit CO ₂ into the atmosphere, that was previously locked inside of them. This may occur when fossil fuels are burnt to produce energy, or if wildfires occur.
• Decomposition - When living organisms die, they are broken down by decomposers (such as bacteria and detritivores ) which respire, returning CO₂ into the atmosphere. Some organic matter is also returned to the soil where it is stored adding carbon matter to the soil.
• Weathering and Erosion - Rocks are eroded on land or broken down by carbonation weathering. Carbonation weathering occurs when CO ₂ in the air mixes with rainwater to create carbonic acid which aids erosion of rocks such as limestone . The carbon is moved through the water cycle and enters the oceans
• Burial and Compaction - When shelled marine organisms die, their shell fragments fall to the ocean floor and become compacted over time to form limestone. Organic matter from vegetation and decaying marine organisms is compacted over time, whether on land or in the sea, to form fossil fuel deposits.
• Carbon Sequestration - Transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to other stores and can be both natural and artificial. A plant sequesters carbon when it photosynthesises and stores the carbon in its mass. Factories are also starting to use carbon sequestration in the form of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) .