The Carbon Cycle

Presented by: Shannon MarIliana SwickChris ButlerHelia Ansari

http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/earth_system/carbon_cycle_NASA.jpg

Carbon

• Carbon is the major chemical constituent of the majority of organic matter

• It is in:–Fossil Fuels–DNA–RNA

What is Organic Matter?

• Organic matter: is matter that has come from a once-living organism; is capable of decay, or the product of decay; or is composed of organic compounds.

How is it stored?• As organic molecules As organic molecules • As the gas carbon dioxideAs the gas carbon dioxide• As organic matter As organic matter • As fossil fuels and As fossil fuels and

sedimentary rockssedimentary rocks• As dissolved atmospheric As dissolved atmospheric

carbon dioxide and calcium carbon dioxide and calcium carbonated shellscarbonated shells

The Cycle Itself• Carbon Dioxide is absorbed

by several autotrophs and used to help them grow.

• Autotroph: organism that uses solar energy to manufacture the organic compounds it needs as nutrients from simple inorganic compounds obtained from its environment

The Cycle Continued…• Photosynthesis incorporates the

carbon atoms from carbon dioxide into sugars

• Photosynthesis: Complex process that takes place in cells of green plants. Radiant energy from the sun is used to combine carbon dioxide, and water to produce oxygen, carbohydrates, and other nutrient molecules

The Cycle Continued…

• Primary consumers eat the plants and use the carbon to build their own tissues

• Secondary consumers eat the primary consumers and use the carbon for their own needs

The Cycle continued…• The carbon is returned into the environment

when the animals breathe and dies, since carbon is returned to the soil during

decomposition• The carbon atoms in the soil are used for new plants• And repeat

Carbon cycle in the Ocean

• Enters water through diffusion• Converted into carbonate• Combined with Calcium to make calcium carbonate• Change to sedimentary rocks• Diffusion: to spread though out from an area

of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration

Carbon LevelsCarbon Levels• Over the last billions of years the quantity has been

steadily decreasing in the atmosphere• Higher levels help regulate the Earth’s Temperature• Due to the greater concentration of carbon dioxide the greenhouse effect has been enhanced

Carbon in the lithosphere

• 2 categories: organic and inorganic• Organic: litter, organic matter, human

substances in soils• Inorganic: fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural

gas), carbonated in sedimentary deposits like limestone

• Carbon dioxide can be released from the lithosphere by volcanoes

• Carbon has greatly increased since the Industrial Revolution

• Atmospheric levels have increased over 30%, from 275 ppm to 365 ppm

The Importance of Carbon in the Carbon Cycle: Biological

• Carbon (C) is the fourth most abundant element in the Universe 

• It’s the element that anchors all organic substances such as fossil fuels, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and DNA

The Importance of Carbon in the Carbon Cycle: Ecological

• The carbon cycle is based on carbon dioxide gas, which makes up .038% of the volume of the troposphere and is also dissolved in water.

Continued…• If the carbon cycle removes

too much carbon dioxide form the atmosphere, the atmosphere will cool. If it generates too much carbon dioxide it will warm.

• Human activites have increased the amount of carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere contributing to global warming.

Amounts of Carbon• The amount of carbon in the lithosphere: The amount of carbon in the lithosphere:

66 to 100 million gigatons.66 to 100 million gigatons.• Amount of carbon in the hydrosphere: Amount of carbon in the hydrosphere:

38,000 to 40,000 gigatons.38,000 to 40,000 gigatons. • Amount of carbon in the biosphere: 540 Amount of carbon in the biosphere: 540

to 610 gigatons.to 610 gigatons. • The amount of carbon in the atmosphere The amount of carbon in the atmosphere

has increased from 578 gigatons to about has increased from 578 gigatons to about 766 gigatons.766 gigatons.

Works Citied• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/

CarbonCycle/carbon_cycle4.html: 09/23/08 • http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/

CarbonCycle/carbon_cycle.html: 09/23/08• http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-

3408600217.html: 09/22/08• http://www.lenntech.com/carbon-cycle.htm:

09/22/08• http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/ctec/Carbon/

carboncycle.htm: 09/23/08