The Carbon Cycle The carbon cycle on Earth can be described

Last updated: 5/18/2023

The Carbon Cycle The carbon cycle on Earth can be described in terms of both fast and slow processes The fast carbon cycle moves millions of tons of carbon through life forms on Earth each year Plants and phytoplankton play a major role in the fast carbon cycle because they use carbon from the atmosphere to create food for themselves and other organisms on the planet Living organisms then release most of this carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere MEDIUM Carbon and the Ocean The slow carbon cycle may also involve living organisms or organisms that were once living but it generally Involves Earth s natural processes over a period of 100 200 million years For instance during certain time periods as carbon dioxide levels rise global temperatures rise as well leading to increased rainfall An increase in rainfall dissolves more rock and creates lons which deposit more carbon into the ocean floor when they are washed into Earth s oceans Without human interference the rate at which the oceans vent carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is balanced with the amount of carbon the ocean receives The image shows the movement of carbon in gigatons between the atmosphere hydrosphere geosphere and biosphere 120 3 Photosynthesis Solicarbon 2 300 Stored Carbon Plant Human respiration emissions Priant biomass 4550 Aticrobial respiration and decomposition Fossil carbon 10 000 Natural Rus 90 2 Phytoplankton photosynthesis Human Contributions Ocean sediments Air sea gas exchange 50 2 surface of th 69091 Respiration and decomposition Deep ocean 37 000 Reactive sediments 6 000 Multiple Choice DIRECTIONS Choose the best answer 1 Which TWO 2 ways does carbon directly enter the atmosphere Select TWO 2 of the following answer options a human emissions b creation of ocean sediments e chemical weathering of rock d photosynthesis from organism e respiration from organisms 2 How do plants most affect global temperature a Plants capture carbon dioxide and store carbon from the atmosphere keeping global temperatures stable b Plants release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through respiration causing temperatures to decrease c Plants that are consumed remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere keeping Global temperature stable d Plants decompose and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere causing global temperatures to increase 3 Based on the information in the passage how are humans affecting carbon storage a They are moving carbon from the last cycle to the slow cycle leading to an increase in the storage of carbon in Earth s blosphere and geosphere b They are removing carbon from the slow cycle to the fast cycle leading to an increase in the storage of carbon in Earth s atmosphere and hydrosphere c They are moving carbon from the flow cycle to the cycle leading to an increase in the stores of carbon in Earth s biosphere and geosphere d They are moving carbon from the fast cycle to the slow cycle leading to an increase in the storage of carbon in Earth s atmosphere and hydrosphere