GEOG 1972 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Crich, Economic Collapse, 2Degrees
Document Summary
Human transformation of the carbon cycle and carbon as a natural object (chapter) In almost all cases, there is always flux going both ways. The earth is naturally absorbing some carbon at all times. Change the effect of the flux of carbon on the planet. Right now the oceans out a sink, but suggestions that the net will soon be more going out than in. The main storages of carbon in earth systems: Gaseous in atmosphere and in solution in oceans (key is co2 in air) Fixed in sedimentary layers (e. g. , limestone, coal, etc. ) in lithosphere. Absorption by oceans (and storage in deep, cold ocean water) Fixed into the bodies/shells of ocean organism (like phytoplankton, which can photosynthesize) and then fall to the ocean floor and slowly become sedimentary layers in the solid earth. From biosphere, oceans, solid earth to atmosphere: Respiration (vegetation releasing carbon as it grows) Outgassi(cid:374)g (cid:894)vol(cid:272)a(cid:374)oes, a(cid:374)d other gases seepi(cid:374)g out of the earth"s (cid:272)rust(cid:895)
