The Carbon Cycle & The Carbon Silicate Cycle

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The Carbon Cycle The Carbon Silicate Cycle

• Courtesy,
• Jesse and Sarah T.
• (Just pure awesome)

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Lets start with the Carbon Cycle
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Forms of carbon

• .038 of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide
• In the ocean there is carbonate, bicarbonate, and
  other forms of dissolved inorganic carbon
• Carbon dioxide is also in sedimentary rock such
  as limestone

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The Definition (Get ready for this one)

• The Carbon Cycle is the global circulation of
  carbon from the environment to living organisms
  and back to the environment
• Lets break this up into 3 simple steps

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Step 1

• During photosynthesis, plants, algae, and certain
  kinds of bacteria remove carbon dioxide from the
  air and fix (or incorporate) it into chemical
  compounds like sugar

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Step 2

• The compounds formed through Photosynthesis are
  used by the producers or the consumers that eat
  the producers for cellular resparation

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Step 3

• Decomposers break down other organisms and
  through cellular respiration return carbon
  dioxide back to the atmosphere

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Fossil Fuel

• Coal, natural gas, and oil formed from remains of
  ancient organisms, are vast deposits of carbon
  compounds (Id say these items are quite useful
  in todays age)
• The carbon is returned to the atmosphere when the
  fuels are burned (very green, wouldnt you say?)

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Heres a Nifty Picture!
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Now we can move onThe Carbon Silicate Cycle
What is it?

• The Carbon Silicate Cycle is when the Carbon
  Cycle interacts with the Silicate Cycle over
  millions years

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How does it start?

• Chemical weathering processes
• Atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves in rain
  water (yum) forming carbonic acid (dont eat
  that). As this weak acid moves through the soil,
  it dissociates to create hydrogen ions and
  bicarbonate ions
• When hydrogen ions enter silicate rich minerals
  such as feldspar, they interact and release
  calcium ions

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What Happens Next, You Ask?

• The calcium and bicarbonate ions eventually reach
  the ocean (I like the ocean, dont you?)
• Then, microscopic marine life use them to make
  their shell
• When the marine organisms die (poor snails) their
  shells sink to the ocean floor, are covered by
  sediment, and then form very thick carbonate
  deposits

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Final Product (its about time)

• Eventually, the deposits form sedimentary rock,
  such as limestone (People have used this to build
  for thousands of years!)
• Sometimes, (lifameem in Hebrew), this rock at the
  bottom of the ocean will be lifted that is why
  the summit of Mount Everest is made of
  sedimentary rock (who knew!?)

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And it Continues (contain your excitement)

• Once the sedimentary rock is exposed, chemical
  weathering process returns carbon dioxide to the
  atmosphere and water
• The cycle begins anew, so lets go over it again
  (jokes)

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We Just Love Pictures
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We Hoped You Learned Something New! ( while
being mildly entertained, of course)