Global Carbon Cycle

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Global Carbon Cycle

• A primer

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What is Carbon?

• Elemental Carbon is represented by the capital
  letter C

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C
CARBON
12.0107
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Carbon comes in many forms

• Charcoal

Anyone up for a barbeque?
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Graphite
Found in pencils, golf clubs, and nuclear reactors
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Diamonds
A girl and a guys best friend!
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Living plants store carbon through
Photosynthesis
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In the form of Carbohydrates such as sugars and
starches
Glucose
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How does the Biosphere cycle Carbon?
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What are some of the

• Sources of Carbon
• Atmosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Pedosphere
• Terrestrial Biosphere

• Reservoirs of Carbon
• Atmosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Lithosphere
• Pedosphere
• Terrestrial Biosphere

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Humans release to the atmosphere

• 7.1 trillion kilograms of Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
  per year. Which is
• 7,100,000,000,000.00 kilograms
• 7.1 billion metric tons
• 7.1 Giga ton of Carbon (GtC)

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• Earths Atmosphere accumulates 3.3 GtC
• Earths Hydrosphere absorbs 2.0 GtC (iron
  hypothesis)
• Earths Terrestrial Biosphere MAY be absorbing
  the other 1.8 GtC. This has yet to be proven.

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How has Anthropogenic (human influenced)
Processes Affected the Global Carbon Cycle?
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How does the future look?

• Sustainable use of forestry (the Lorax)
• In the Northeast United States, forests are
  regrowing
• Lowering greenhouse gas emissions (the Kyoto
  Protocol)
• Increased awareness and education