CARBON CYCLE & GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

CARBON CYCLE

• The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon moves from the atmosphere into the Earth and its organisms and then back again.
• Most carbon is stored in rocks and sediments, while the rest is stored in the ocean, atmosphere, and living organisms.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF CARBON CYCLE ?

• Carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide from respiration and combustion. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by producers to make glucose in photosynthesis. Animals feed on the plant passing the carbon compounds along the food chain.

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• The global carbon cycle is now usually divided into the following major reservoirs of carbon interconnected by pathways of exchange:
• The carbon exchanges between reservoirs occur as the result of various chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes. The ocean contains the largest active pool of carbon near the surface of the Earth. The natural flows of carbon between the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial ecosystems, and sediments are fairly balanced so that carbon levels would be roughly stable without human influence.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

• The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth's surface. When the Sun's energy reaches the Earth's atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases. ... The absorbed energy warms the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth.

What are the main greenhouse effects?

• Water vapor.
• Carbon dioxide.
• Methane.
• Ozone.
• Nitrous oxide.
• Chlorofluorocarbons.

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• Carbon in the Earth's atmosphere exists in two main forms: carbon dioxide and methane. Both of these gases absorb and retain heat in the atmosphere and are partially responsible for the greenhouse effect. Methane produces a larger greenhouse effect per volume as compared to carbon dioxide, but it exists in much lower concentrations and is more short-lived than carbon dioxide, making carbon dioxide the more important greenhouse gas of the two.

Why is the greenhouse effect important?

• Greenhouse gases keep our planet livable by holding onto some of Earth's heat energy so that it doesn't all escape into space. This heat trapping is known as the greenhouse effect. Just as too little greenhouse gas makes Earth too cold, too much greenhouse gas makes Earth too warm.

What is the impact of greenhouse effect?

• Human action, however, has increased the presence of these gases in the atmosphere — mainly, carbon dioxide and methane —, causing them to retain more heat and to increase the temperature on the planet. This is what we know as global warming.

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