Simple explanation of carbon cycle. Carbon Cycle 2022-12-16

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The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is continuously circulated through the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land. It is a vital part of the planet's ecosystem and plays a key role in regulating the Earth's climate.

Carbon is a chemical element that is present in all living things. It is a building block for many of the molecules that make up the structure of plants, animals, and other organisms. Carbon can be found in several forms, including as a gas in the atmosphere, dissolved in the oceans, and stored in plants and animals.

The carbon cycle begins with the process of photosynthesis, which occurs in plants. During photosynthesis, plants use energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere into glucose, a simple sugar. The glucose is used by the plant as a source of energy and also serves as a building block for other molecules, such as cellulose and lignin, which make up the plant's cell walls and support structure.

As plants grow and mature, they take in CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in their cells. When plants die, their carbon is released back into the atmosphere through decomposition, a process in which microorganisms break down the plant matter into smaller molecules, releasing CO2 in the process.

The carbon cycle also involves the movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, and land. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be absorbed by the oceans, where it is converted into a form that can be used by marine organisms. These organisms, such as phytoplankton, use CO2 to build their own tissues and produce oxygen as a byproduct. When these organisms die, their carbon is either released back into the atmosphere or sinks to the bottom of the ocean, where it can be stored for long periods of time.

Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, can disrupt the carbon cycle by releasing large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. This can contribute to the greenhouse effect, in which the Earth's atmosphere traps more heat, leading to an increase in global temperatures.

In conclusion, the carbon cycle is a complex and vital process that plays a crucial role in the Earth's ecosystem and climate. It involves the movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, and land, and is essential for the growth and survival of plants and animals. Understanding the carbon cycle is important for helping to mitigate the effects of human activities on the planet and to address issues such as climate change.

Carbon Cycle

simple explanation of carbon cycle

Weathering and run-off Rain slowly dissolves minerals from rocks — a process called weathering. One of the most important carbon compounds in the atmosphere is carbon dioxide CO 2 , while in rocks carbon is major component of limestone, coal, oil and gas. Explanation of the Carbon Cycle The Carbon cycle implies the exchange of Carbon between the various organic and inorganic elements in the atmosphere and the biosphere. From proteins and lipids to even our DNA. As well as making nutrients available for living plants, this process also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When temperatures remain cold all year-round organic material decays very slowly, and it remains in the soil. The increasing temperatures also increase rates of decay, which further increases the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

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Carbon cycle — Science Learning Hub

simple explanation of carbon cycle

Furthermore, all known life on earth is based on carbon. As plants are eaten by herbivores and herbivores are eaten by carnivores, carbon moves up the food web. So, thanks to Carbon and the compounds that it forms, we are here to understand the Carbon cycle. For example, methane is produced from the digestion of plant material by cows, and from the bacteria that thrive in rice fields. Carbon is a greenhouse gas, meaning it traps the heat from the Sun, and stops it from escaping into space. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Carbon atoms are then released as carbon dioxide when organisms respire.


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Carbon cycle

simple explanation of carbon cycle

They use energy from the sun to combine the carbon dioxide and water to form carbohydrates. When organisms die and decay carbon also returns to the atmosphere, or is integrated into soil along with some of their waste. Hence, the carbon cycle, along with the nitrogen cycle and oxygen cycle, plays a vital role in the existence of life on earth. It can form millions of stable and diverse compounds, ranging from simple to extremely complex. Fossil fuels are derived from the burial of photosynthetic organisms, including plants on land which primarily forms coal and plankton in the oceans which primarily forms oil and natural gas.

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An Easy Explanation of the Carbon Cycle for Kids

simple explanation of carbon cycle

Carbon Sources Carbon sources refers to all the elements — organic or inorganic, which release Carbon in some form into the atmosphere. Locate the carbon cycle icon and identify other Earth system processes and phenomena that cause changes to, or are affected by, the cycling of carbon. But did you know, that other than plants, algae and a few types of bacteria, no other living organism can use sunlight directly as a source of energy? This return of carbon back into atmosphere as carbon dioxide is occurring at a rate that is hundreds to thousands of times faster than it took to bury it, and much faster than it can be removed by the carbon cycle for example, by weathering. Also Read: Carbon Cycle on Land Carbon in the atmosphere is present in the form of carbon dioxide. In this process, plants release Oxygen as a by product. This is the process which breaks down Carbon dioxide into compounds that can be used as nutrition by the plants.

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Carbon Cycle Diagram

simple explanation of carbon cycle

When organisms with calcium carbonate shells die, their body decomposes, leaving behind their hard shells. . Carbon is transferred between the ocean, atmosphere, soil, and living things over time scales of hours to centuries. Where does this energy come from? We all need energy to survive and do things. As is clear from the discussion so far, there is a huge imbalance between the number of sources and sinks of Carbon, resulting in too much Carbon being released into the atmosphere but not being absorbed from it.

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simple explanation of carbon cycle

Without this and other greenhouse gasses in small quantities , the Earth would freeze! Ocean sediments and the rocks they turn into contain huge amounts of carbon. Global Change Infographic The carbon cycle is an essential part of How the Earth System Works. Human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, has dramatically increased the exchange of carbon from the ground back into the atmosphere and oceans. Can you think of additional cause and effect relationships between the parts of the carbon cycle and other processes in the Earth system? Click the image on the left to open the Understanding Global Change Infographic. While buried, this carbon is removed from the carbon cycle for millions of years to hundreds of millions of years. One thing that can happen is they can be recycled back into the biological processes of the surface ocean — so maybe zooplankton eats them, maybe they die and they are returned to their component minerals by natural processes and that carbon is taken up by some other phytoplankton. This makes the Earth warmer, causing global warming.


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simple explanation of carbon cycle

Decay In the soil, decomposers such as microbes and soil animals break down dead plant material. Vegetation Plants store carbon as carbohydrates made from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is an intrinsic part of life on Earth, and its importance cannot be undermined. Â Also learn the various elements of the carbon cycle diagram. But the other thing that can happen is that, when they die, they can precipitate down into the deep ocean and when that happens because ocean circulation is so slow that carbon can be stored or sequestered in the ocean for a very long period of time. Additionally, processes that include weathering and volcanism affect the carbon cycle over millions of years.

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simple explanation of carbon cycle

Significance of Carbon Carbon is extremely important for the existence of almost all the organic and inorganic things present on the earth. Earth system model about the carbon cycle The Earth system model below includes some of the processes and phenomena related to the carbon cycle. Sediments and sedimentary rock The carbon cycle overlaps the rock cycle. So once the CO 2 goes into the ocean then that CO 2 forms carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate ion, and it means that the ocean can take up more CO 2, so at present, there is about 60 times as much carbon in the ocean as there is in the atmosphere. Some of these rocks will also be exposed at the surface of the Earth through mountain building and weathering, and the cycling begins again. Over millions of years these carbon-bearing rocks can be exposed to sufficient heat and pressure to melt, causing them to release their carbon back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide via volcanism. For example, the weathering of rocks removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.


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simple explanation of carbon cycle

One can go on and on about the uses and benefits of this important element. Rock formation Sediments containing lots of calcium carbonate from shells can be turned into rock over millions of years. These accumulate on the seafloor and are eventually broken down by the waves and compacted under enormous pressure, forming limestone. Importance of Carbon Cycle Even though carbon dioxide is found in small traces in the atmosphere, it plays a vital role in balancing the energy and traps the long-wave radiations from the sun. Burning fossil fuels In fossil fuels, the carbon is stored in long-chain hydrocarbons, and then through combustion with oxygen in our cars or in factories, the carbon is converted to CO 2, which is released to the atmosphere. But oceans exhibit dual behavior.

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simple explanation of carbon cycle

Carbon Cycle Carbon cycle shows the movement of carbon in elemental and combined states on earth. Some carbon trapped in the sediments forms gas and oil. These shells become buried. Acknowledgements: Dr Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research NIWA Respiration Plants and animals release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through the process of respiration. Atmosphere Carbon in the atmosphere is mostly in the form of carbon dioxide with some methane and hydrofluorocarbons. Diamond and graphite are the elemental forms of carbon and in a combined state, it is found as carbonates in minerals and as carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere.

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