Carbon Cycle
Let's take a walk through the carbon cycle
The Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle is a cycle that transfers carbon throughout nature. There are six different major stops on the carbon cycle. There is the atmosphere, land plants, the soil, the surface ocean, the deep ocean, and marine life. Fossil fuels and other natural gases play a big part in the carbon cycle. Did you know that 5000 megatons of carbon are released into the atmosphere as fossil fuels are burned each year? The carbon levels have doubled in the last 150 years.
THE ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere holds 0.04% of the earth’s carbon. Carbon has increased by 30% in the last 150 years because of all of the pollution we cause by using fossil fuels. Carbon atoms connect to 2 oxygen atoms making a greenhouse gas called carbon dioxide. The more carbon in air the warmer the earth becomes. When carbon leaves the atmosphere it goes to the surface ocean or to land plants.
LAND PLANTS
After the carbon's journey from the atmosphere, it can end up in a plant to be used in a process called photosynthesis. Using the energy of the sun, plants make oxygen molecules. The more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, the faster plants will be able to grow.
SOIL
When a plant dies, the carbon in it is transferred to the soil. You are now part of a soil called detritus. The soil stores about 3% of the earth's carbon. As bacteria breaks down the detritus, carbon is sent back into the atmosphere.
SURFACE OCEAN
The ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the land does. The surface ocean alone takes in over 90 gigatons of carbon per year. The carbon cycle reaches the surface ocean three different ways. The first way is when the carbon diffuses out of the atmosphere. The second way is to leave the deep ocean, where it stays for hundreds of years. The third way is when marine life dies, and decomposes into the water.
DEEP OCEAN
The carbon atoms come from the surface oceans well some of them do. But also carbon atoms come decaying marine life. The deep ocean holds more than 65% of the earth's carbon. Carbon atoms end up staying there for over hundred and hundreds years. Fun fact the deep ocean holds more than 65% of the earth’s carbon.
MARINE LIFE
Carbon is important to marine life. But if there is too much carbon it can be harmful, but they also can’t live without it. It comes from a small marine organism called phytoplankton which goes through photosynthesis. When phytoplankton get eaten by larger animals, their carbon is transferred to the marine animals.
Where We Got Our Information
http://scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov/atmosphere-formation/
http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/carbon-dioxide.html
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis
www.geography4kids.com/files/cycles_carbon.html
http://www.soil-carbon-regeneration.co.uk/biochar/carbon-capture/http://arlohemphill.com/2011/03/25/fiji-adventure-july-2010/
http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/im-scared-of-the-deep-ocean.html
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/sea-life/images/7591159/title/marine-life-photo