Quote: "The carbon cycle is that part of the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of Earth."
The cycle of carbon through the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land.
Atmospheric Chemistry: The study of the chemical composition and physical characteristics of the Earth's atmosphere, including the role of carbon in the carbon cycle.
Photosynthesis: The biological process by which plants and other organisms convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy in the form of glucose and oxygen.
Respiration: The process by which living organisms use oxygen to convert glucose into energy, releasing carbon dioxide as a waste product.
Fossil Fuels: The fuels formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals, which contain high concentrations of carbon and are a major contributor to carbon emissions.
Oceanic Carbon Cycling: The movement of carbon through the world's oceans, including the role of marine life, chemical reactions, and ocean currents.
Soil Carbon Cycling: The movement of carbon through the soil, including the role of decomposition, respiration, and nutrient cycling.
Carbon Sequestration: The process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, either through natural or human-made means, to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Climate Change: The long-term changes in global temperature, weather patterns, and atmospheric conditions caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide.
Biogeochemistry: The study of the chemical, physical, and biological processes that govern the cycling of chemical elements through the Earth's ecosystems, including the carbon cycle.
Climate Feedbacks: The interactions between different components of the Earth's climate system, including the carbon cycle, that can either amplify or mitigate the effects of climate change.
Terrestrial Carbon Cycle: This refers to the exchange of carbon between the atmosphere, soil, and vegetation on land.
Oceanic Carbon Cycle: This involves the exchange of carbon dioxide between the ocean and the atmosphere, the biological pump where phytoplankton remove carbon dioxide from the water and convert it to organic matter, the dissolution of carbon dioxide in seawater, and the formation and dissolution of calcium carbonate.
Fossil Fuel Burning: This process involves the release of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas into the atmosphere.
Soil Carbon Cycle: This refers to the movement of carbon between soil and the atmosphere, where carbon is transferred from the atmosphere to the soil through plant roots, and released back into the atmosphere through microbial decomposition.
Volcanic Carbon Cycle: This involves the release of carbon dioxide from volcanic eruptions into the atmosphere, which adds to the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.
Tropical Carbon Cycle: This refers to the carbon storage and cycling in tropical forests and other forested areas.
Methane Cycle: This involves the production and consumption of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, by various biological and geological processes, including microbial decomposition, wetland formation, and volcanic activity.
Quote: "Other major biogeochemical cycles include the nitrogen cycle and the water cycle."
Quote: "Carbon is the main component of biological compounds as well as a major component of many minerals such as limestone."
Quote: "The carbon cycle comprises a sequence of events that are key to making Earth capable of sustaining life."
Quote: "It describes the movement of carbon as it is recycled and reused throughout the biosphere, as well as long-term processes of carbon sequestration (storage) to and release from carbon sinks."
Quote: "To describe the dynamics of the carbon cycle, a distinction can be made between the fast and slow carbon cycle."
Quote: "Fast carbon cycles can complete within years... Slow or geological cycles can take millions of years to complete."
Quote: "Human activities have disturbed the fast carbon cycle for many centuries by modifying land use, and moreover with the recent industrial-scale mining of fossil carbon."
Quote: "Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere had increased nearly 52% over pre-industrial levels by 2020."
Quote: "Forcing greater atmospheric and Earth surface heating by the Sun... fundamentally altering marine chemistry."
Quote: "The majority of fossil carbon has been extracted over just the past half century."
Quote: "Rates continue to rise rapidly, contributing to human-caused climate change."
Quote: "The increased carbon dioxide has also caused a reduction in the ocean's pH value."
Quote: "Modifying land use and industrial-scale mining of fossil carbon."
Quote: "Forcing greater atmospheric and Earth surface heating... fundamentally altering marine chemistry."
Quote: "Carbon sequestration (storage) to and release from carbon sinks."
Quote: "Moving substances through the Earth's crust between rocks, soil, ocean, and atmosphere."
Quote: "Moving substances from atmosphere to biosphere, then back to the atmosphere."
Quote: "Can take millions of years to complete."
Quote: "Coal, petroleum, and gas extraction, and cement manufacture."