How does carbon move from the ocean hydrosphere to the lithosphere and carbon is transferred back and forth between the atmosphere and the biosphere?
Carbon's Journey Between Ocean, Lithosphere, Atmosphere, and Biosphere:
The movement of carbon between these spheres involves various processes, some slow and some fast:
Ocean to Lithosphere:
- Sedimentation and Burial: Dead marine organisms (plankton, fish, etc.) sink and accumulate on the ocean floor. Over time, these layers get compressed and buried by rising sediments, eventually forming sedimentary rocks like limestone or shale. This can take millions of years.
- Hydrothermal Vents: At mid-ocean ridges, where tectonic plates diverge, seawater interacts with hot magma in Earth's crust. This interaction dissolves minerals and releases various elements, including dissolved carbon, which can precipitate and form mineral deposits on the ocean floor.
Lithosphere to Atmosphere:
- Weathering and Erosion: Rocks containing stored carbon (sedimentary rocks, coal, etc.) can be weathered by wind, rain, and other forces, releasing small particles. These particles can be transported by wind and rivers, and some eventually reach the atmosphere as dust or dissolved in seawater.
- Volcanic activity: When volcanoes erupt, they release hot gases and molten rock (magma). These may contain carbon-rich material like methane or carbonate minerals, which are released into the atmosphere upon eruption.
Atmosphere to Biosphere:
- Photosynthesis: Plants and other photosynthetic organisms absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and use it, along with sunlight and water, to create sugars and other organic molecules. This process fixes carbon into living biomass.
- Atmospheric deposition: Rainwater can absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, forming weak carbonic acid. This acid can dissolve minerals in rocks and soil, releasing nutrients and some carbon, which can then be taken up by plants.
Biosphere to Atmosphere:
- Respiration: All living organisms, including plants, animals, and even bacteria, respire. This process involves breaking down organic molecules to obtain energy, releasing CO2 back into the atmosphere as a waste product.
- Decomposition: When organisms die, their organic matter is decomposed by bacteria and fungi. This process also releases CO2 back into the atmosphere, along with other nutrients.
Factors Affecting Carbon Transfer:
- Temperature: Warmer temperatures generally accelerate most biological and chemical processes involved in carbon movement.
- Ocean circulation: Deep ocean currents play a crucial role in transporting and storing carbon. Changes in circulation patterns can affect how and where carbon is stored and released.
- Human activities: Activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation add significant amounts of carbon to the atmosphere, disrupting the natural cycle.
Understanding these pathways is crucial for studying climate change, ocean acidification, and other environmental issues, as changes in carbon balance can have significant consequences for Earth's ecosystems and global temperatures.
Two ways carbon can get from the ocean to the lithosphere is through the marine plants + animals (in the ocean) , sediments, petroleum then to the lithosphere. The second way is through the shells + coral (in the ocean), limestone, then to the lithosphere. As these shellfish die, their shells are discarded on the ocean floor. When tectonic plates overlap, these discarded shells and other calcium marine deposits are taken into the earth's crust in a process called subduction. This moves carbon into the lithosphere. Carbon is stored on our planet in the following major sinks (1) as organic molecules in living and dead organisms found in the biosphere; (2) as the gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; (3) as organic matter in soils; (4) in the lithosphere as fossil fuels and sedimentary rock deposits such as limestone, dolomite. Large quantities of carbon pass between the atmosphere and biosphere on short time-scales: the removal of atmospheric carbon occurs during photosynthesis, following the reaction CO2 + H2O = CH2O + O2, while most carbon leaves the biosphere through respiration. The carbon cycle is nature's way of reusing carbon atoms, which travel from the atmosphere into organisms in the Earth and then back into the atmosphere over and over again. Most carbon is stored in rocks and sediments, while the rest is stored in the ocean, atmosphere, and living organisms.From within the hydrosphere it is transferred in the form of carbonate minerals into the lithosphere through sedimentation. It is also transferred into the biosphere through incorporation by phytoplankton and shell-bearing animals, which also deposit carbonates into the lithosphere. Plants constantly exchange carbon with the atmosphere. Plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and much of this carbon dioxide is then stored in roots, permafrost, grasslands, and forests. Plants and the soil then release carbon dioxide when they decay.
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