The+Carbon+Cycle

= The Carbon Cycle and its Effect on Climate Change =  Ryan Schoeplein & Josh Wright Chemistry A, Period A

2. Human Influence 3. Importance of the Carbon Cycle 4. Chemistry Involved in the Carbon Cycle a. Chemistry in Fossilization b. Carbon Cycle Chemistry in an Animal c. Carbon Cycle Chemistry in a Plant 5. Related Wikispaces 6. Bibliography **
 * TABLE OF CONTENTS** **1. Summary

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====**SUMMARY ** Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe, and is the building block of life on earth. On earth, carbon circulates through the land, ocean, and atmosphere, creating what is known as the "Carbon Cycle." This global carbon cycle can be divided further into two separate cycles: the geological carbon cycles takes place over millions of years, whereas the biological or physical carbon cycle takes place from days to thousands of years. In a nonliving environment, carbon can exist as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbonate rocks, coal, petroleum, natural gas, and dead organic matter. Plants and algae convert carbon dioxide to organic matter through the process of photosynthesis, the energy of light.==== ==== ====

**HUMAN INFLUENCE **
====Humans are an interruption in carbon's natural cycle. This means that when plants release carbon into the atmosphere, it //should// be balanced at the same rate by plant growth (photosynthesis). Humans extract fossil fuels from the earth and burn them which releases the carbon stored in the fuels into the atmosphere. This causes the atmosphere to have more carbon than it should, and the ground to have less carbon. This burning of fossil fuels is a one-way exchange between land and atmosphere. This means that when we burn off these fuels, we never get the carbon back. Because of this, humans are making a negative impact on their environment, specifically the atmosphere. Other land uses by humans that also affect the carbon cycle include deforestation, reforestation, and agriculture. ====

====**IMPORTANCE OF THE CARBON CYCLE** ==== ====The carbon cycle is a very important process in climate change. If one aspect of the cycle is disrupted in any way, all other ecosystems will be affected in return. For example, when humans extract fossil fuels from the ground at a rate faster than the natural carbon cycle should go; too much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere as a result of the burning fuels. This excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere insulates the planet and gradually affects the climate. If nothing is done to slow down or stop the process, the carbon cycle will continue to be altered, and all species living on the planet will have to adapt to the new climate, including humans. ====

==== **BASIC CHEMISTRY INVOLVED** ==== ====A lot of chemistry is involved in the carbon cycle as the carbon in the environment is transferred from different plants and animals, in many different forms; Carbon "starts out" its cycle in the ground usually from decomposed plants and animals. The carbon is then taken out of the ground either by human extraction, plant extraction, or the carbon leaking into the ocean or lava and being brought to the surface by volcanoes and fish. From there, most carbon is returned back into the ground when plants or animals die and decompose. However, some carbon is released into the atmosphere from gases given off by decomposing life, as well as carbon dioxide from both animals breathing and the burning of fossil fuels. Then, the carbon is absorbed by plants, and the cycle repeats. Some of the Carbon on the planet is stored equally between plants, the atmosphere and "detritus", or ancient fossilized animals and plants that make up fuels such as oil and coal. There is also Carbon Stored in marine plants such as algae and bacteria, however most of the Earths Carbon is stored in the seabeds of the earth, because of the trillions of plants and animals that die each year in the ocean, and then sink to the bottom and decompose over millions of years to form fossil fuels.====

[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/Priscacara-liops.jpg width="228" height="155" align="right"]]
====A large part of the carbon cycle is the fossilization of living things which gradually decompose into detritus, or fossil fuels. Fossilization happens when a deceased animal or plant is covered in sediment to prevent things such as rotting and decaying from happening. As the decomposed object is slowly packed by the sediment on top of it, a variety of strong minerals take the place of the old object, and are packed together to form a stone like replica of the long deceased animal's skeleton. This process takes millions of years however, and is usually rare because if remains of an organism are not covered with sediment quickly, then the corpse will decay, rot, and eventually turn to dust.====

(To the Right, a Fossilized fish)

====<span style="color: rgb(0, 21, 255);">**FACTS ABOUT THE CARBON CYCLE** (used from "Chemistry Chapter 4: Tutorials [link in bibliography])====

====**<span style="color: rgb(0, 38, 255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">CARBON CYCLE CHEMISTRY IN AN ANIMAL AND IN THE COMBUSTION OF FOSSIL FUELS **==== ====In its metabolism of food, and respiration, an animal consumes glucose (C6H12O6) which combines with oxygen (O2) upon breathing. This reaction produces carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and energy which is given off as heat. The animal has no need for the carbon dioxide and releases it into the atmosphere.====

<span style="color: rgb(0, 38, 255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**CARBON CYCLE CHEMISTRY IN A PLANT**
====On the contrary, a plant, through photosynthesis, does the opposite of an animal. It intakes carbon dioxide, water, and energy from sunlight to make its own glucose and oxygen gas. The glucose is used for chemical energy which the plant metabolizes in a similar way to an animal. The plant then emits the remaining oxygen into the environment.====

<span style="color: rgb(21, 31, 239);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 14, 255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 14, 255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">RELATED WIKISPACES: **

[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Carbon_sequestration.jpg align="left"]]<span style="color: rgb(0, 20, 255);">Carbon Sequestration (Chemistry):
====The carbon cycle heavily relates to The Chemistry of Carbon Sequestration because global warming is creating an unbalanced state for the cycle. Carbon is rapidly released into the atmosphere as humans burn fossil fuels to power most machinery. The cycle is disrupted due to the scarcity of carbon in the ground and the extra carbon in the atmosphere. This causes the earth to heat up as more heat is trapped by the atmosphere. The process of carbon sequestration helps to prevent the warming of the planet by extracting carbon from the air, and storing it in safe places such as porous rock formations underground. This process counteracts the actions taken by humans adding unnecessary carbon into the air. If carbon sequestration continues, this should slow down or stop the gradual heating of the planet altogether.====


 * (the diagram to the left shows a rough outline of how carbon sequestration works)**


 * [[image:http://www.treehugger.com/20090220-carbon-capture-storage-diagram.jpg width="494" height="410" align="right"]]

<span style="color: rgb(0, 21, 255);">The Deep Oceans and Carbon Storage (Oceanography):
====Deep Ocean Storage of CO2 also relates to the Carbon Cycle because it is yet another way to impede global warming by removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in a place where it will have little or no effect on Earth's climate. In this case, that place is the ocean. Scientists plan to drill holes in the ocean floor sediment where they would inject Carbon Dioxide. The CO2 would remain on the ocean floor, because of its density, and would gradually spread across the ocean, so that there were no extra high concentrations of it in certain areas that could harm the ecosystem. This would affect the Carbon Cycle because not only would it remove CO2 from the atmosphere and balance out the ratios in the Carbon Cycle, but it would increase the amount of Carbon in the deep sea environment, which may offset the Carbon Cycle in some way, or perhaps, despite the scientists predictions, harm the wildlife in the underwater ecosystem.====

**(the diagram to the right shows the process in which Carbon Dioxide is pumped into the deep ocean via drill or rig)**
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**4.** __Carbon Cycle.__ 10 Nov. 2004. Wheeling Jesuit University. 16 Jan. 2009 []__.__
====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**5.** "Chemistry : Chapter 4 : Tutorials." __Welcome to W.W. Norton & Company__. 06 Apr. 2009 <http://www.wwnorton.com/COLLEGE/chemistry/gilbert/tutorials/ch4.htm>.====

**6.** "Chemistry - Fossil." __Chemistry Daily - Articles on every chemistry topic__. 06 Apr. 2009 <http://www.chemistrydaily.com/chemistry/Fossil>.
====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**7.** "Global Carbon Cycle." __The Global Carbon Cycle__. University of Waterloo. 19 Jan. 2009 <[|http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/applychem/ccycle.html]>. ==== ====**8.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__"Guide to Climate Change."__ Guide to Climate Change. BBC. 12 Jan. 2009 [] ====

**10.** "Science Archives :." __TreeHugger__. 06 Apr. 2009 <http://www.treehugger.com/science_technology/science/>.
====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**11.** **PRINT SOURCE:** ROBERT C. COWEN. (1989, October 8). Volume of CO2 Caused by Forest Loss Poses a Puzzle :[Bulldog Edition]. Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext), p. 3. Retrieved April 5, 2009, from Los Angeles Times database. (Document ID: 66566956). [Video retrieved from []]====