E N D
This material is based on work supported by an Environmental Literacy Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Education (NA0909SEC4690009) and prior work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants ANT-0342484 and ESI-0632175. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NOAA or the NSF. Carbon Journey ELF Activity: Energy 1C http://andrill.org/education/elf_activities_1C.html As part of NOAA Environmental Literacy Grant #NA09SEC490009 to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's, ANDRILL Science Management Office.
Image: Smithsonian Museum Image: Mineral Information Institute Carbon in its elemental form as graphite, familiar in most pencils. Carbon in its elemental form as a diamond.
Image: www.noaa.gov Carbon as a gas compound: carbon dioxide, CO2. Image: www.mii.org Carbon as an element in a solid compound. This is the mineral calcium carbonate, or limestone, CaCO3. Image: www.mii.org Carbon as an element in a solid compound: coal.
The Carbon Cycle The movement of carbon through Earth’s systems is influenced by many geological, biological and physical processes. Atmosphere Here you see the larger reservoirs: atmosphere, oceans, fossil fuels, the land, and the biosphere. Terrestrial Biosphere Fossil Fuels Oceans Image: www.noaa.gov
Carbon Sinks and Reservoirs Images: www.noaa.gov Photosynthesis is a process where plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and using the energy from the sun, create sugars, proteins and other solid carbon-based compounds within the structure of the plants.
Carbon Sinks and Reservoirs www.noaa.gov Shells formed by marine animals remove carbon from the atmosphere and the ocean.
Carbon Sinks and Reservoirs Images: www.nasa.gov Some of the single-celled organisms which absorb dissolved carbon dioxide from the oceans. Satellite image showing chlorophyll blooms in the oceans. These blooms indicate large amounts of single-celled organisms undergoing photosynthesis.
Carbon Sinks and Reservoirs www.noaa.gov Sediments being formed at the bottom of the ocean. These sediments play an important role in long term carbon storage. Sediment cores from the ocean floor showing another‘sink’ where carbon is stored.
Carbon Source Fires take solid carbon stored in trees and shrubs and return it to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. www.noaa.gov The burning of fossil fuels to produce heat and electricity return large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. www.noaa.gov Volcanoes release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere. www.epa.gov
Carbon Source Another source of carbon dioxide is the decomposition of organic material which returns large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. www.forestryimages.org www.andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu
The carbon cycle has been going on throughout the history of the Earth. www.noaa.gov
The carbon cycle has been going on throughout the history of the Earth. Image: UNEP/GRID-Arendalhttp://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/carbon-cycle_9d44#
This material is based on work supported by an Environmental Literacy Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Education (NA09SEC4690009) and prior work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants ANT-0342484 and ESI-0632175. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the National Science Foundation. http://andrill.org/education/elf/activities