Carbon CyclingCarbon Cycling

• Conservation of MassConservation of Mass

• Energy Flow and TransformationEnergy Flow and Transformation

• Human InteractionsHuman Interactions

• Earth System ScienceEarth System Science

CarbonCarbon

• Fourth most Fourth most abundant element abundant element in the universein the universe

• Basis for lifeBasis for life

• 4 bonds4 bonds

• Forms complex Forms complex moleculesmolecules

• Gaseous formGaseous form

Buckminster Fullerene

Megaphone

Bastadin-5Moronic Acid

Images removed due to copyright restrictions.

PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis

• Where does the mass of Where does the mass of a tree come from?a tree come from?

• COCO22 + H + H22OOCHCH22O + OO + O2 2

Images removed due to copyright restrictions.

Global Carbon Cycle

Greenhouse Gas. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2010, from http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/global-carbon-cycle.html

Global ProductivityGlobal Productivity

Image courtesy of NASA

Productivity

Figure by UMB OpenCourseWare

Primary Producers

RespirationRespiration

• Mitochondria, bacteria, fires, Mitochondria, bacteria, fires, combustion enginescombustion engines

• OO22 + CH + CH22OOCOCO22 + H + H22OO

• Fossil Fuels burned at 20,000 times Fossil Fuels burned at 20,000 times natural rates of oxidationnatural rates of oxidation

Decomposition

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Global Carbon Cycle

Greenhouse Gas. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2010, from http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/global-carbon-cycle.html

CO2 Emissions

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Atmospheric Measurements

““Missing Sink” of Atmospheric Missing Sink” of Atmospheric CO2CO2(in Gigatons Carbon—10(in Gigatons Carbon—1015gmC)gmC)• Fossil Fuel BurningFossil Fuel Burning =6.0+/- 0.5=6.0+/- 0.5

• DeforestationDeforestation =0.9+/-0.7=0.9+/-0.7

• Atmospheric Increase Atmospheric Increase =3.2+/-0.1=3.2+/-0.1

• Oceanic UptakeOceanic Uptake =2.0 +/-0.8=2.0 +/-0.8

• ““Missing Sink”Missing Sink” =1.7 +/1.2=1.7 +/1.2

Mass BalanceMass Balance

• Total mass is always conservedTotal mass is always conserved

• Each element is also conserved in a Each element is also conserved in a closed systemclosed system

• Can you design a closed system that Can you design a closed system that is sustainable indefinitely?is sustainable indefinitely?

• Eco-sphere.comEco-sphere.com

Cycles are linkedCycles are linked

• COCO22 + H + H22OO CH CH22O + OO + O22

• Carbon goes upCarbon goes up

• Oxygen goes downOxygen goes down

Images removed due to copyright restrictions.

Biosphere 2Biosphere 2

• http://http://www.b2sciencwww.b2science.org/e.org/

• 7 people, O2 7 people, O2 began to dropbegan to drop

• Why?Why?

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NewsNews

• http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/09/23/http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/09/23/artificial_noses_have_the_scent_of_promise/artificial_noses_have_the_scent_of_promise/

• http://online.wsj.com/article/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203440104574406681308037234.htmSB10001424052970203440104574406681308037234.htmll

• http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090921/sc_nm/http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090921/sc_nm/us_usa_giantsquidus_usa_giantsquid

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8266500.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8266500.stm• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8267686.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8267686.stm• http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2009/09/23/http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2009/09/23/

at_un_summit_obama_promises_action_on_climate/at_un_summit_obama_promises_action_on_climate/