GLOBE Carbon Cycle: The Carbon Cycle

University of New Hampshire: Jennifer Bourgeault, Rita Freuder, Lara Gengarelly, Mary Martin, Scott Ollinger, Sarah Sallade, Annette Schloss, Haley Wicklein

Czech Republic: Jana Albrechtova, Kateřina Čiháková, Zuzana Lhotakova, Barbora Semeráková, Premek Stych, Dana Votapkova  

GLOBE Program Office: Gary Randolph

Ask yourself this question: How do I interact with the Carbon Cycle?

I live in a house I drive a car I eat food

I wear clothes I breathe I cut my grass

I plant trees

If we want to understand anything about climate change we must learn about the most important atom –

NPR Video Episode 1 : It's All About Carbon

Episode 2

• The most abundant element in living things

• Accounts for 45-50% of the total mass of the biosphere.

• Also present in the Earth’s, atmosphere, soil, oceans, and crust

Carbon: A building block of life

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gasCarbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas

The Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect (continued)

Level of Certainty: 100%

Changing Atmospheric Conditions

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/

Annual IncreaseAnnual Increase

Changing Atmospheric Conditions

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/

Mauna Loa Hawaii CO2 Record

360362364366368370372374376

JanuaryMarch

MayJuly

SeptemberNovemberJanuary

MarchMayJuly

SeptemberNovemberJanuary

MarchMayJuly

SeptemberNovemberJanuary

MarchMayJuly

SeptemberNovemberJanuary

MarchMayJuly

September

Month

Atmospheric CO2 (ppm)

Annual Global Chlorophyll Concentration – NASA Earth animation

MODIS NDVI in Southern & Northern Hemisphere

Changing Atmospheric Conditions

January 1998

The Pulse of the Planet: Estimated Chlorophyll Concentration

SeaWiFS Satellite Data

July 1998

The Pulse of the Planet: Estimated Chlorophyll Concentration

SeaWiFS Satellite Data

Vostok Ice Core CO2 Record

420,000 years ago to the present

Atmospheric CO2 Over Geologic Time Scales

CO2 concentration (ppmv)

Atm

osp

heri

c C

O2 (

pp

m)

400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0

Years Before Present

Vostok Ice Core CO2 Record

420,000 years ago to the present

150

200

250

300

350

Barnola et al. 1999

Present (2011)

400

Ice Core Data

Mauna Loa Record

Inter-Glacial Maximum

Glacial Minimum

Atmospheric CO2 Over Geologic Time Scales

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

CO

2 C

on

ce

ntr

ati

on

(p

pm

v)

Projected (2100)

0100,000200,000300,000400,000

Current (2011)

Vostok Record

IPCC IS92a ScenarioLaw Dome Record

Mauna Loa Record

Vostok Record

Mauna Loa Record

IPCC IS92a Scenario

Projected Increases in CO2

Understanding the future of Understanding the future of atmospheric COatmospheric CO22 is Critical is Critical

Temperature Changes Mirror Changes in CO2

Video: How do we know? Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming

“Planet Earth Has Entered a NEW Era That Has No Historical

Precedent”Berrien Moore III Chairman International Global Biosphere ProgramDirector Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space

“The Earth’s Climate System is an Angry Beast and We are Poking it

with Sticks”Wallace Broeker Columbia University, Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory

Questions about the Carbon Cycle???

Mauna LoaMauna Loa