Name:
Earth 2: Activity 7
10/24/2023
The Global Carbon Cycle
1. a) (3 points) Use the following diagram of fluxes and reservoirs to fill in the
missing fluxes. All of the reservoirs are in steady state. The size of the atmospheric
CO2 reservoir is 760 Gton of C.
Ans) The deposition is 0.5, silicate and carbonate weathering is 0.03 and 0.17, and
volcanism is 0.03.
b) (3 points) Find the residence times of the ocean, marine sediments, and
sedimentary rocks reservoirs.
Ans)residence time of the ocean is 3500 years and 100-200 million years for marine
sediments and sedimentary rocks reservoirs.
Name:
2. Use your answers to 1b to answer the following questions. Remember that the
residence time of carbon in a reservoir impacts how quickly it can contribute CO 2
concentrations to the atmosphere which determine climate. If you were examining
a record of past climate change, you would expect that changes happening over
different timescales would be related to faster or slower residence times of different
carbon reservoirs connected to that atmosphere.
Ans) The ocean functions as a substantial carbon reservoir in the intermediate term,
characterized by a residence duration of around 3,500 years. This implies that the
carbon that is introduced into the seas will, on average, persist inside the oceanic
system for a significant period of time, spanning several millennia, before undergoing
a transfer to a different storage location. On the other hand, marine sediments and
sedimentary rocks serve as enduring repositories for carbon, exhibiting residence
periods that span from 100 to 200 million years. The presence of prolonged time
periods suggests that when carbon is stored in these sediments and rocks, it is
effectively withdrawn from the carbon cycle in the near term, hence impacting long-
term climate control.
a)
[2 points] You see a change in atmospheric CO2, and therefore climate, happening
over a timespan of about 500 years. Which reservoir is most likely responsible for
this climate swing? Explain your reasoning.
Ans) The ocean is the primary reservoir that is believed to be responsible for a
climatic oscillation occurring over a duration of around 500 years. With a residence
length of roughly 3,500 years, carbon in the ocean possesses the capacity to exert
an impact on alterations in atmospheric CO2 over relatively shorter timeframes,
such as 500 years. The ocean functions as a buffering agent by collecting and then
releasing carbon dioxide (CO2), hence playing a critical part in the carbon cycle
process over relatively short to medium time scales.
b)[2 points] You also see a change in atmospheric CO2 happening over a much
longer timescale of about 100 million years. Which reservoir is most likely
responsible for this climate swing? Explain your reasoning.
Ans) Over the course of about 100 million years, it is highly probable that the
primary reservoir accountable for the alteration in atmospheric carbon dioxide
(CO2) levels is the accumulation of marine sediments and sedimentary rocks.
Residence periods within this range, spanning from 100 to 200 million years,
position them as the prime contenders for exerting substantial influence on
long-term alterations in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. During
prolonged periods, several processes such as the deposition of organic carbon,
the creation of sedimentary rocks, and the gradual erosion of rocks assume
crucial functions in the sequestration or release of carbon dioxide (CO2), thus
influencing the Earth's climate on a global scale.
