CARBON CYCLE

SLIDE 2
 Carbon cycle is a biogeochemical cycle in which carbon compounds are interconverted in
the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into the living tissues by
photosynthesis and its return to the environment through respiration the decay of dead
organism and burning of fossil fuels
Carbon Dioxide is a greenhouse gas and traps heat in the atmosphere. Without it
and other greenhouse gases, Earth would be a frozen world. But humans have
burned so much so fuel that there is about 30% more carbon dioxide in the air
today than there was 150 years ago. More greenhouse gases such as Carbon
Dioxide in our atmosphere are causing our planet top become warmer.
This concept was initially discovered by scientists Joseph Priestley and Antoine
Lavoisier, who studied how carbon dioxide is produced and utilized by living
things. Later, Humphry Davy helped to make the idea more widely known and
understood.
Explained: Humphry Davy helped lay the foundation for understanding
the carbon cycle through his groundbreaking work on chemical reactions,
gases, and electrochemistry, although he did not directly popularize the
carbon cycle itself. His experiments with oxygen and carbon dioxide,
central to respiration and combustion, clarified how carbon moves through
different systems. His influence on scientific communication and his
promotion of chemistry inspired future studies of natural processes,
including the carbon cycle.
SLIDE 3
 Carbon is virtually important molecule in the carbon cycle.
 Proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and other molecules essential to life contain
carbon.
Carbon's Importance in the Carbon Cycle: Carbon is a crucial element in the
carbon cycle, which is the process through which carbon atoms move between the
atmosphere, land, water, and living organisms. This cycle is vital for maintaining
the balance of ecosystems and supporting life on Earth.
Carbon in Essential Life Molecules: Many important biological molecules, such
as proteins (which help build and repair body tissues), nucleic acids (which carry
genetic information), lipids (fats and oils for energy storage and cell structure),
and carbohydrates (sugars and starches used for energy), all contain carbon. This
shows that carbon is fundamental for life as we know it.
 Carbon exists in the atmosphere primarily as carbon dioxide (CO2), which accounts for
about 0.04% of the air we breathe.
 Additionally, carbon can be found in oceans and freshwater sources where it is dissolved
as carbon dioxide. Furthermore, carbon is also a component of certain rocks, such as
limestone, which has the chemical formula CaCO3 (calcium carbonate).
SLIDE 4
  The carbon cycle consists of several interconnected steps that ensure the continuous
movement of carbon between the earth’s surface, organisms, and the atmosphere. These
steps include photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion.

1. Photosynthesis: Plants, algae, and certain bacteria capture carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere and, using sunlight, convert it into glucose and oxygen. This process is the
primary mechanism through which carbon is introduced into biological systems.
2. Respiration: Organisms, including plants and animals, release carbon back into the
atmosphere through respiration, a process in which glucose is broken down to release
energy, and carbon dioxide is exhaled as a byproduct.
3. Decomposition: When plants and animals die, decomposers such as bacteria and fungi
break down their bodies, releasing carbon stored in organic matter back into the soil or
atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane, depending on the conditions.
4. Combustion: Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, release carbon
that was stored in geological formations for millions of years. This combustion rapidly
transfers large quantities of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to increased
atmospheric CO₂ levels.

SLIDE 5
 The first step of the carbon cycle involves carbon entering the atmosphere in the form of
carbon dioxide (CO2). This happens mainly through two processes:
Respiration: When living organisms breathe, they take in oxygen and release
carbon dioxide as a waste product.
Combustion: When materials like fossil fuels, wood, or other organic matter are
burned, they also release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. So, in simple terms,
carbon dioxide is released into the air through breathing and burning.
SLIDE 6
The image represents a detailed aspect of Step 2 in the carbon cycle, focusing on how carbon is
cycled through photosynthesis, respiration, and combustion. This step highlights the continuous
exchange of carbon dioxide (CO₂) between living organisms and the atmosphere.
1. Photosynthesis (Yellow Arrow to the Tree)
 Producers and CO₂ Absorption: In the carbon cycle, plants are primary producers,
meaning they produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Plants
absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere, which is one of the key greenhouse
gases. Using sunlight as energy (depicted by the yellow sun), plants convert CO₂ and
water into glucose (a carbohydrate) and oxygen (O₂). This is crucial because plants act as
carbon sinks, absorbing CO₂ and storing it as biomass in their roots, trunks, leaves, and
branches.
A carbon sink is a natural or artificial process that absorbs more carbon from the
atmosphere than it releases. Carbon sinks are a vital part of the natural carbon
cycle and are crucial for fighting climate change.

Here are some examples of carbon sinks:

  Oceans
The ocean is considered the main natural carbon sink, absorbing around half of
the carbon emitted into the atmosphere. This is due to the role of plankton,
corals, fish, algae, and other photosynthetic bacteria.
 Forests
Forests sequester carbon through photosynthesis, where plant species absorb
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
 Fungi
Mycorrhizas, a type of microscopic fungi, live on plant roots and capture and
store over a third of global carbon emissions each year.
 Mangroves
These ecosystems can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere up to four
times faster than terrestrial forests.
Carbon sinks are important because they offset carbon dioxide emissions and help
mitigate the rise in global temperatures. However, human activities are
increasingly threatening these carbon sinks, and could potentially turn them into
carbon sources.
 Oxygen Production: As a byproduct of photosynthesis, plants release oxygen (O₂) into
the atmosphere, which is essential for the respiration of animals and other organisms.
This process directly contributes to maintaining the balance of gases in the atmosphere,
especially the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
2. Consumption by Animals (Cow Eating Plants)
 Transfer of Carbon to Animals: In the image, the cow represents a consumer. After
plants undergo photosynthesis and store carbon in their tissues (in the form of
carbohydrates like glucose), animals consume the plants, taking in the carbon that was
initially absorbed from the atmosphere. This carbon becomes part of the animal's body,
integrated into tissues and used for energy through metabolic processes.
3. Respiration (Yellow Arrow from the Cow and the Bird)
 Carbon Release through Respiration: Both the cow and the bird represent animals that
engage in respiration, a process where they break down carbohydrates (obtained from
plants) to produce energy. During respiration, animals release carbon dioxide (CO₂)
back into the atmosphere. This is part of the carbon cycle’s return mechanism, where
carbon taken in by plants is returned to the atmosphere, thus completing a portion of the
cycle.
4. Human Impact – Combustion (Red Arrow from the House)
 Combustion of Fossil Fuels: The image also depicts a house emitting carbon dioxide,
representing the role of human activities, specifically combustion. Humans burn fossil
 fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas for heating, electricity, and transportation, which
releases large amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere in the form of CO₂.
SLIDE 7
 The image shows Step 3 of the carbon cycle, where animals eat plants, transferring
carbon from the plants into their bodies. Through respiration, animals release carbon
dioxide (CO₂) back into the atmosphere. When plants and animals eventually die, their
bodies decompose, returning carbon to the environment. Human activities, like burning
fossil fuels (represented by the house), also release CO₂ into the atmosphere, adding
more carbon than natural processes can handle, which contributes to climate change.
SLIDE 8
 The Carbon Cycle Step 4 explains what happens to dead plants and animals. When these
organisms die, they are broken down by decomposers, which are organisms like bacteria
and fungi that help recycle nutrients. As they break down the dead matter, they release
carbon back into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide.

However, in some situations, decomposition doesn't occur as it normally would. This can
happen under specific conditions, like being buried under sediment. When this happens,
the remains of the dead plants and animals can eventually turn into fossil fuels, which can
be used in the future for energy through combustion (burning).
Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when fuels are burned. When
humans burn fossil fuels to power factories, power plants, cars and trucks, most of
the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas. Each year, five
and a half billion tons of carbon is released by burning fossil fuels. Of this
massive amount, 3.3 billion tons stays in the atmosphere. Most of the remainder
becomes dissolved in seawater.
A fossil fuel is a fuel that is produced naturally, such as the anaerobic
decomposition of buried dead animals, and consists of organic molecules derived
from ancient photosynthesis that emit energy when burnt. Millions of years are
needed for the formation of fossil fuels (Barber, 2018). The most common fossil
fuels are natural gas, oil, and coal; they are used to generate hydrogen (Muradov,
1993).
SLIDE 9
The image provides an overview of the carbon cycle, showing how carbon moves through
various parts of the Earth’s systems, including the atmosphere, land, oceans, and organisms.
1. Atmosphere and Plants: Plants remove carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere
through photosynthesis and use it to grow, playing a key role in regulating atmospheric
carbon levels.
2. Animals and Respiration: Animals eat plants, incorporating carbon into their bodies.
When animals respire, they release CO₂ back into the air and water, cycling carbon
through living organisms.
3. Oceans: CO₂ is also exchanged between the atmosphere and the ocean. Sea creatures use
dissolved carbonates to build their shells. When these organisms die, their shells form
limestone, storing carbon in rock form.
For more than 200 years, or since the industrial revolution, the concentration of
carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has increased due to the burning of fossil
fuels and land use change. The ocean absorbs about 30% of the carbon dioxide
(CO2) that is released in the atmosphere. As levels of atmospheric CO2 increase from
human activity such as burning fossil fuels (e.g., car emissions) and changing land
use (e.g., deforestation), the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean also
increases. When CO2 is absorbed by seawater, a series of chemical reactions occur
resulting in the increased concentration of hydrogen ions. This process has far
reaching implications for the ocean and the creatures that live there.
What is the largest carbon reservoir on earth?
 The largest reservoir of carbon on Earth is the deep ocean, which contains
around 80% of the Earth's carbon with 37,000 billion tons of carbon stored,
whereas approximately 65,500 billion tons are found in the globe. The carbon is
stored in the form of solid carbon compounds, such as shells from marine
organisms that have fallen to the ocean floor over time. These shells can
eventually be converted into carbonate rocks, like limestone and dolomite.
 This mechanism involves marine organisms. Phytoplankton, which perform
photosynthesis in the surface waters, absorb CO₂ and convert it into organic
matter. When these organisms die, some of the carbon-rich organic material sinks
to the deeper ocean, where it is either decomposed by bacteria or stored in
sediments. This process removes carbon from the atmosphere and can store it in
the ocean for long periods.
Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an
extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2)
from the atmosphere.
 Ocean acidification is best known for its osteoporosis-like effects on
shellfish, which makes building and maintaining shells difficult for these
creatures. Acidification also affects other species vital to the marine
ecosystem, including reef-building corals and pteropods (tiny snails eaten
by numerous species such as fish and whales).
 Carbon dioxide, which is naturally in the atmosphere, dissolves into
seawater. Water and carbon dioxide combine to form carbonic acid
(H2CO3), a weak acid that breaks (or “dissociates”) into hydrogen ions
(H+) and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-). Because of human-driven
increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, there is more CO2
dissolving into the ocean. The ocean’s average pH is now around 8.1,
which is basic (or alkaline), but as the ocean continues to absorb more
CO2, the pH decreases and the ocean becomes more acidic.
 Carbonate ions are an important building block of structures such as
sea shells and coral skeletons. Decreases in carbonate ions can make
building and maintaining shells and other calcium carbonate structures
difficult for calcifying organisms such as oysters, clams, sea urchins,
shallow water corals, deep sea corals, and calcareous plankton.
  These changes in ocean chemistry can affect the behavior of non-
calcifying organisms as well. Certain fish's ability to detect predators is
decreased in more acidic waters. When these organisms are at risk, the
entire food web may also be at risk.
 Ocean acidification is affecting the entire world’s oceans, including
coastal estuaries and waterways. Many economies are dependent on fish
and shellfish and people worldwide rely on food from the ocean as their
primary source of protein.

A pteropod shell is shown dissolving over time in seawater with a lower pH. When carbon
dioxide is absorbed by the ocean from the atmosphere, the chemistry of the seawater is
changed.
4. Fossil Fuels: Over millions of years, dead plants and animals can become fossil fuels
(like coal and oil) buried under the Earth. When humans burn fossil fuels for energy,
carbon oxides are released into the atmosphere, contributing to increased levels of CO₂
and impacting the climate.
5. Sediment and Rocks: Carbonates from marine organisms eventually contribute to rock
formations, sequestering carbon for long periods in the Earth's crust.
Overall, this cycle is crucial for regulating carbon in the environment. However, human
activities, especially burning fossil fuels, are releasing excess carbon into the atmosphere,
disrupting this balance and accelerating climate change.
The Carbon Cycle
Processes that remove CO2 Processes that return CO2

Photosynthesis Combustion

Diffusion into oceans Respiration

Processes that remove CO2 Processes that return CO2
Decay

Five Key Processes of the Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants make food by using light from the sun,
water, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The plants can respire that glucose
and return some carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, store it as starch or use it to
make cellulose or lignin.
Respiration
Respiration is the process by which organisms create energy. During this process, oxygen is
taken in from the atmosphere and gets used, and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as
a waste product.
Diffusion into Oceans
There is a difference between the CO2 gas pressure in the atmosphere and the CO2 gas pressure
in the ocean.
The CO2 diffuses from the atmosphere, which is the area of high concentration, to the
ocean, the area of low concentration.
Diffusion of CO2 into oceans removes CO2 from the atmosphere.
Combustion
Combustion is the process of burning fossil fuels. This process releases CO2 into the
atmosphere.
Decay
Decay is the process in which saprophytic organisms feed on dead organisms. These
saprophytic organisms break down the organic material from the dead organisms and release it
into the soil. This recycles the carbon from the organism back into the environment.
(PRESENT THE VIDEO).
SLIDE 10
The image discusses the effects of human activities on the carbon cycle, particularly the increase
in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) due to deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels.
1. Deforestation: Trees play a crucial role in the carbon cycle by absorbing CO₂ from the
atmosphere during photosynthesis and storing it in their biomass. When forests are
cleared or trees are cut down, the carbon stored within them is released back into the
atmosphere in the form of CO₂. This not only reduces the planet’s capacity to absorb
atmospheric CO₂ but also directly increases the concentration of greenhouse gases,
thereby exacerbating global warming.
2. Burning of Fossil Fuels: Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are composed of
carbon that has been stored underground for millions of years. When these fuels are
burned for energy production, transportation, and industrial processes, the carbon stored
in them is released as CO₂. This practice has been a major contributor to the elevated
levels of CO₂ in the atmosphere over the past century, significantly accelerating the rate
of climate change.
3. Global Warming: The increased concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere leads to an
enhancement of the greenhouse effect, where more heat is trapped in the Earth’s
atmosphere, causing a rise in global temperatures. The text notes that this rise in
temperature is linked to increased atmospheric pressure, which is a critical factor in the
phenomenon known as global warming. Global warming, driven by the imbalance in the
carbon cycle, results in widespread changes in weather patterns, sea-level rise, and the
overall destabilization of the global climate system.
In summary, human-induced changes to the carbon cycle through deforestation and fossil fuel
combustion are key drivers of the increased CO₂ in the atmosphere, leading to global warming
and climate change.

Addressing the Carbon Cycle Imbalance

Addressing the disruptions in the carbon cycle requires an integrated approach that combines
efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions, protect carbon sinks, and adopt sustainable practices.
1. Reducing Fossil Fuel Use: The most direct way to reduce carbon emissions is to
transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar,
and hydroelectric power. This would not only cut down CO₂ emissions but also reduce
pollution and environmental degradation associated with fossil fuel extraction and use.
 2. Reforestation and Afforestation: Planting trees and restoring forests can help offset
some of the carbon emissions by increasing the number of carbon sinks. Trees absorb
CO₂ through photosynthesis, making them a vital part of any climate strategy.
3. Promoting Sustainable Practices: Individuals, corporations, and governments can
promote sustainability by adopting practices that reduce carbon footprints, such as energy
conservation, waste reduction, and sustainable agriculture.
4. Carbon Capture Technologies: Innovative technologies that capture and store carbon
from the atmosphere or directly from emission sources are being developed. These
technologies can provide a critical tool for reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels, though their
implementation at scale remains a challenge.
To conclude, mitigating the imbalance in the carbon cycle is essential for curbing global
warming and ensuring a stable environment for future generations. The carbon cycle is not only a
scientific concept but a global responsibility, where actions taken today will shape the climate of
tomorrow.

Why there is a high pressure in sedimentary rocks?

High pressure in sedimentary rocks is primarily due to the compaction and burial processes that
occur over geological time. Several factors contribute to this high pressure:
1. Overburden Pressure: As sediments accumulate over millions of years, they form thick
layers. The weight of these upper layers exerts pressure on the deeper layers beneath
them. This weight, also known as overburden, causes the lower sediment layers to
become compacted, squeezing out water and reducing pore spaces between grains, which
increases the pressure.
2. Tectonic Forces: In areas where tectonic plates interact, the movement and collision of
these plates can cause significant pressure in the Earth's crust. This tectonic pressure can
deform and compress sedimentary rocks, further increasing the stress within them.
3. Lithostatic Pressure: This pressure results from the weight of the overlying rocks in a
particular region. As more sediments are deposited and buried deeper, the lithostatic
pressure increases, contributing to the solidification and densification of the rocks.
4. Chemical Processes: Over time, diagenesis (the process that turns sediments into rock)
occurs, during which chemical reactions between minerals also contribute to the
formation of new minerals under high pressure and temperature conditions. These
changes can enhance the structural integrity of sedimentary rocks, further increasing the
internal pressure.
In summary, high pressure in sedimentary rocks is mainly due to the cumulative weight of
overlying sediments (overburden pressure), tectonic activity, and the process of compaction and
lithification that occurs as sediments are buried deeper in the Earth's crust.