Friday, May 8, 2015

The Carbon Cycle


THE CARBON CYCLE
by Anton Antonio
April 9, 2015

The most talked about environmental problems these days are global warming, the greenhouse effect and climate change.  All these environmental problems and concepts are closely associated with carbon. 

Carbon is the basic element of the carbon cycle… and the carbon cycle is the series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment which basically involves the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.

Carbon dioxide makes up only 0.03% of the atmosphere.  During photosynthesis, terrestrial autotrophs use atmospheric carbon dioxide while aquatic plants and vegetation use dissolved carbonates.  Carbons are also introduced in inland waters and oceans as bicarbonate which becomes calcium-rich rocks in a process called weathering.  Carbon is also ingested by non-photosynthetic bacteria, algae and plants… and when they decompose, carbon is released to the atmosphere again.  Both plants and animals as well as other microorganisms, in a process called respiration, also release carbon to the atmosphere and hydrosphere.  Photosynthesis and respiration are two opposing processes which power the carbon cycle.

A high level of concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and hydrosphere causes the greenhouse effect.  The greenhouse effect condition comes about when infrared light or heat is prevented from escaping into space because of the high concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and hydrosphere.  The trapping of heat in the atmosphere increases the average temperature on earth which results to global warming. 

Global warming is a condition where the average temperature on the earth’s surface reaches 30 degrees centigrade.  The steady increase of temperature on earth for an extended period of time is a phenomenon called climate change.  It is therefore valid for scientists to say that global warming and/or climate change is a consequence of abnormalities or negatively extreme conditions in the carbon cycle.

Just my little thoughts…

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