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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