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Carbon cycle is a process where carbon compounds are interchanged among the biosphere, geosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the earth.
One of the primary pathways for the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) takes place between the atmosphere and the oceans; there a fraction of the CO2 combines with water, forming carbonic acid (H2CO3) that subsequently loses hydrogen ions (H+) to form bicarbonate (HCO3−) and carbonate (CO32−) ions.
The carbon cycle is Mother Nature’s way of reusing and spreading the carbon around, releasing it naturally over time. Dead organisms decompose, eventually becoming fossil fuels such as oil and gas trapped underground.
The carbon cycle comprises a sequence of events that are key to making Earth capable of sustaining life. It describes the movement of carbon as it is recycled and reused throughout the biosphere, as well as long-term processes of carbon sequestration (storage) to and release from carbon sinks.
The carbon cycle describes how carbon transfers between different reservoirs located on Earth. This cycle is important for maintaining a stable climate and carbon balance on Earth.
Learn how carbon moves through Earth's ecosystems and how human activities are altering the carbon cycle.
The carbon cycle is most easily studied as two interconnected subcycles: one dealing with rapid carbon exchange among living organisms and the other dealing with the long-term cycling of carbon through geologic processes. The entire carbon cycle is shown in Figure 20.3.1.
The carbon cycle is nature's way of reusing carbon atoms, which travel from the atmosphere into organisms in the Earth and then back into the atmosphere over and over again. Most carbon is stored in rocks and sediments, while the rest is stored in the ocean, atmosphere, and living organisms.
The carbon cycle. (A) Photosynthesis in land plants fixes atmospheric CO2 (inorganic carbon) as organic carbon, which is either stored as plant biomass or in soil, or is decomposed back to CO2...
The carbon cycle is most easily studied as two interconnected sub-cycles: one dealing with rapid carbon exchange among living organisms and the other dealing with the long-term cycling of carbon through geologic processes.