Presentation Transcript

1. The Carbon Cycle A S, M N, A K

2. Introduction • The carbon cycle is the movement of carbon, in its many forms, between the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and geosphere. • The carbon cycle is one of the biogeochemical cycles.

3. The Cycle • Carbon moves from the atmosphere to plants.Through photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is pulled from the atmosphere to make plants food. • Carbon moves from plants to animals.The carbon that is in plants moves to the animals that eat them. Animals that eat other animals get the carbon from their food too. • Carbon moves from plants and animals to the ground.When plants and animals die, their bodies, wood and leaves decay bringing the carbon into the ground. Some become buried miles underground and will become fossil fuels in millions and millions of years. • Carbon moves from living things to the atmosphere.Each time you exhale, you are releasing carbon dioxide gas (CO2) into the atmosphere. Animals and plants get rid of carbon dioxide gas through a process called respiration. • Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the oceans. The oceans, and other bodies of water, soak up some carbon from the atmosphere.

4. Humans role in the Carbon Cycle • Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have resulted in an increased release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and an imbalance in the cycle.

5. The Greenhouse Effect • Greenhouse effect- The phenomenon whereby the earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation, caused by the presence in the atmosphere of gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane that allow incoming sunlight to pass through but absorb heat radiated back from the earth's surface. • It is believed by some that humans continuous release of extra carbon into the atmosphere is having a “greenhouse effect” on the earths atmosphere and causing a global climate change

6. Bibliography • http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/c/carbon_cycle.htm • http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/carbon/efcarbon.html • http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/co2_cycle.html