Oceanic Sequesting
- Created by: archiemitchell2002
- Created on: 14-09-20 16:10
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- How do biological processes sequester carbon in the oceans, on shorter timescales?
- The oceans are the Earth's largest carbon store.
- The oceanic store of carbon is 50 times greater than that of the atmosphere.
- Most of the oceanic carbon is stored in algae, plants and coral.
- The rest occurs in dissolved form.
- Most of the oceanic carbon is stored in algae, plants and coral.
- The oceanic store of carbon is 50 times greater than that of the atmosphere.
- Biological Pumps
- One of the 3 types of oceanic carbon pump.
- Move carbon dioxide from the ocean surface to marine plants phytoplankton by a process known as photosynthesis.
- This effectively converts carbon dioxide into food for zooplankton (microscopic animals) and their predators.
- Most of the carbon dioxide taken up by phytoplankton is recycled near the surface.
- About 30% sinks into deeper waters before being converted back into carbon dioxide by marine bacteria.
- Carbon Pumps are the processes operating in the oceans that circulate and store carbon.
- Physical Pumps
- Move carbon compounds to different parts of the ocean in down-welling and up-welling currents.
- Downwelling occurs in those parts of the oceans where cold, denser water sinks
- These currents bring dissolved carbon dioxide down to the deep ocean
- Once there, it moves in slow-moving deep ocean currents, staying there for hundreds of years.
- Eventually, these deep ocean currents, part of the thermohaline circulation, return to the surface by upwelling.
- The cold deep ocean water warms as it rises towards the ocean ocean surface and some of the dissolved carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere.
- Eventually, these deep ocean currents, part of the thermohaline circulation, return to the surface by upwelling.
- Due to high pressure and low temperature of surface seawater.
- Once there, it moves in slow-moving deep ocean currents, staying there for hundreds of years.
- These currents bring dissolved carbon dioxide down to the deep ocean
- One of the 3 types of oceanic carbon pump
- Carbonate pumps
- Form sediment from dead organisms that fall to the ocean floor
- Carbonates pumps form sediment from dead organisms that fall to the ocean floor.
- Forms particuarly from outer shells and skelletons from crustaceans, fish and corals.
- All are rich in calcium carbonate
- Sequester: Process by which carbon is removed from the atmosphere and stored for a long period of time.
- For example through biological process in the Ocean, such as Carbonate Pumps.
- The oceans are the Earth's largest carbon store.
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