Post on 01-Jan-2016
description
Carbon JourneyELF Activity: Energy 1C
http://andrill.org/education/elf_activities_1C.html
As part of NOAA Environmental Literacy Grant #NA09SEC490009 to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's, ANDRILL Science Management Office.
This material is based on work supported by an Environmental Literacy Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Education (NA0909SEC4690009) and prior work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants ANT-0342484 and ESI-0632175. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NOAA or the NSF.
Image: SmithsonianMuseum
Image: Mineral Information Institute
Carbon in its elemental form as graphite, familiar in most
pencils.
Carbon in its elemental form
as a diamond.
Carbon as a gas compound: carbon dioxide, CO2.
Image: www.noaa.gov
Image: www.mii.org
Carbon as an element in a solid compound: coal.
Image: www.mii.org
Carbon as an element in a solid compound. This is the mineral calcium carbonate, or limestone, CaCO3.
Here you see the larger reservoirs: atmosphere, oceans, fossil fuels, the land, and the biosphere.
Terrestrial Biosphere
Oceans
Fossil Fuels
Atmosphere
Image: www.noaa.gov
The Carbon CycleThe movement of carbon through Earth’s systems is influenced by many geological, biological and physical processes.
Carbon Sinks and Reservoirs
Images: www.noaa.gov
Photosynthesis is a process where plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and using the energy from the sun, create sugars, proteins and other solid carbon-based compounds within the structure of the plants.
Carbon Sinks and Reservoirs
www.noaa.gov
Shells formed by marine animals remove carbon from the atmosphere and the ocean.
Carbon Sinks and Reservoirs
Images: www.nasa.gov
Some of the single-celled organisms which absorb dissolved carbon dioxide from the oceans.
Satellite image showing chlorophyll blooms in the oceans. These blooms indicate large amounts of single-celled organisms undergoing photosynthesis.
Carbon Sinks and Reservoirs
Sediments being formed at the bottom of the ocean. These sediments play an important role in long term carbon storage.
www.noaa.gov
Sediment cores from the ocean floor showing another‘sink’ where carbon is stored.
Carbon Source
www.noaa.gov
Volcanoes release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere.
www.noaa.gov
Fires take solid carbon stored in trees and shrubs and return it to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide.
www.epa.gov
The burning of fossil fuels to produce heat and electricity return large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Carbon Source
Another source of carbon dioxide is the decomposition of organic material which returns large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
www.andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu
www.forestryimages.org
The carbon cycle has been going on throughout the history of the Earth.
www.noaa.gov
The carbon cycle has been going on throughout the history of the Earth.
Image: UNEP/GRID-Arendalhttp://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/carbon-cycle_9d44#
This material is based on work supported by an Environmental Literacy Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Office of Education (NA09SEC4690009) and prior work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants
ANT-0342484 and ESI-0632175. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the National
Science Foundation.http://andrill.org/education/elf/activities