Represent possible locations the carbon atom could go next. To begin, notice the black carbon atom in the AtmosphericĬO 2 area, highlighted in yellow. Paths an atom of carbon can take through Earth’s systems. The Carbon Cycle Gizmo allows you to follow the many How do animals affect theĪmount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere? Animals increase the amount of C02 in the How do plants on Earth affect the amount of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere? Plantsĭecrease the amount of C02 and convert it to Oxygen.Īnimals eat plants and produce carbon dioxide and water. Using the energy of sunlight, plants build molecules of glucose In the process of photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere and Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) Geosphere, greenhouse gas, hydrosphere, lithosphere, photosynthesis In the past two centuries, humans have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide by more than 30%, by burning fossil-fuels and cutting down forests.ĬarbonCycleFinal_ (960x540) ĬarbonCycleFinal_appletv.m4v (960x540) ĬarbonCycleFinal_h264.mov (1280x720) ĬarbonCycleFinal_prores.mov (1280x720) ĬarbonCycleFinal_ipod.m4v (640x360) ĬarbonCycleFinal_thumb.mp4 (320x176) ĬarbonCycleFinal_portal.wmv (320x236) Greenhouse gases act like a blanket, and trap heat in the atmosphere. As the water warms, the carbon is then be released as a gas back into the atmosphere, continuing the carbon cycle.Ĭarbon is found in the atmosphere as Carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. In a process called upwelling, currents bring cold water containing carbon up to the surface. Over long time scales, this process has made the ocean floor the largest reservoir of carbon on the planet. Phytoplankton can also sink to the bottom of the ocean, where they become buried in marine sediment. Sometimes phytoplankton die, decompose, and are recycled in the surface waters. After animals eat the plants, they breathe out the carbon or pass it up the food chain. Phytoplankton are the base of the marine food web. Tiny marine plants called phytoplankton use this carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.
At the ocean's surface, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves into the water.
Moving offshore, the ocean takes up carbon through physical and biological processes. When plants and animals die and decay, they transfer carbon back to the soil. Animals eat plants and either breath out the carbon, or it moves up the food chain. On land, plants remove carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Purple arrows indicate the uptake of Carbon yellow arrows indicate the release of Carbon. This conceptual animation provides an illustration of the various parts of the Carbon cycle.
A carbon atom could spend millions of years moving through Earth in a complex cycle. Carbon makes up Earth's plants and animals, and is also stored in the ocean, the atmosphere, and the crust of the planet. Carbon is the basic building block of life, and these unique atoms are found everywhere on Earth.
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