Movement

of Carbon
in the Carbon Cycle
Vocabulary and Definitions
 Physical Process
• Surface mixing with
water currents
– CO2 mixes and dissolves
in ocean water
• Settling to the ocean
floor
– Exchange of cold to
warm water
 Chemical and Biological Processes
• Respiration
– Exchange of gases
through breathing
 Chemical and Biological Processes
• Photosynthesis
– Use of sunlight as a
source of energy for
plants to produce food
Chemical and Biological Processes
• Combustion
– The process or act of
burning
 Chemical and Biological Processes
• Dissolving gaseous
carbon dioxide into
water (Carbonic acid)
 Chemical and Biological Processes
• Coming out of solution
of carbonic acid to
become carbon dioxide
in air (like opening a
soda)
 Chemical and Biological Processes
• Death and
Decomposition
– Breakdown or decay of
organic material
The Role of Carbon in the…
 Atmosphere
• Carbon makes up one of
the greenhouse gases
(CO2)
– Carbon circulates and
moves through the
atmosphere
• This can happen as
humans pump fuel from
the ground and use it to
power cars and the car
exhaust is released into
the atmosphere
 Plants
• Plants contain carbon as
a nutrient in
photosynthesis and
growth
– Can be found
• Tree trunks
• Leaves
• Roots
• Branches
 Animals
• Carbon is one of the key
elements found in the
nutrients animals take
in through:
– Consumption
– Respiration
 Soil
• Where much of carbon
is stored
– Trees shedding leaves
transfer carbon back to
the ground as they
decompose
 Surface Ocean and Deep Ocean
• As marine animals die,
“they” sink to bottom
of the ocean and
decompose where
carbon “sinks” into the
ocean sediment and is
“stored”
– Marine organisms can
also take in carbon as
food
 Fossil Fuels
• Are a rich source of
energy that have been
created from carbon
that has been stored for
many millions of years