GGR314H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Methane Clathrate, Wavelength, 2Degrees
13 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
In equilibrium in pre-industrial times before we starting adding c02 to the atmosphere. Co2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid: carbon enters animal ecosystems and actually becomes part of the animal skeletons themselves. Some carbon goes all the way to the ocean floor or remains in shells so it is slower to get back to the atmosphere but it does. Deep ocean: moves co2 from the surface to the deep ocean. Plant and animal matter sinks to the bottom and as it decays it releases the co2 in the deeper water. How carbon gets from the top to the bottom. Warmer water holds less co2 than cold water. Molecules spread from areas of high concentration to low concentration: without biological pump and solubility pump co2 concentration in our atmosphere would be much higher. Pre-industrial natural carbon cycle influx and outflux were equal, concentration of greenhouse gases didn"t change. Cycling mechanism: sea air gas exchange, photosynthesis.
