The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security
Keywords in the carbon topic:
• Biogeochemical carbon cycle
• Outgassing
• Sequestration
• Carbon fixation
• Carbon cycle pumps
• Biological carbon pump
• Energy security
• Primary and secondary energy
o Primary – natural energy resources that are not yet converted into another form of
energy, including non-renewables such as fossil fuels and renewables
o Secondary – primary resources have been converted into electricity
• Primary and secondary biofuels
• Energy pathways – the route by which energy type is transferred from the production areas
to consumption areas by pipeline or shipping lane
, Respiration 50
Biosphere Atmosphere
Soils 1,500 Plants 560 560
Photosynthesis 103
Diffusion 92
decomposition
Vegetation to
Diffusion 90.3
soils
50
Lithosphere Surface ocean
100,000,000 + fossil 1,000
fuels 4,000
Deep ocean
38,000
Key
Short term store
Long term store
Flux PgC/year
Speed of the flux in years:
<1 Very fast
1-10 Fast
10-100 Slow
>100 Very slow
Stores and fluxes of the carbon cycle
Stores:
• Atmosphere – stored as carbon dioxide
• Biosphere – stored as organic molecules in living and dead plants and animals
o In the soil it is stored as organic matter from dead plant material and activity of
microorganisms – the decay process releases CO2 back into the atmosphere
• Oceans – stored as dissolved carbon dioxide and calcium carbonate in shells of marine life
which can fall to the sea fall and become marine sediments
o Much of the carbon is stored at depth, only 4% found in the upper/surface ocean
• Lithosphere – stored as fossil fuels and sedimentary rock such as limestone and chalk
o Lithosphere = largest carbon store
Keywords in the carbon topic:
• Biogeochemical carbon cycle
• Outgassing
• Sequestration
• Carbon fixation
• Carbon cycle pumps
• Biological carbon pump
• Energy security
• Primary and secondary energy
o Primary – natural energy resources that are not yet converted into another form of
energy, including non-renewables such as fossil fuels and renewables
o Secondary – primary resources have been converted into electricity
• Primary and secondary biofuels
• Energy pathways – the route by which energy type is transferred from the production areas
to consumption areas by pipeline or shipping lane
, Respiration 50
Biosphere Atmosphere
Soils 1,500 Plants 560 560
Photosynthesis 103
Diffusion 92
decomposition
Vegetation to
Diffusion 90.3
soils
50
Lithosphere Surface ocean
100,000,000 + fossil 1,000
fuels 4,000
Deep ocean
38,000
Key
Short term store
Long term store
Flux PgC/year
Speed of the flux in years:
<1 Very fast
1-10 Fast
10-100 Slow
>100 Very slow
Stores and fluxes of the carbon cycle
Stores:
• Atmosphere – stored as carbon dioxide
• Biosphere – stored as organic molecules in living and dead plants and animals
o In the soil it is stored as organic matter from dead plant material and activity of
microorganisms – the decay process releases CO2 back into the atmosphere
• Oceans – stored as dissolved carbon dioxide and calcium carbonate in shells of marine life
which can fall to the sea fall and become marine sediments
o Much of the carbon is stored at depth, only 4% found in the upper/surface ocean
• Lithosphere – stored as fossil fuels and sedimentary rock such as limestone and chalk
o Lithosphere = largest carbon store
