The Carbon Cycle

Tracking Carbon Through

the Earth System

Organic Inorganic
H2CO3
H2CO3
CO2 CO2

photosynthesis
respiration
CH4
CO2
g
rin
de we
co ath

he

diff
m er

usi
at
po in

on
we
sit g
ion

CO2+H2OàH2 CO3
m
anis

H2CO3àH++HCO3-
volc

dissolution
sedimentation sedimentation Short Term
uplift
Long Term
rock formation

1
 Inorganic Carbon Reservoirs
Gt = Gigaton
=109 metric tons;
= 2679 x 10 9 pounds

Ions Some More Definitions

Atoms or molecules having either more or less electrons (-) than protons (+)
giving them a positive or negative electrical charge.
Cation
Positively charged ion, missing electrons (H+, Na +, Ca +2).
Anion
Negatively charged ion, extra electrons (Cl-, CO 3-2)..
pH
-log[H+], tells how acidic or basic a solution is.
Acid
A solution with a high concentration of H+, pH < 7.
Base
A solution with a low concentration of H+, pH > 7.
Chemical equilibrium
A steady state for a chemical reaction that can move in both directions.
Dissociation
Molecules breaking appart into ions when dissolved in water.

2
 Some More Definitions
Source
Inflow into a reservoir
Sink
Outflow from a reservoir
Flux
Inflow, outflow; source, sink

Acids in Water Solutions

HC
l
HC
l

H+
HCl Cl- Cl-
H+
HCl H+
Cl-
Acid Water

3
 Acid-Base Scale: pH = -log[H+]

Chemical Equations

reactants products

H2O + CO2 H2CO3

H2CO3 H+ + HCO3-

4
 Equations to Know

Carbonic acid production from carbon dioxide

and water:

CO2 + H 2O H2CO3

Organic Inorganic
H2CO3
H2CO3
CO2 CO2

photosynthesis
respiration
CH4
CO2
g
rin
de we
co ath

he

diff
m er

usi
at
po in

on
we
sit g
ion

CO2+H2OàH2 CO3
m
anis

H2CO3àH++HCO3-
volc

dissolution
sedimentation sedimentation Short Term
uplift
Long Term
rock formation

5
 1 Diffusion

CO Diffu
sio
2 n
CO
2

Carbonate Chemistry
CO2 + H2O <-----> H2CO3

CO2 Diffusion
Atmosphere - Ocean Equilibrium

Water

6
 What Happens When CO2
Dissolves in Water?
Carbonic acid

CO2 + H2O H2CO3

H2CO3 H+ + HCO3-1 2H+ + CO3-2

Hydrogen Bicarbonate Carbonate
ion ion ion

Summary
Diffusion
CO2(atmos) CO 2(ocean)

Acid Formation
CO2 + H2O H2CO3

Carbonate Ion Formation

H2CO3 H+ + HCO3-2 2H+ + CO 3-2

• Removes dissolved CO2 from ocean

• Increases acidity of ocean
• Allows for further diffusion of CO2 from atmos-
phere into ocean.

7
 Weathering
2 H2CO3

Carbonate Weathering:
CaCO3 + H2CO3 à Ca+2 + 2HCO3-
Silicate Weathering:
CaSiO3 + 2H2CO3 à Ca2+ + 2HCO3- + SiO2 + H 2O

Ca2+, SiO2, HCO3- to ocean

3 Carbonate Mineral Deposition

Calcium Carbonate precipitates in the Ocean

Ca2+ + 2HCO3- à CaCO3 + H 2CO3
by organisms that make shells & skeletal structure

In shallow ocean collects

in sediments limestone
Ca+2 Increases acidity of Ocean

CaCO3
CO3-2
In deep ocean is dissolved
by more acidic water
Decreases acidity of Ocean

8
4 Long-term Inorganic Cycle

m
anis
volc
CaCO3

ift
upl
Sedimentary Rock

Balance of the Inorganic Carbon Cycle

Carbonate Carbonate
weathering precipitation

Buried CO3-2 returns to atmosphere

via solid Earth processes.

9
 Balance of the Inorganic Carbon Cycle
Silicate
ring
weathe

Together CO2+H2O --> H2CO3

these 3
mechanisms CaSiO3 +2H 2CO3-->Ca2+ + 2HCO 3- + SiO2 + H2O
remove CO2 Ca2+ + 2HCO3- --> CaCO3 + H2CO3
from atmos .
Net: C goes from
CaSiO3 + CO2 --> CaCO 3 + SiO2 atmos to ocean floor.

Atmospheric CO2 should go away in about a million years,

but it has not. Why not?

Carbonate-Silicate Cycle

Carbonate-Silicate weathering is
“balanced” by Carbonate Metamorphism

CaCO3+ SiO2 àCaSiO3 + CO2

10
 Carbonate-silicate Cycle

Silicate Weathering Feedback

11
 Organic Inorganic
H2CO3
H2CO3
CO2 CO2

photosynthesis
respiration
CH4
CO2

g
rin
de we
co ath

he
diff
m er

usi

at
po in

on

we
sit g
ion

CO2+H2OàH2 CO3

m
anis
H2CO3àH++HCO3-

volc
dissolution
sedimentation sedimentation Short Term
uplift
Long Term
rock formation

Inorganic Carbon Cycle Processes

What causes local imbalance in
ocean-atmosphere CO2 flux?
Answer: Variations in productivity and upwelling.

• Photosynthesis: Where plants actively take up CO2, ocean

uptake may dominate.

• Upwelling: “Old” water contains lots of CO2. Where up-

welling occurs, CO2 release to the atmosphere may dominate.

• Precipitation of CaCO3:
In the open ocean, some phytoplankton make shells. At the
same time they do photosynthesis. For every one CO2 they
produce by precipitation, they take up 4 CO2 ’s by
photosynthesis (See Color Figure 7-8b), ocean uptake may
dominate.

12
 Ocean-Atmosphere CO2 Diffusion

out
out
out

in in

Reservoir = Atmosphere

Inorganic
Carbon
Cycle
Weathering
Sedimentation
Diffusion

Short term

Long term

13
 Earth’s Carbon Reservoirs
0.08 Gton/yr

~7Gton/yr

increase inflow
by ~ 6%

Equations to Know

• Photosynthesis:
CO2 + H2O à CH2O + O 2

• Respiration:
O2 + CH2O à CO2 + H2O
2CH2O àCO2 + CH4

• Carbonic acid production from carbon dioxide

and water:
CO2 + H2O ßà H2CO3

14