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The Carbon Cycle

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The Carbon Cycle
The Carbon Cycle
The element Carbon is the principle block for the organic compounds that make up life. This is because the study of the Carbon Cycle draws upon theories from biology, chemistry, geology and oceanography in order to understand the movement of carbon throughout the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Carbon is made up of four electrons that are able to form with each other; this causes the many different forms of carbon. The most popular form of carbon is carbon dioxide; this has become more popular over the years to the increase emissions of fossil fuels from human activities. This causes a problem because the increase in the burning of fossil fuels will lead to an increase of carbon in the atmosphere. With more carbon in the atmosphere it can alter the temperature, and environments on Earth. In this research paper the carbon cycle will be evaluated. The essential parts of the carbon cycle that will be analyzed are the steps in which the carbon cycle functions, the effects that human activities have on the carbon cycle, the inorganic and organic sources of the carbon cycle, the chemical reactions that occur during the cycle, and the short term and long terms storage at each source. It is important to evaluate all aspects of the carbon cycle because that information can be used to preserve and protect the carbon cycle as the way of life on Earth changes due to modernization and advancements in technology. The carbon cycle began hundreds of millions of years ago, but in the past the use of fossil fuels was not as prominent as it is in present day society. The increase of the use of fossil fuels can have an effect on the carbon cycle, which is why it is important to understand all aspects of the carbon cycle and what humans can do to protect it. The carbon cycle is an essential part of Earth’s ability to sustain life because it shows the system of producing and recycling carbon in Earth’s biosphere. The Carbon Cycle has seven main steps that



Citations: Curtis, P. S., C. S. Vogel, C. M. Gough, H. P. Schmid, H. -B. Su, and B. D. Bovard. "Respiratory Carbon Losses and the Carbon-Use Efficiency of a Northern Hardwood Forest, 1999-2003." JSTOR. 01 Oct. 2013 . David. "Green Carbon Part 2." JSTOR. ANU E Press. 01 Oct. 2013 . Mackey, Brendan G., David B. Lindenmayer, Sandra L. Berry, and Heather Keith. "Green Carbon Part 1." JSTOR. ANU E Press. 01 Oct. 2013 . Malhi, Yadvinder, Patrick Meir, and Sandrap Brown. "Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences." JSTOR. 01 Oct. 2013 . Toman, Michael, Aimee E. Curtright, David S. Ortiz, Joel Darmstadter, and Brian Shannon. "Unconventional Fossil-Based Fuels." JSTOR. Oct. 2008. RAND Corporation. 01 Oct. 2013 .

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