IB Environmental systems and societies Topic 2.3C Carbon in Lithosphere Revision Notes (HL)

IB Environmental systems and societies Topic 2.3C Carbon in Lithosphere Revision Notes (HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

The Lithosphere: Earth's Largest and Slowest Carbon Store

The lithosphere is the solid outer Earth: the crust, upper mantle, and soils.
It is the largest long-term carbon reservoir in the global carbon cycle.
It holds carbon in both organic and inorganic forms, often for hundreds of millions of years.

Carbon Is Locked Away as Fossil Fuels and Carbonate Rocks

Lithospheric carbon takes two main forms: one organic, one inorganic.

Fossil Fuels as Carbon Stores

Fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) are carbon-rich deposits formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals.
They act as long-term carbon stores, holding their carbon for hundreds of millions of years.
Burning them rapidly releases that carbon into the atmosphere as CO₂.

Note

The carbon in fossil fuels stays locked away for hundreds of millions of years.
It returns to the atmosphere as CO₂ only when the fuels are extracted and burned.

Carbonate Rocks

Rocks such as limestone and dolomite store carbon as calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and magnesium carbonate (MgCO₃).
They form through biological processes, such as coral reef deposition, and through chemical precipitation in oceans.

Example

When limestone is heated during mountain building, calcination releases CO₂ back to the atmosphere over very long timescales.
This is a slow, geological pathway that returns rock carbon to the air.

Residence Time: Why Lithospheric Carbon Stays Put

Definition

Residence time in carbon cycle

Residence time is the average duration that a carbon atom remains in a particular store before moving to another part of the carbon cycle.

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Note

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Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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Tip

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

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The Lithosphere: Earth's Largest and Slowest Carbon Store

The lithosphere is the solid outer Earth: the crust, upper mantle, and soils.
It is the largest long-term carbon reservoir in the global carbon cycle.
It holds carbon in both organic and inorganic forms, often for hundreds of millions of years.

Carbon Is Locked Away as Fossil Fuels and Carbonate Rocks

Lithospheric carbon takes two main forms: one organic, one inorganic.

Fossil Fuels as Carbon Stores

Fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) are carbon-rich deposits formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals.
They act as long-term carbon stores, holding their carbon for hundreds of millions of years.
Burning them rapidly releases that carbon into the atmosphere as CO₂.

Note

The carbon in fossil fuels stays locked away for hundreds of millions of years.
It returns to the atmosphere as CO₂ only when the fuels are extracted and burned.

Carbonate Rocks

Rocks such as limestone and dolomite store carbon as calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and magnesium carbonate (MgCO₃).
They form through biological processes, such as coral reef deposition, and through chemical precipitation in oceans.

Example

When limestone is heated during mountain building, calcination releases CO₂ back to the atmosphere over very long timescales.
This is a slow, geological pathway that returns rock carbon to the air.

Residence Time: Why Lithospheric Carbon Stays Put

Definition

Residence time in carbon cycle

Residence time is the average duration that a carbon atom remains in a particular store before moving to another part of the carbon cycle.

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

Topic 1: Foundation 3 subtopics

Topic 2: Ecology5 subtopics

Topic 3: Conservation and biodiversity3 subtopics

Topic 4: Water4 subtopics

Topic 5: Land2 subtopics

Topic 6: Atmosphere and climate change4 subtopics

Topic 7: Natural resources3 subtopics

Topic 8: Human populations and urban systems3 subtopics

HL lenses 3 subtopics

IB Environmental systems and societies 2.3C Carbon in Lithosphere Notes

Topic 1: Foundation 3 subtopics

Topic 2: Ecology5 subtopics

Topic 3: Conservation and biodiversity3 subtopics

Topic 4: Water4 subtopics

Topic 5: Land2 subtopics

Topic 6: Atmosphere and climate change4 subtopics

Topic 7: Natural resources3 subtopics

Topic 8: Human populations and urban systems3 subtopics

HL lenses 3 subtopics

The Lithosphere: Earth's Largest and Slowest Carbon Store

Carbon Is Locked Away as Fossil Fuels and Carbonate Rocks

Fossil Fuels as Carbon Stores

Carbonate Rocks

Residence Time: Why Lithospheric Carbon Stays Put

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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The Lithosphere: Earth's Largest and Slowest Carbon Store

Carbon Is Locked Away as Fossil Fuels and Carbonate Rocks

Fossil Fuels as Carbon Stores

Carbonate Rocks

Residence Time: Why Lithospheric Carbon Stays Put

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account