IB Environmental systems and societies Topic 4.1C Oceans as a Carbon Sink Revision Notes (HL)

IB Environmental systems and societies Topic 4.1C Oceans as a Carbon Sink Revision Notes (HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

Oceans as a carbon sink: the ocean absorbs about a quarter of human CO2 emissions

Definition

Carbon sink

A carbon sink is any natural or artificial system that absorbs more carbon than it releases, thus removing CO₂ from the atmosphere.

The oceans are the largest active carbon sink, absorbing roughly 25 to 30% of anthropogenic CO2 from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and cement production.
This uptake moderates atmospheric CO2 and slows the rate of climate change.
The long-term removal and storage of this CO2 in the ocean is called carbon sequestration.

Mechanisms of Carbon Absorption

Three carbon pumps move surface carbon into the deep ocean where it stays for centuries.
Physical (solubility) pump: CO2 dissolves in surface water and, because cold water holds more CO2, sinks with cold dense water at high latitudes (see 4.1B for gas solubility).
1. Ocean currents then carry this dissolved inorganic carbon to depth.
Biological pump: phytoplankton fix dissolved CO2 into organic matter by photosynthesis.
1. When they die, this organic carbon sinks as marine snow, burying carbon in deep-sea sediments.

Carbonate pump: calcifiers such as corals, molluscs, and coccolithophores build CaCO3 shells and skeletons.
1. Their remains sink to the seabed and form carbonate sediment that can lock carbon away for millions of years.

Nice try, unfortunately this paywall isn't as easy to bypass as you think. Want to help devleop the site? Join the team at https://revisiondojo.com/join-us. exercitation voluptate cillum ullamco excepteur sint officia do tempor Lorem irure minim Lorem elit id voluptate reprehenderit voluptate laboris in nostrud qui non Lorem nostrud laborum culpa sit occaecat reprehenderit

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

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 nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

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

Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit.

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 nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

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.

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Oceans as a carbon sink: the ocean absorbs about a quarter of human CO2 emissions

Definition

Carbon sink

A carbon sink is any natural or artificial system that absorbs more carbon than it releases, thus removing CO₂ from the atmosphere.

The oceans are the largest active carbon sink, absorbing roughly 25 to 30% of anthropogenic CO2 from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and cement production.
This uptake moderates atmospheric CO2 and slows the rate of climate change.
The long-term removal and storage of this CO2 in the ocean is called carbon sequestration.

Mechanisms of Carbon Absorption

Three carbon pumps move surface carbon into the deep ocean where it stays for centuries.
Physical (solubility) pump: CO2 dissolves in surface water and, because cold water holds more CO2, sinks with cold dense water at high latitudes (see 4.1B for gas solubility).
1. Ocean currents then carry this dissolved inorganic carbon to depth.
Biological pump: phytoplankton fix dissolved CO2 into organic matter by photosynthesis.
1. When they die, this organic carbon sinks as marine snow, burying carbon in deep-sea sediments.

Carbonate pump: calcifiers such as corals, molluscs, and coccolithophores build CaCO3 shells and skeletons.
1. Their remains sink to the seabed and form carbonate sediment that can lock carbon away for millions of years.

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 4.1C Oceans as a Carbon Sink 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

Oceans as a carbon sink: the ocean absorbs about a quarter of human CO2 emissions

Mechanisms of Carbon Absorption

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

Oceans as a carbon sink: the ocean absorbs about a quarter of human CO2 emissions

Mechanisms of Carbon Absorption

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