| Worksheet #19
ATOC 3600 November 2, 2000 NAME: ____________________
1. Estimate the time scale for emptying the sedimentary reservoir by geologic processes given that volcanic outgassing amounts to about 0.05 Gt C/yr and the reservoir is contains roughly 60 million Gt-C. 2. If the oceans were to stop absorbing carbon (due to saturation for
example), what percentage increase in atmospheric carbon (per year) would
initially occur?
3. What carbon compounds are produced by photosynthesis and exploited
by living beings for energy? What reactants are required to generate these
compounds?
4. If the deep ocean circulation were to accelerate and thus increase
the existing exchange of carbon with surface oceans, what impact might
this have on the surface ocean and, eventually, the atmosphere?
5. Propose an investigation aimed at reducing the amount of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere based on what you know about the long-term or short-term
carbon cycles. To do so, simply state a process relevant to atmospheric
CO2 levels and suggest an hypothesis you'd like to investigate
for modulating its rate.
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