The C-cycle Carbon Reservoir Dynamics

atmospheric reservoir
Seasonal fluctuation in atmospheric CO2 from Mauna Loa
• a re-cycling system
• Biosphere subcycle—terrestrial and marine realms, inorganic and organic pathways, fast cycling
• Lithosphere subcycle—long term storage and tectonic re-cycling, slow cycling
Definitions
• Nutrients—substances essential to life
• Biosphere—the part of the Earth that supports life, including the oceans, atmosphere, land
surface and soils
• Organic carbon—associated with compounds of biologic systems (C-C and C-H bonds)
• Inorganic carbon—associated with compounds of inorganic systems
volcanism
Elements of the C-cycle
re-cycles C One atom of C cycles
for about 30 Ky before
leaking into sedimentary
storage
weathering
re-cycles C

uplift
metamorphism
• Reservoirs are temporary repositories for mass that flows through them,
subduction
their sizes depending on imbalances between inflow and outflow
Decay in soils • Steady-state—no change in state of the system with time
(oxidation)
nMy

Carbon Reservoir
Dynamics
• Carbon reservoirs
• How does the size of each carbon reservoir respond to
perturbations
 Carbon Reservoir Dynamics
Carbon Reservoir Dynamics residence time of C in the atmosphere
perturbation of the atmospheric reservoir

760 Gton carbon / 60 Gton carbon/yr = 12.7 yr

Organic C-cycle
(short term)
• Photosynthesis
CO2 fertilization negative feedback loop CO2 + H2O = CH2O + O2
 atm CO2 — photosynthetic rate (reduced
organic carbon)— atm CO2 • Primary producers
• Consumers
Residence time • Biomass = primary producers + consumers
• The average time that an element remains in a reservoir at • Consumers are 1% of
steady-state biomass
• The time required to fill a reservoir to the steady-state
concentration

Primary producers in the sea

phytoplankton (upper 100m in photic zone)

Diatom with sliceous test Coccolithoforid with calcite test

(50mm diameter) (10mm diameter)
 Nutrient
Planktonic consumers in the sea limitation
zooplankton The biological pump

Foraminifera with calcite test Radiolarian with siliceous

(600mm diameter) test (50mm diameter)

The biological pump

• Primary production of organic C in surface waters — oxidation
of organic C in deeper waters Nutrient and oxygen distribution in the abyss
• Settling organic particles by-pass fluid advection Nutrient limitation
• Balanced by upwelling
Concentration of some elements in seawater limit
productivity (P, Si, Fe)
 Ocean productivity measured by satellite Organic C-cycle
Thermohaline circulation
(chlorophyll) (long term)
• Geological processes control
Summer atmospheric CO2 on longer time scales

• 0.1% of marine productivity leaks into

long term geologic storage

• This leak controls the O2 content of the

atmosphere
CO2 + H2O =  CH2O +  O2
• organic C in sedimentary rocks is the
largest reservoir on earth (108 Gtons)
• Residence time is 200 Ma
Nutrient limitation
Vertical distribution of Fe

Winter

Upwelling and nutrient recycling

Inorganic C-cycle
Seawater-atmosphere exchange of CO2
• Describes sources and sinks of carbon
other than respiration decomposition
and weathering

• CO2 reacts with water

CO2 (g)+ H2O(l) = H2CO3(aq)
H2CO3(aq) = H+ + HCO3–
HCO3– = H+ + CO3– 2

• Limestone (CaCO3) and dolostone

(CaMg(CO3)2 are long term sedimentary
archives of inorganic carbon Carbonate deposition in the oceans
Ca+2 + 2HCO3(aq)– = CaCO3 (s)+ H2CO3(aq)

• Carbonate weathering Chemical weathering of Ca-bearing minerals

+2 –
CaCO3 (s)+ H2CO3(aq) = Ca + 2HCO3(aq)
• Silicate weathering
CaSiO3 (s)+ 2H2CO3(aq) = Ca+2 + 2HCO3(aq)– + SiO2 (aq) +H2O
• Carbonate weathering on land consumes 1 mole of CO2 per mole of Ca released—the net
effect on CO2(atm) is zero
• Silicate weathering on land consumes twice the amount of CO2 as Ca—the net effect on
CO2(atm) is a reduction of 1 mole equivalent
 Carbonate-silicate cycle
long term climate stability Net result of silicate weathering
CaSiO3 (s)+ 2H2CO3(aq) = Ca+2 + 2HCO3(aq)– + SiO2 (aq) +H2O

Ca+2 + 2HCO3(aq)– = CaCO3 (s)+ H2CO3(aq)

CO2 (g)+ H2O(l) = H2CO3(aq)

CaSiO3 (s)+ CO2 (g) = CaCO3 (s) + SiO2 (aq)

Carbonate metamorphism (reverse of silicate weathering)

CaCO3 (s)+ SiO2 (s) = CaSiO3 (s)(wollastonite) + CO2 (g)

Net result of silicate weathering

CaSiO3 (s)+ 2H2CO3(aq) = Ca+2 + 2HCO3(aq)– + SiO2 (aq) +H2O

Ca+2 + 2HCO3(aq)– = CaCO3 (s)+ H2CO3(aq)

CO2 (g)+ H2O(l) = H2CO3(aq)

CaSiO3 (s)+ CO2 (g) = CaCO3 (s) + SiO2 (aq)

 Carbonate-silicate cycle
long term feedbacks ensure stability of the Earth’s
climate system

C-leak
Limestone
Carbonate-silicate cycle
long term feedbacks ensure stability of the Earth’s deposition
climate system

C-leak

limestone metamorphism volcanism