How are humans affecting the balance of the carbon cycle?

Answer 1

Since the onset of the industrial revolution about 150 years ago, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuelsand deforestation have accelerated, and both have contributed to a long-term rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).

Burning oil and coal releases long hidden carbon into the atmosphere far more rapidly than it is being removed, and this imbalance causes atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations to increase.

In addition, by clearing forests, we reduce the ability of photosynthesis to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, also resulting in a net increase.

Because of these human activities, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been over the last half-million years or longer.

Carbon is also found in the gas we breathe out, carbon dioxide (CO2).

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Answer 2

People have affected the Carbon cycle by using fossil fuels. Fossil fuels is Carbon buried in the ground and by burning them, people have put excessive amounts of Carbon in the air. Carbon is cycled back into the ground when it is absorbed and sinks to the bottom of the ocean or in detritus in the soil; however, this happens over long periods and fossil fuels is burned at a high rate.

Answer 3

The carbon cycle is the seasonal uptake and release of atmospheric carbon. If there were equal land masses in both hemispheres, we would expect very little seasonal variation. But as most of earth's land mass exists above the equator, the death of grass and leaves liberate more CO2 than is taken up by new spring plant growth in the Southern Hemisphere. This gas exchange results in a seasonal cycle.

The cycle had varied very little from one year to the next. Our measurements and analysis indicate atmospheric CO2 levels varied from only 250 to 280 parts per million over the past 800,000 years. Other proxy data indicate CO2 has not exceeded 290 ppm in the past 20 million years. The natural variation in the past ten thousand years has been by about 10 parts per million over a 2000 year interval.

Beginning with the industrial revolution in 1700, CO2 began to increase in earnest, rising from 280 to 290 ppm in just 200 years. You will notice that is about 10 times faster than any natural change.

From 1900 to 1950 CO2 rose another 10 ppm, reaching 300. If you divide 2000 years by 50 years you see the rate of change has increased 40 times faster than the natural average. From 1950 to 1988 CO2 increased 50 ppm. Divide 2000 by 38, then multiply by 5 because 50 is 5 times bigger than 10. The rate of human induced carbon dioxide change versus the natural change. I'll leave the math for the astute reader trying to follow along.

We will pass 400 ppm by 2015 (in just two years), and 500 ppm before 2050, assuming the rate of change levels to a constant, rather than continues its exponential increase.

Deforestation and combustion of fossil fuels are overloading the carbon cycle. By cutting down the forests we no longer have trees to remove the carbon from the atmosphere. By burning coal, oil and natural gas we are releasing age-old carbon from millions of years ago into the atmosphere.

The carbon cycle is the earth's natural way of moving carbon in and out of the atmosphere from trees, oceans, soil and animals. The carbon cycle supports the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere which has kept the planet comfortably warm for millions of years.

Now, humans are negatively impacting the carbon cycle by burning fossil fuels. This releases carbon that has been sequestered underground for millions of years. This is far more than would circulate naturally.

Similarly we have negatively impacted the carbon cycle by destroying forests and other forms of vegetation without replanting.

Plants absorb CO2, breaking it apart via photosynthesis, releasing the oxygen and incorporating the carbon. This is where all earth's atmospheric oxygen comes from. The carbon is released back into the atmosphere when the plant dies and rots or is burned. Our equipment is now sensitive enough to measure seasonal changes of CO2.

Humans have impacted this cycle by digging up prodigious quantities of carbon in the form of coal and oil, and burning it. This contributes over thirty billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere each year. Human activity is responsible for an additional ten billion tons besides, from clear cutting rainforest and other things.

Answer 4

Humans are affecting the balance of the carbon cycle by burning fossil fuels, which releases excess carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Deforestation is also a major contributor, as trees play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide. These activities are leading to an increase in greenhouse gases, which is causing global warming and climate change.

Answer 5

breathing out CO2 and burning fossil feuls

Answer 6

burning fossil fuels!!