Energy in Earth Systems

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Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of
William Mary Partnership between Educators and
Researchers for Enhancing Classroom Teaching
(GK-12 PERFECT)
Funding source National Science Foundation GK-12
grant no. DGE-0840804
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Why Study the Carbon Cycle?

• 4th most common element in galaxy
• All living things are carbon based life-forms
• Chemically versatile component of large majority
  of all known compounds (almost 10 million
  different)
• Other reasons?

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NASA Keeping Up With Carbonpt. 1
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Biological Pump
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Seawater Carbonate Buffer
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Seawater Carbonate Buffer
Increase CO2
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Buffering capacity can become saturated,
decreasing solubility of CO2 in seawater
Increase CO2
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Take Home Message

• The oceans ability to dissolve CO2 is limited

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Ocean can become undersaturated in carbonate (CO3)
Increase CO2
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CO2 H2O ?? H2CO3 H2CO3 ?? HCO3- H HCO3-
?? CO32- H CO32- CO2 H2O ? ? 2HCO3-
pH
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Carbonate Compensation Depth (CCD)

• CaCO3 CO2 H2O ?? Ca2 2HCO3-

CaCO3
CaCO3
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Carbonate Compensation Depth (CCD)

• CaCO3 CO2 H2O ?? Ca2 2HCO3-

CaCO3
CaCO3
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So why do we care?

• What do we know that is made of CaCO3?

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Pteropods

• Limacina spp. (sea butterflies)

Clione spp. (sea angels)
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Euroceans Ocean Acidification Video
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Fate of Anthropogenic CO2 Emissions (2000-2007)
1.5 Pg C y-1
Canadell et al. 2007, PNAS (updated)
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Efficiency of Natural Sinks
Land Fraction
Ocean Fraction
Canadell et al. 2007, PNAS
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WHY?
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Causes of the Decline in the Efficiency of the
Ocean Sink

• Partly attributed to 30 decrease in efficiency
  of Southern Ocean sink.
• Decrease attributed to the strengthening of the
  winds around Antarctica enhancing ventilation
  carbon-rich deep waters.
• Strengthening of winds attributed to global
  warming.

Credit N.Metzl, August 2000, oceanographic
cruise OISO-5
Le Quéré et al. 2007, Science
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Feedback Loops
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Ocean Acidification
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Ocean Acidification


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Carbonate Buffer

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Warmer Water


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NASA Oceans Green Machines Keeping Up With
Carbon pt. 2
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Why study the carbon cycle?

• 4th most common element in galaxy (wikipedia
  cited)
• All living things carbon based life-forms
• Chemically versatile component of large majority
  of all known compounds (almost 10 million
  different)
• Other reasons?

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Final Thoughts

• CO2 is a greenhouse gas
• NASA Striking a Solar Balance
• Emission of more CO2 causes ocean acidification
• Human inputs of CO2 are measurable
• The real question is not are we adding
  greenhouse gases to the atmosphere?, but rather
  where is the carbon going? and what will be
  the effects?

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Final Thoughts

• CO2 is a greenhouse gas
• Emission of more CO2 causes ocean acidification
• Human inputs of CO2 are measurable
• The real question is not are we adding
  greenhouse gases to the atmosphere?, but rather
  where is the carbon going? and what will be
  the effects?

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Final Thoughts

• CO2 is a greenhouse gas
• Emission of more CO2 causes ocean acidification
• Human inputs of CO2 are measurable The real
  question is not are we adding greenhouse gases
  to the atmosphere?, but rather where is the
  carbon going? and what will be the effects?

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Final Thoughts

• CO2 is a greenhouse gas
• Emission of more CO2 causes ocean acidification
• Human inputs of CO2 are measurable
• The real question is not are we adding
  greenhouse gases to the atmosphere?, but rather
  where is the carbon going? and what will be
  the effects?