Question

The global carbon cycle Atmosphericco 32 9.4 180- Vegetation Dissolved inorganic carbon 400OGIC 305-1115 GIC Rivers Permafrost Permatowe Organic carbon orman Oilaves Sails 1500-2000 Coasts 10.45 Surface sediments 1750 GC Coal reserves 415 Bub ice-0.5 + Atmospheric increase Uncertainty values Fossil CO, E Land-use change Euro Land uptake S Ocean uptake Son Budget Imbalance B

a)In the figure above, the circles indicate the reservoir size and the thin arrows indicate the carbon flux in Gt(C)/year. Which single reservoir holds the largest amount of carbon? [1 point]

b) What is the combined carbon reservoir size of permafrost, soils, and vegetation? Answer should be a range. [1 point]

c) What fraction is your answer to part b of your answer to part a; and what does this tell you? Answer should be a range. [2 points]

d)  Calculate the residence time of carbon in the combined permafrost, soils, and vegetation reservoir using the flux provided in the figure

e) What are the processes involved with the flux used to calculate your answer to d?

Answer 1

a) Ocean holds the largest amount of Carbon (38,000 GtC).

b) The combined carbon reservoir size of permafrost, soils, and vegetation is 3650 GtC (1700+1500+450 = 3650 GtC) to 4750 GtC (1700+2400+650 = 4750 GtC).

c)  fraction of part b to part a = 4750 GtC/38,000 GtC = 0.125

Only 12.5% of the Carbon is stored combinedly by permafrost, soils, and vegetation in comparison to Ocean. In simple words, if 1 unit of Carbon is stored in the Ocean then only 0.125 units of Carbon is stored in permafrost, soils, and vegetation combined.

d)  the residence time of carbon in the combined permafrost, soils, and vegetation = 3.2 years

f) The processes involved with the flux calculated above are: Fossil CO₂ emission, Land use change, land uptake, and ocean uptake.