The carbon cycle describes how carbon is exchanged between the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere of the Earth. It involves the exchange of carbon in its various forms - as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and carbon within living things. The key points are: - Carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants through photosynthesis and becomes part of biomass, while animals get carbon by eating plants or other animals. Decomposers return carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. - The carbon cycle can be classified as short-term (within years) or long-term (over thousands of years). - Human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation are disrupting

1. THE CARBON
CYCLE

2. What is carbon?
Carbon is a key element for life composing
almost half of the dry mass of the earths
planets (that is, the mass when all water is
removed). Carbon is the chemical backbone
of all life on earth. It's also found in our
atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide or
CO2. The carbon cycle is nature's way of
reusing carbon atoms, which travel from the
atmosphere into organisms in the Earth and
then back into the atmosphere over and over
again.
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3. The Carbon Cycle
Carbon Cycle can be classified into two types
based on the duration of the process into two
types:
Short term – This type occurs within a
relatively short period of time.
Long term – This type takes thousands of years
to occur.

4. PROCESS OF CARBON CYCLE

5. Process Of Carbon Cycle
 The carbon cycle is the process in which carbon travels from the
atmosphere into organisms and the Earth and then back into the
atmosphere. Plants take carbon dioxide from the air and use it to
make food. Animals then eat the food and carbon is stored in their
bodies or released as C02 through respiration.
 Carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide from respiration
and combustion
 Carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants to make carbohydrates in
photosynthesis.
 Animals feed on the plant passing the carbon compounds along the
food chain. Most of the carbon they consume is exhaled as carbon
dioxide formed during respiration. The animals and plants
eventually die.
 The dead organisms are eaten by decomposers and the carbon in
their bodies is returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. In
some conditions decomposition Is blocked. The plant and animal
material may then be available as fossil fuel in the future for
combustion.

6. WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF CARBON CYCLE?
 The carbon cycle is important
because all living things are made
of carbon.
 The carbon cycle is an exchange of
carbon throughout the earth
between the atmosphere, oceans,
ecosystems and geosphere. If the
carbon cycle fails, then life begins
to break down, causing life to end.
 While carbon dioxide is only a very
small part of atmosphere, it plays a
large role in the energy balance of
the planet.
 Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
acts like a blanket over the planet,
trapping radiations and heat
important for life.

7. ROLE OF WATER
IN CARBON CYCLE
Water provides the
ingredients needed for
plants to do
photosynthesis and
remove carbon dioxide.
The oceans are another
important carbon sink.
Oceans take in carbon
dioxide, which is either
dissolved or incorporated
into sea plants or animals.
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8. ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGES
 It helps in transfer of energy
which is mostly in the form
of carbon compound.
 It also site provides the
formation of new carbon
compounds
 Allows the use of renewable
energy and optimal storage
sites
 Remove the need for CO2
piping to transport the gas to
underground storage
 The major impact on carbon
cycle is the climatic change like
the effect of temperature and
the precipitation.
 Climatic change can disturb the
process of carbon cycle.
 Due to carbon cycle CO2 is
produced which is very
harmful.
 Decrease in forest can have a
negative impact on carbon
cycle and our environment.

9. CHANGES IN CARBON CYCLE
 Fast and Slow carbon cycles maintain a relatively steady
concentration of carbon in the atmosphere
 But any changes in amount of carbon, the effect ripples through the
others
 In Earth’s past, the carbon cycle has changed in response to climate
change
 Variations in Earth’s orbit alter the amount of energy Earth receives
from the Sun and leads to a cycle of ice ages and warm periods like
Earth’s current climate
 Today, changes in the carbon cycle are happening because of
HUMANS, by burning fossil fuels and clearing land
 When we clear forests, we remove a dense growth of plants that had
stored carbon in wood, stems, and leaves—biomass. By removing a
forest, we eliminate plants that would otherwise take carbon out of the
atmosphere as they grow

10. CHANGES IN CARBON CYCLE
 Without human interference, the carbon in fossil fuels would leak slowly into the atmosphere through
volcanic activity over millions of years in the slow carbon cycle
 By burning coal, oil, and natural gas, we accelerate the process, releasing vast amounts of carbon
into the atmosphere
 Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when people first started burning fossil fuels, carbon
dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have risen by 39 percent
 This means that for every million molecules in the atmosphere, 387 of them are now carbon dioxide—
the highest concentration in two million years
 Methane concentrations have risen from 715 parts per billion in 1750 to 1,774 parts per billion in 2005,
the highest concentration in at least 650,000 years.
Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Gigatons of Carbon Per Year
Human Produced Carbon dioxide Emissions have been increasing
since the Industrial Revolution

11. Greenhouse Effect
 The phenomenon in which the air inside a glass container lets in sun’s light and energy which
builds up heat inside the container is called the greenhouse effect
 This phenomenon was used to create an enclosure where tropical plants could be kept warm
during winters or colder climates.
 Such enclosures are called greenhouses

12.  This phenomenon can only be displayed by certain gases. Ex:- 𝐶𝑂2, 𝑂3, 𝐶𝐻4 etc. These gases
prevent the escape of heat from the earth.
 An increase in the percentage of such gases in the atmosphere would cause the average
temperatures to increase world-wide which causes global warming
 This is known as the greenhouse effect

13. Green House Effect’s Disadvantages
 While the greenhouse effect maintain the temperature, its increase
directly translates to rising temperatures. As the volume of greenhouse
gases is increasing with more burning of fossil fuels, etc, its is
contributing to an increase in the planet’s average temperature and
climate. In fact, the past few years have seen much warmer summers in
comparison to the decadal average trend. As the gases increase, their
ability and power to trap the heat and radiate it back to the earth also
increases. This invariably increases the earth’s temperature
 The increase in water levels above the safe marks. The logic is quite
simple. As the average temperature of the earth is steadily increasing,
the polar ice caps are rapidly undergoing a melt down. This is resulting
in massive rise in water levels, well beyond the safe levels. This rapid
increase in the ocean water levels can invariably lead to flooding of low
lying areas and demand evacuation. The increase in water levels will
accentuate displacement and cost human lives along with destruction of
flora and fauna. Additionally, the existence on the polar caps of
penguins and polar bears is under deep threat.

14. Green House Effect’s Disadvantages
 It is a well known fact that oceans absorb CO2 and maintain the alkalinity.
However, the rate at which carbon dioxide is increasing is bad for marine life.
As more and more carbon dioxide gets absorbed by the oceans, their alkalinity
levels will touch dangerous marks. This is increasingly posing a serious threat to
the marine life that stands at a danger of extinction if the rise in alkalinity
continues

15. • Improve energy efficiency. Reducing the amount of energy people use is an essential part of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions — solutions can range from sealing energy leaks in homes to driving more fuel-
efficient vehicles.
• Stop forest loss. Nurturing carbon dioxide–eating plants is a major way to reduce the effect of carbon
emissions. Trees take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as part of the photosynthesis process.
• Accelerate the development of low-emissions technologies. Practical (as in, available and reasonably
priced) alternative energy sources such as wind, hydro (water), biomass (fuel from natural material such as
crops and agricultural waste), and solar power are considered renewable. Humans can’t use up the wind and
the sun, for example, in the same way they can use up fossil fuels. Alternative energy sources also have the
benefit of producing little to no greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, technologies need to be
researched and implemented to reduce emissions from existing energy sources.
• Replace high-carbon coal with low-carbon gas. Although natural gas gives off carbon dioxide emissions
when it’s burned, the emissions are much lower than those given off by coal. Switching power plants, for
example, from coal-burning to gas-burning can significantly reduce emissions
• Develop flexible fuels. Flexible fuels such as hydrogen fuel cell technology would allow the effective and
efficient storage of energy from intermittent sources such as the sun and wind so that the energy could be
used as and when needed.
Steps to reduce the ill effects of
greenhouse emissions

16. Thank You
Thank You