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Atmosphere
The atmosphere has a vital role to play in the carbon cycle. Below are the ways that carbon is added and removed from the atmosphere.
- Currently the concentration of carbon in the earth’s atmosphere is around 0.4%. The main way that carbon is removed from the atmosphere is by organic organisms and the oceans.
- Plants and tree’s breathe it as part of their photosynthesis process, but they also return it to the atmosphere as part of their respiratory process.
- Carbon is added back into the atmosphere in a number of ways. The decay of animal and plant matter also releases carbon back into the atmosphere. Volcanic eruptions add carbon into it that has more than likely come from within the earths crust.
- At present the biggest contributor of carbon to the atmosphere is mankind. Burning fossil fuels release significant volumes of it back into the atmosphere, along with cement production. The levels released by man has been growing steadily since the start of the industrial revolution, and until relatively recently no-one has viewed it that it could be having a negative impact on the environment.
All of these processes contribute to the carbon cycle. an example of the carbon cycle can be found here.