describe how the diagram of Earth’s carbon cycle demonstrates the interactions among the biosphere (plants), the lithosphere (ground), the atmosphere (air), and the hydrosphere (water).
1 answer
The diagram of Earth’s carbon cycle demonstrates the interactions among the biosphere (plants), the lithosphere (ground), the atmosphere (air), and the hydrosphere (water) by showing how carbon is exchanged between them. Carbon is released from the lithosphere into the atmosphere through volcanic eruptions and the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is then taken up by plants in the biosphere through photosynthesis, and is released back into the atmosphere through respiration. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is also absorbed by the hydrosphere, where it is converted into carbonic acid and dissolved in the ocean. Carbon is then released from the hydrosphere back into the atmosphere through the process of outgassing. Finally, carbon is returned to the lithosphere through the process of sedimentation, where it is stored in rocks and soil.