Question

Fossil fuels form 81% of the energy used in the United States.
How does the amount of carbon in other Earth systems change because of burning fossil fuels? Move one label next to each Earth system to describe the change.
Earth System
Change in Carbon Levels
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
Increases
Decreases
Stays relatively constant

Answer 1

Here's how the changes in carbon levels can be labeled for each Earth system due to the burning of fossil fuels:

- **Atmosphere**: **Increases** (Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, increasing atmospheric carbon levels.)

- **Biosphere**: **Decreases** (Increased carbon in the atmosphere can lead to climate change, affecting ecosystems and potentially reducing carbon uptake from plants, although the effects can be complex and variable.)

- **Geosphere**: **Stays relatively constant** (The geosphere stores carbon in forms such as fossil fuels and limestone; while fossil fuels are extracted and burned, the net change over long periods tends to be relatively stable compared to the quick changes in atmospheric carbon.)

- **Hydrosphere**: **Increases** (The ocean absorbs some of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, leading to an increase in dissolved carbon, contributing to ocean acidification.)

So the labeling would be:

- Atmosphere: Increases
- Biosphere: Decreases
- Geosphere: Stays relatively constant
- Hydrosphere: Increases