Mell How does burning of fossil fuels upset the balance in the atmosphere?
Answer: When we burn fossil fuels then a greenhouse gas named Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is released which causes an unbalanced in the carbon cycle.
What upsets the balance of the carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle is vital to life on Earth. Maintaining this carbon balance allows the planet to remain hospitable for life. Scientists believe that humans have upset this balance by burning fossil fuels, which has added more carbon to the atmosphere than usual and led to climate change and global warming.
What happens to carbon when fossil fuels are burned?
When fossil fuels are burned, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the air. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere, causing global warming. Already the average global temperature has increased by 1C.
How can we improve the carbon cycle?
We perturb the carbon cycle 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.
What are two ways in which humans impact the carbon cycle?
Human activities have a tremendous impact on the carbon cycle. Burning fossil fuels, changing land use, and using limestone to make concrete all transfer significant quantities of carbon into the atmosphere.
What are the four main processes of the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis, Decomposition, Respiration and Combustion.
What would happen if carbon cycle stopped?
If there were an interruption in the carbon cycle, life on Earth as we know it would be in danger of being disrupted. Without carbon dioxide, the plants would not do as well, and potentially die, creating a problem for all the animals on the planet, Since they have to breathe oxygen to live.
Which environmental concern is most associated with burning fossil fuels?
One of the biggest environmental problems associated with fossil fuel use is global warming, which is the rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century.
What are the 4 steps of the carbon cycle?
What are the 5 parts of the carbon cycle?
The Carbon Cycle
- Carbon moves from the atmosphere to plants.
- Carbon moves from plants to animals.
- Carbon moves from plants and animals to soils.
- Carbon moves from living things to the atmosphere.
- Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when fuels are burned.
- Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the oceans.