PRE-ASSESSMENT – WHAT I KNOW

Complete the short assessment to best of your knowledge.

REMEMBER – You are not supposed to know all the material now.

We will try the assessment again at the end of the unit.

WARM-UP ACTIVITY

1. Choose a partner to help in the discussion in this activity

2. In the next slide you will try to identify what the four pictures have in common

3. You will have five minutes to discuss between yourselves and then five minutes to share your responses with the rest of the class.

What Do All of These Pictures Have in Common?WARM UP ACTIVITY

WHAT ARE THEY?

FOREST

OCEAN

COAL MINE

SOIL

HINT!!!!!!

Definitions

Sink: A natural or artificial means of absorbing or removing a substance or a form of energy from a system.

carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period.

carbon sequestration is the process by which carbon sinks remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

STATE STANDARDS

DE State Science Standard 1: Nature and Application of Science and Technology: Scientific inquiry involves asking scientifically-oriented

questions, collecting evidence, forming explanations, connecting explanations to scientific knowledge and theory, and communicating and justifying the explanation GLE:

Collect accurate and precise data through the selection and use of tools and technologies appropriate to the investigations. Display and organize data through the use of tables, diagrams, graphs, and other organizers that allow analysis and comparison with known information and allow for replication of results.

Construct logical scientific explanations and present arguments which defend proposed explanations through the use of closely examined evidence

STATE STANDARDS

DE State Standards: STD 8 – Ecology –

Matter needed to sustain life is continually recycled among and between organisms and the environment. Illustrate how elements on Earth cycle among the biotic

and abiotic components of the biosphere Organisms and their environments are

interconnected. Changes in one part of the system will affect other parts of the system

Explain how feedback loops keep ecosystems (at the local and global level) in a state of dynamic equilibrium (e.g., positive and negative feedback loops associated with global climate)

Next Generation Science Standards

HS. Human Sustainability HS-ESS3-1 – Construct and explanation based on evidence

for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity

HS-ESS3-6 – Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationship among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity Amount of carbon dioxide produced and the amount of carbon

dioxide sequestered

HS-ESS3-4 – Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems Anthropogenic Carbon sequestration

LESSON OBJECTIVE

To illustrate and demonstrate what carbon sinks are, where they are found on Earth, what impact they have on Earth Systems, and help visualize the scale of the quantities of carbon in these carbon sinks.

CONCEPT/ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Concept: Earth’s balance between carbon sources and carbon sinks are influencing atmospheric conditions leading to increases in global temperatures.

Essential Question: What would the result be if the oceans transformed from a major carbon dioxide sink into an even larger major carbon dioxide source? - Output of CO2 much greater than input of CO2 (acidification, ocean current change, temperature)

KEY VOCABULARY

Sink - A natural or artificial means of absorbing or removing a substance or a form of energy from a system

Reservoir - a place where something is kept in store

Sequestration - the process of capture and long-term storage of something

Anthropogenic -created by people or caused by human activity

Acidification - the process of becoming acid or being converted into an acid l

WHERE DO WE FIND CARBON on EARTH

1. All living organisms – hydro-carbons HC A human bodies' solid matter is 18% carbon

2. Atmosphere – What % is Carbon? (.04%, 400 ppm – in the form of carbon dioxide)

3. Soil – one of the largest carbon sinks (reservoirs) on earth- organic matter – decomposition of living organisms (plants, animals, rocks and minerals)

4. Oceans – Another of the largest carbon sinks on earth

Biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere

HOW MUCH CARBON IS STORED?

PoolQuantity

(gigatons)

Atmosphere 720

Oceans (total) 38,400

Total inorganic 37,400

Total organic 1,000

Surface layer 670

Deep layer 36,730

Lithosphere

Sedimentary carbonates>

60,000,000

Kerogens 15,000,000

Terrestrial biosphere (total) 2,000

Living biomass600 - 1,000

Dead biomass 1,200

Aquatic biosphere 1 - 2

Fossil fuels (total) 4,130

Coal 3,510

Oil 230

Gas 140

Other (peat) 250

Total Carbon = 150,452,250 Gigatons

Gigaton: 1,000,000,000 tones (109 tone)1 tone = 1000 kilograms (2204.5 lbs.)1 Gigaton =2,204,500,000,000 lbs.

Total Carbon (lbs) = 3.32 x 1021

(3,320,000,000,000,000,000,000 lbs.)

Carbonates: limestone, dolomite (CaCO3, CaMgCO3) – (sea shell, corals, chalk)

Kerogens: organic chemical compounds that make up a part of the organic matter in the earth’s sedimentary rocks – oil shales, oil sands

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN!!!

Atmosphere = 720 Gigatons

Oceans = 38,400 Gigatons

Geosphere = 75,000,000 Gigatons

Biosphere = 2,000 Gigatons

Fossil Fuels =- 4,130 Gigatons

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED!!!

Name: __________________ Period: _____ DATE: ________ Where the Carbon Is

Carbon is found in every sphere on Earth: geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Arrange the terms below under each sphere that is appropriate for that term. Some terms may used for more than one sphere. The carbon from these terms may be part of a carbon sink or a carbon source or both. Then, rank each sphere in order of largest to smallest carbon sink (Gigatons) with the largest being #1. 20 pts.

  GEOSPHERE HYDROSPHERE ATMOSPHERE BIOSPHERE           Limestone plants rice paddies forest

fires coal bacteria mammals oceans sea shells phytoplankton natural gas

tundra volcanoes power plants methane hydrate crude oil soil vehicle exhaust

CO2 IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Levels of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere just reached 400 parts per million May of 2013, the highest level in nearly 3 million years according to scientists (What did the earth look like then?)

Levels have risen approximately 2 ppm per year from 2000- 2009 and are rising faster now

Atmosphere only .04% CO2 – Not the most powerful greenhouse gas but can change a planet!!!

Do you know what the rest of the atmosphere is made of?

WHAT DOES 400 ppm MEAN?

Parts per million (ppm)

400 parts CO2/1,000,000 parts atmosphere

.04% of atmosphere = =4/10 of 1% of atmosphere

Atmosphere = 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 0.9% Argon, 0-4% Water Vapor, .o4% Carbon

Dioxide, traces of: Neon, Helium, Krypton, and Xenon.

CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS

The graph shows recent monthly mean carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii.

THE EARTH 3 MILLION YEARS AGO

Pliocene Epoch1.8 - 5.3 million years agoThis map shows how North America appeared 3 million years ago. Global sea level dropped over 50 meters in the Pliocene because of an increase in glacial ice at the poles. This increase of glacial ice created a global climate that was relatively dry and cool. At the end of the Pliocene, further expansion of glacial ice occurred at the poles, which led to another decrease in global temperatures, and a drop in sea level around the world.

FAST TRACK/SLOW TRACK CARBON CYCLING

Fasts Track Carbon Cycling: the fast carbon cycle moves 10 to 100 trillion metric tons of carbon per year. Plants and phytoplankton are the main components of the fast carbon cycle through photosynthesis

Can you think of any other components of fast track carbon cycling?

Slow Track Carbon Cycling: Through a series of chemical reactions and tectonic activity, carbon takes between 100-200 million years to move between rocks, soil, ocean, and atmosphere in the slow carbon cycle. On average, 10–100 million metric tons of carbon move through the slow carbon cycle every year.

Can you name any components of slow track carbon cycling?• NASA

FAST TRACK/SLOW TRACK CARBON RECYCLING VIDEO

CLICK PIC

THE FAST TRACK CARBON CYCLE

This diagram of the fast carbon cycle shows the movement of carbon between land, atmosphere, and oceans in billions of tons of carbon per year. Yellow numbers are natural fluxes, red are human contributions in billions of tons of carbon per year. White numbers indicate stored carbon.

THE BALANCE or IMBALANCE

Pentagram = 1012 kilograms or one trillion kilograms = ~ 2.2. trillion lbs.Everything is in balance except burning of fossil fuels = 14.3 trillion lbs. CO2/year to atm.

THE BALANCE or IMBALANCE

CARBON IMBALANCE DEMO

Natural Output Natural Input

Human carbon emissions

CARBON IN SOIL

Soil carbon is the generic name for carbon held within the soil, primarily in association with its organic content.

Soil carbon is the largest terrestrial pool of carbon (2,300 Gigatonnes (Gt)). Humans increasingly influence the size of this pool. Soil carbon plays a key role in the carbon cycle and

thus is important in global climate modelsHistorically, land-use conversion and soil cultivation

have been an important source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere. It is estimated that they are responsible for about one-third of GHG emissions. *

*(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

SOIL CARBON CYCLE

CARBON ABSORPTION IN THE OCEANS

Of all the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the atmosphere, one quarter is taken up by land plants, another quarter by the oceans.

There are two main factors that determine how fast CO2 is absorbed by the oceans : the amount of carbonate available, dependent on the

acidity of the oceans to dissolve deposited sea shells the other is the “biological pump” where one celled

organisms, the animals that feed on these organisms, and fecal matter sink to the bottom of the oceans carrying carbon with them, which remains in the depths for long periods of time.

CARBON IN THE OCEANS

Carbon Dioxide and the Oceans Video

CLICK PIC

Ocean Chemistry and Carbon Storage

NOAA

THE DILEMA WITH OCEAN ABSORPTION

1. The issue with climate change brought on by global warming is the fact that warmer water absorbs less CO2 and the oceans are becoming warmer due to global warming

2. The less CO2 absorbed by warmer oceans means more CO2 stays in the atmosphere causing an increase in the rate of global warming.

3. The colder waters near the poles absorb the most CO2 in the oceans but these regions are warming at a much faster pace, twice the rate of anywhere on the planet, which will slow down CO2 absorption in these regions.

These are natural feedback systems

OUR GUY BILL NYE – CO2 in the OCEANS VIDEO

CLICK PIC

DAY 1 EXIT TICKET

The Earth’s atmosphere passed 400 ppm in carbon dioxide in April of 2013. If studies indicate an increase of 2 ppm per year of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere what will the concentration of carbon dioxide be in the atmosphere in the year 2050?

Some studies suggest that the average global temperatures may rise 2.5 – 5.4° F by 2050.

What effects do you think this rise in temperature will have on your life and the lives of those you know, including possible offspring (children)?

How old will you be in 2050?

DAY 2 WARM_UP ACTIVITY

Choose a partner and “brain-storm” the effects that deforestation have and will have on the ecosystems on Earth. Include carbon sequestering, oxygen levels, rainfall, and loss of biodiversity (species extinction).

You have 5 – 10 minutes

After completed, let’s see how the rest of the class’s views compare to yours.

CARBON DIOXIDE STORAGE IN FORESTS

Forests in the United States absorb and store about 750 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, an amount equivalent to 10% of the country’s CO2 emissions.

Forests play a specific and important role in the global carbon cycle by absorbing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, storing carbon above and below ground, and producing oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis.

University of Leeds research found global forests absorb nearly 40 per cent of man made fossil fuel emissions every year.

FOREST SEQUESTERING OF CO2

The study by the U. of Leeds showed that forests are absorbing almost 40 per cent of the 38 billion tons of carbon dioxide created by mankind every year.

However, 10.8 billion tons is released as a consequence of deforestation as trees are chopped down. (deforestation)

DISAPPEARING CARBON FOREST STORAGE

1 hectare = 2.47 acres

500, 000 hectare = 1, 235, 000 acres per year

CALCULATING THE DESTRUCTION OF RAIN FORESTS

According the World Wildlife Fund – rain forests are being cleared at a rate of 26 hectares per minute. Calculate the number of hectares cleared

in: An hour A day A year Convert to acres for yearly total

CALCULATING THE DESTRUCTION OF RAIN FORESTS

26 ha per minute X 60 min. per hour = 1560 ha/hour

1560 ha per hour X 24 hrs. = 37,440 ha/day

37,440 ha/day X 365 days/yr. = 13,665,600 ha/yr.

1 hectare = 2.47 acres13,665,600 ha X 2.47 = 33,754,032

acres/yr. = 52,763 sq. mi.State of New York = 54,475 sq. miles

THE RAIN FOREST AND CO2

Twenty acres of rain forest absorbs 80 tons of CO2 in a year - the amount of Co2 emitted from burning 8000 gallons of gasoline.

Therefore 1 acre of rain forest would absorb 4 tons of CO2 in a year.

The Amazon rainforest absorbs 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year.

Tropical rainforests have the highest mean net primary production of any terrestrial ecosystem, meaning an acre of rainforest stores more carbon than an acre of any other vegetation type.

The rainforest is the single greatest source of the air that we breathe, accounting for a full 20%.

SO, HOW MUCH CO2 LEFT IN THE AIR?

Calculate how much carbon dioxide is left in the air annually by destroying the rain forest at current rates.33,754,032 acres/yr. X 4 tons of CO2 per acre/year

= 135,016,128 tons of CO2 left in the atmosphere every year by deforestation of the Rain Forest!!!!

OTHER EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION

The world’s rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation.

Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species.

Seventy percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.

DEFORESTATION VIDEO

CLICK PIC

Anthropogenic Carbon Sequestration

The process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and depositing it in a reservoir. When carried out deliberately, this may also be referred to as carbon dioxide removal, which is a form of geo-engineering.

Ocean iron fertilization is an example of such a geo-engineering technique. Iron fertilization attempts to encourage phytoplankton growth, which removes carbon from the atmosphere for at least a period of time.

Anthropogenic Carbon Sequestration

GEOLOGICAL CO2 STORAGE

VIDEO – GEOLOGIC CARBON SEQUESTRATION

CLICK PIC

Carbon Sequestration

Lesson Closure

Topics Covered

1. Carbon sinks – definition, types2. major sequestering sinks – soil, oceans,

forests3. Carbon recycling – fast track/slow track4. Carbon Dioxide Imbalance5. Anthropogenic Sequestering of Carbon –

Ocean/Land

GEOLOGIC SEQUESTERING LAB

Geo Seq. Lab

ASSESSMENT - EXIT TICKET!!!

Why is it essential that humans try to reduce the rate of heating of the northern most oceans (Arctic and Antarctic)with respect to carbon sequestration?