Carbon cycle

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Ages

6 8 1012141618+

Introduction

Summary

This animation of the carbon cycle shows the exchanges of carbon dioxide between the planet’s 4 natural reservoirs ( atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere). Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. The natural carbon cycle is balanced.
Human activities (industrialization, deforestation, combustion of fossil fuels) alter these exchanges and are at the origin of an excess of waste CO2 in our atmosphere. Only 50% of these wastes are absorbed by natural carbon wells (biomass and ocean).

Goals

To illustrate the imbalance created by human activities.
To specify the orders of magnitude involved.

Features

Click in a reservoir to enlarge it and find details of exchanges there.
Rollover the arrows to display the labels.

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