The table below lists natural and human-accelerated fluxes within the system. Th

Question

The table below lists natural and human-accelerated fluxes within the system. The units of the fluxes billions of metric tons per year. For example, the flux of photosynthesis by plants takes carbon from the atmosphere to plants at a rate of 102 times 109 metric tons/yr. Sources: Houghton, J. Jenkins, G., and Ephraums, J., 1990. Climate Change: The IPCC Scientific Assessment. Cambridge Univ. Press (for UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). National Research Council, 1986. Global Change in the Geosphere-Biosphere. Washington: National Academy Press. For each reservoir determine whether it is a sink, a source or in steady-state. Do not include the human-accelerated fluxes in your calculations Show your work and don't forget units!! Atmosphere Ocean Carbonate Rocks Plants Soils Fossil Fuels

Explanation / Answer

by calculating the resultant value of carbon that remains in each reservoir...we can determine is its a sink, source or in a steady state... basically : Resultant = Total output - Total Input.... If the value turns out to be positive which means its a source....if the value is less than zero (negative) then it will be a sink and if the value turns out to be ZERO (0) ... means the reservoir is in a steady state.... (If output > input = Source....and vice versa....).................... So for Atmosphere Total Output = Photosynthesis(50) + Diffusion to Ocean (92).................. Total Input = Burning (5) + Respiration (50) + Diffusion from soils (52) + and Diffusion from Ocean (90).... Resultant = -55 x 10^9 metric tonnes / year... So atmosphere is a Sink............. Similarly..... Carbonate Rocks = -1.4 x 10^9 Metric tonnes per year = Sink.............. Soils = 2 x 10^9 Met.Tons = Source............. Ocean = 0.12 x 10^9 Met. Tons per year = Source.............. Plants = 1 x 10^9 Met. Tons per year = Source................. Fossil Fuels = 1 x 10^9 Met. Tons per year = Source...............

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