carbon cycle
Let an agent explain the carbon cycle, its reservoirs, fluxes and timescales, relay measured budgets from scientific assessments with attribution, describe the human perturbation and its role in climate change, and distinguish fast from slow cycles.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain the carbon cycle, its reservoirs, fluxes and timescales, relay measured budgets from scientific assessments with attribution, describe the human perturbation and its role in climate change, and distinguish fast from slow cycles.
The biogeochemical cycle by which carbon moves among the atmosphere, oceans, land, living organisms and rocks through photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, ocean exchange, weathering, volcanism and burial, over timescales from days to millions of years; the cycle regulates atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate, includes the oceanic and the deep carbon cycles, and is perturbed by fossil fuel burning and land use change, which are the basis of human-caused climate change.
What it is for: Not applicable; an Earth system process.
It can be explain reservoirs, fluxes and timescales; relay carbon budgets with sources; describe the human perturbation; distinguish fast and slow cycles.
Distinguishing features
Multiple reservoirs
Fast and slow components
Climate regulation
Human perturbation
What it looks like
Not a visible object; diagrams of reservoirs and arrows of flux.
Physical character
atmospheric carbon: about 870 GtC - recent years
fossil fuel emissions: about 10 GtC per year - recent years, per Global Carbon Project
How it is recognised
Movement of carbon among Earth reservoirs
Fast biological and slow geological cycles
The nitrogen and water cycles are other biogeochemical cycles
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms
regulates - and climate
is perturbed by - and land use change
is assessed by - annual budgets
In practice
Families and kinds
fast carbon cycle through biosphere and atmosphere
oceanic carbon cycle including the solubility and biological pumps
deep or geological carbon cycle through weathering, subduction and volcanism
soil carbon cycling
the anthropogenic perturbation
Standards and regulation
IPCC assessment methods
Greenhouse gas inventory guidelines
Carbon accounting standards
Failure modes and hazards
Climate change from perturbation
Feedbacks such as permafrost thaw
Misrepresenting natural versus human fluxes
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.carbon-cycle
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Understand How the cycle works.
Science.
Reservoirs
Reservoirs and fluxes.
Reservoirs
Reservoirs.
- What are the carbon reservoirs and the fluxes between them? definition
- Is the question about the carbon cycle or another biogeochemical cycle? boundary
Timescales
Fast and slow cycles.
Timescales
Timescales.
- How do the fast and slow carbon cycles differ in timescale and mechanism? definition
- Which entry fits the specific subcycle? action
Budget Measurement and budgets.
Sources.
Budget
The carbon budget.
Budget
Budget.
- What do annual carbon budgets report about sources and sinks, with sources? measurement
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Methods
Measurement methods.
Methods
Methods.
- How are carbon fluxes measured, from flux towers to satellites and ocean surveys? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Human Human perturbation.
Attribution.
Perturbation
The perturbation.
Perturbation
Perturbation.
- How have fossil fuels and land use altered the cycle, and what do assessments conclude, with attribution? provenance
- Is the presentation attributed to assessments? boundary
Feedbacks
Feedbacks.
Feedbacks
Feedbacks.
- What carbon cycle feedbacks are expected under warming, with findings attributed? provenance
- Which entry fits climate feedback? action
Respond Responses and history.
Context.
Responses
Sinks and removal.
Responses
Responses.
- How do natural sinks, land management and carbon removal technologies affect the cycle? provenance
- Which entry fits carbon dioxide removal? action
History
History of understanding.
History
History.
- How was the carbon cycle understood, from early chemistry to the Keeling curve and modern budgets? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of climate science? action
What the second pass must settle
- Should the oceanic and deep cycles be separate entries?
- How should assessment reports be linked?
- How should annual budget updates be recorded?