![]() ![]() Decomposition And Fossil Fuels The mining and burning of fossil fuels is part of the carbon cycle. Shells that sink to the bottom of the seafloor (for example, when shellfish die) will eventually, with time and pressure, compact and merge into the ocean bed, becoming part of the lithosphere. This can then bond with calcium to create the compound known as calcium bicarbonate, an essential component in the makeup of shells and many crustaceans. When water with a high carbon content hits the ocean, it dissolves and produces bicarbonate ions. ![]() Carbon and acid rainwater can also land in the ocean. As the rocks are weathered, minerals are released, which in turn create inorganic carbons. The acidic nature of this rainwater causes it to eat away at solid rock, dissolving and eroding it over time. CO 2 accumulates in the air and saturates rainwater to form a mild type of acid rain. For example, photosynthesizing plants on land remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, and those carbon atoms become part of the structure of the plants. The exchange of carbon from the atmosphere to the earth happens in a few different ways. Carbon is transferred between the ocean, atmosphere, soil, and living things over time scales of hours to centuries. The hydrosphere, which includes all bodies of water on Earth, also contains carbon in carbon dioxide form, as does the biosphere, which is the term used for all organic life. Carbon can also be found in the atmosphere, most commonly in the form of carbon dioxide, an organic compound composed of both carbon and oxygen. In fact, it is in the top 15 elements that form the Earth’s crust. The lithosphere, or rock and earth aspect of the Earth, holds a large amount of carbon. Where Is Carbon Found?Ĭarbon can be found in all four spheres of the Earth. Because of this, carbon is an important and often-used source of fuel for living things. These carbon bonds also hold a lot of energy, which can be stored up, or released if the bonds are broken. These bonds are strong, meaning they can form into rings and long connected chains, which are the backbone of most living cells. Carbon is especially important in biology because it can easily form multiple bonds in a variety of organic molecules. It is one of the most abundant elements after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen, and is an integral part of all human, animal, and plant life. Carbon is one of the many natural elements that can be found on, and in, Earth. ![]()
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