Name(s): Zachary Esposito Period: Date:10/30/2018

HASPI Medical Biology Lab 13

Background Information
Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems
and interactions—including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between
systems at different scales. A large variety of these models are available online for
education, simulations, and real-time data. In this activity, you will use Internet-based
models to learn more about the carbon cycle and its impact on our lives.

Materials
Computer/Internet Graph paper/Graphing software

Directions
You will be given tasks, or directions, to perform on the left. Record your questions,
observations, or required response to each task on the right.
Part A. Learning About the Carbon Cycle
Task Response
Go to the following website:
1 http://sepuplhs.org/high/sgi/teachers/carbon_sim.html
This website, created by the Science
Education for Public Understanding Program
(SEPUP), will provide an integrated animation
2
and simulation of the carbon cycle.
Click the button at the bottom
of the page.
Click on the button, followed
3 by the on the left-hand side of the
page. Click the button.
The image provides an interactive visual of the carbon cycle through the “Pre-Industrial
4 Era.” The star symbols represent carbon reservoirs, while the flashing arrows indicate
how carbon is moved between carbon reservoirs.
Click on each carbon reservoir to learn
more about it, and use the information
5 provided to complete the questions in
Table 1. Click on the information box to
close it.
Click on each of the arrows to learn
more about how carbon moves
between reservoirs, and use the
6
information provided to complete the
questions in Table 2. Click on the
information box to close it.
 Task Image

7 Click the button at the bottom of the page. This button will not become
available until all of the stars and arrows on the “Pre-Industrial Era” image have been
opened.
The image provides an interactive visual of the carbon cycle through the “Post-Industrial
8 Era.” The star symbols represent carbon reservoirs, while the flashing arrows indicate
how carbon is moved between carbon reservoirs.
Click on each carbon reservoir to learn
more about it, and use the information
9 provided to complete the questions in
Table 3. Click on the information box to
close it.
Click on each of the arrows to learn
more about how carbon moves
between reservoirs, and use the
10
information provided to complete the
questions in Table 4. Click on the
information box to close it.
Create a line or bar graph comparing the Gigatons (Gt) of carbon stored in each
11 reservoir between the Pre-Industrial and Post-Industrial Eras. Use the graph to answer the
analysis questions below.
12 Click on the button at the bottom of the page to move on to the
simulation. You must go through all of the stars and arrows before the button will become
active.

Part A Analysis Questions – answer questions on a separate sheet of paper

1. How has the carbon cycle changed between the Pre-Industrial and Post-Industrial eras?
There is an increase of carbon dioxide in the air.
2. In which reservoir was the most carbon stored in the Pre-Industrial era? Rocks
3. In which reservoir was the least carbon stored in the Pre-Industrial era? Fossil Fuels
4. In which reservoir is the most carbon stored in the Post-Industrial era? Rocks
5. In which reservoir is the least carbon stored in the Post-Industrial era? Land Plants
6. What is the difference between the source and sink in this activity? Sink absorbs more
carbon then it gives off, source emits more than it absorbs.
7. Between which source and sink was the most carbon exchanged in the Pre-Industrial era?
Soil and Detritus
8. Between which source and sink is the most carbon exchanged in the Post-Industrial era?
Fossil Fuels

362 Carbon, Life, and Health, HASPI Medical Biology Lab 13

Table 1. Pre-Industrial Era Carbon Reservoirs
Average Amount
Carbon Reservoir of Carbon in Description
Gigatons (Gt)
70 million Gt The carbon cycles through carbonate & silicate rocks, through
Rocks such processes as weathering and disposition

1550 Gt When organisms die, scavengers and bacteria break down their
Soil & Detritus tissues, which mix with minerals and rock. Eventually creating soil

610 Gt Organisms cycle carbon through cellular respiration taking in

Land Plants oxygen and glucose and releasing carbon dioxide and water

560 Gt Amount of carbon in the air changes based on the combination

Atmosphere of carbon fluxes to the air from all the reservoirs

N/A Burned everyday by humans since 2000 bc

Fossil Fuels
48 GT Phytoplankton convert approx. 0.1 Gt of atmospheric carbon into
Ocean Biomass glucose and other organic compounds everyday

38,000 Gt Surface layer contains about 1,000 Gt of carbon, which meets the
Ocean Waters (6,000 in air through carbon dioxide gas dissolving in and out of the water.
settlement)

Table 2. Pre-Industrial Era Carbon Cycling

Average Amount
What is the Source
Carbon Cycle of Carbon in Description
Gigatons (Gt) and Sink?
60 Gt Decaying organic One of the main sources of change in the
Soil & Detritus matter & soil amounts of atmospheric carbon

120 Gt Photosynthesis &

Plants Cellular respiration
4,000-10,000 Coal, crude oil, &
Fossil Fuels Gt natural gas

N/A Burning carbon- Some ecosystems depend on wildfires &

Fires/Combustion containing materials their efforts to maintain biodiversity &
promote growth of plants & trees

48 Gt Atmospheric carbon
Ocean Biomass
90 Gt Ocean water & the
Ocean Waters atmosphere

Carbon, Life, and Health, HASPI Medical Biology Lab 13 363

Table 3. Post-Industrial Era Carbon Reservoirs
Average Amount
Carbon Reservoir of Carbon in Description
Gigatons (Gt)
About the Carbon flux in rocks occurs on a long timescale that’s not
Rocks same considered a part of the annual flux in the carbon cycle

Human activity in land use patterns & agricultural practices can

Soil & Detritus N/A change how much soil is oxidized by the air

560 Gt Decline because of forests being burned/cut down and have

Land Plants been replaced by grassland/farms

750 Gt Increase is due to fossil fuel combustion, deforestation & alteration

Atmosphere of land use

The widespread use of internal combustion engines & electricity

Fossil Fuels N/A greatly increased the consumption of fossil fuels

Decline as high of 40% due to ocean temp rise caused by global

Ocean Biomass N/A temperature rise

Carbon dioxide in air dissolves in water, changes into carbon

Ocean Waters N/A acid, which increases the acidity of the ocean

Table 4. Post-Industrial Era Carbon Cycling

Average Amount
What is the Source
Carbon Cycle of Carbon in Description
Gigatons (Gt) and Sink?
2 Gt deforestation Industrial Farming practices lead to erosion
Soil & Detritus and degradation of soil. Also increases
carbon released in the air

150 Gt Land use changes have increased more

Plants carbon into the air

Invention of plastics & the use of internal

Fossil Fuels combustion engines greatly increased the
consumption of fossil fuels

Loss of forests means loss of carbon

Fires/Combustion storage and cycling

364 Carbon, Life, and Health, HASPI Medical Biology Lab 13

 48 Gt
Ocean Biomass

90 Gt Ocean water & More carbon going into the ocean

Ocean Waters atmosphere than coming out

Carbon, Life, and Health, HASPI Medical Biology Lab 13 365