APES- Carbon Cycle and the Greenhouse Effect go to: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/education/carbon_toolkit/basics.

html Name: __________________________________ Influential Greenhouse Gases: For each of the following, list WHAT they are, WHERE they are found and HOW they affect climate Carbon Dioxide (CO2):
A colorless, odorless gas made from two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom. The molecules are found in carbon sinks like the ocean, and affects the climate by absorbing the UV radation that reaches the ozone layer, trapping heat.

Methane (CH4):

A colorless, odorless non-toxic gas made from four hydrogen atoms and one carbon atom. This molecule is found naturally when organic matter decomposes in low oxygen environments. Human sources include the mining of fossil fuels and transportation of natural gas, digestive processes in ruminant animals such as cattle, rice paddies and the buried waste in landlls. It affects climate through reactions with small molecules in the atmosphere Nitrous Oxide (N2O):

A colorless, sweetish smelling gas that is known as laughing gas. This is naturally found in rainforests, but can be man made. This gas reacts to sunlight and is only broken down in the atmoshpere from the sunlight-driven reactions.

Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6):

An extremely potent greenhouse gas that is is very persistent, with an atmospheric lifetime of more than a thousand years. This gas is man made by electrical companies and is used to conduct high electrical voltage in their products. It absorbs the radiation from UV light and traps it within the atmosphere as long as the gas is present, and because of its life time, it has masive impacts.

Draw a diagram and label to EXPLAIN the greenhouse effect:

***See below***

Explain how the Carbon Cycle is involved in global climate change:

Carbon is released from its sink by a source, placing it back into the atmosphere, where it becomes a greenhouse gas. The gas resides there, trapping heat and increasing the global temperature, until its residence time is reached, and it recedes into its geological sink, where it remains until it is cycled back into the atmosphere.

What are Carbon SOURCES and SINKS?

A source is a prt of the carbon cycle where the gas is returned to the atmosphere. A sink is where the carbon is returned into the land or aquatic areas that are NOT the atmosphere.

How does deforestation increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere? Explain.
The reduced amount of photosynthesizers causes less oxygen to be taken in for the process that turns CO2 into O2, or oxygen.

How do the oceans absorb excess CO2 from the atmosphere and how does this affect the oceans?
The carbon gasses bind with the moisture in the clouds, and falls with rain. The gas then binds with the water to create carbonic acid, where it can fall into the ocean.

Explain how the industrial revolution has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
During this time period, coal was discovered to be a source of energy, and was burned for electricity. This released carbon dioxide when the fossil fuel was burned.

According to the graph, which country is the biggest contributor to global carbon emissions worldwide?
The United States of America