Part of a series on the
Carbon cycle
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Carbon dioxide In the atmosphere Ocean acidification Removal Satellite measurements
Forms of carbon Total carbon (TC) Total organic carbon (TOC) Total inorganic carbon (TIC) Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) Particulate organic carbon (POC) Particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) Primary production marine Black carbon Blue carbon Kerogen
Metabolic pathways Photosynthesis Chemosynthesis Calvin cycle Reverse Krebs cycle Carbon fixation C3 C4
Carbon respiration Ecosystem respiration Net ecosystem production Photorespiration Soil respiration
Carbon pumps Biological pump Martin curve Solubility pump Lipid pump Marine snow Microbial loop Viral shunt Jelly pump Whale pump Continental shelf pump
Carbon sequestration Carbon sink Soil carbon storage Marine sediment pelagic sediment
Methane Atmospheric methane Methanogenesis Methane emissions Arctic Wetland Aerobic production Clathrate gun hypothesis Carbon dioxide clathrate
Biogeochemical Marine cycles Nutrient cycle Carbonate–silicate cycle Carbonate compensation depth Great Calcite Belt Redfield ratio
Other Climate reconstruction proxies Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio Deep biosphere Deep Carbon Observatory Global Carbon Project Carbon capture and storage Carbon cycle re-balancing Territorialisation of carbon governance Total Carbon Column Observing Network C4MIP CO2SYS
Category

Carbon respiration (also called carbon emissions and carbon releases) is used in combination with carbon fixation to gauge carbon flux (as CO₂) between atmospheric carbon and the global carbon cycle

Basic process

Carbon is released to the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, organic respiration, wood burning, and volcanic eruptions. The uptake of carbon from the atmosphere occurs through carbon dissolution into the oceans, Photosynthesis, and the consequent storing of carbon in various forms such as peat bogs, oil accumulation, and formation of minerals such as coal and copper. It also happens when carbohydrates are changed into carbon dioxide.

Carbon flux ratio

Graph of CO₂, temperature, and dust concentration measured from the Vostok, Antarctica ice core as reported by Petit et al., 1999.

The calculation of the annual net difference between carbon release and carbon storage constitutes the annual global atmospheric carbon accumulation rate. Using this method, the annual carbon flux ratio has been calculated to be approaching zero. This means the carbon respiration rate and carbon storage rate are in balance when generating a global estimate of this figure.^[1]

Annual net carbon flux has been grossly calculated to be close to zero, implying the carbon release and carbon fixation rates are roughly in balance worldwide. This finding is contradicted by measuring the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, an important indication that the balance is tipped toward emissions. Using this data, atmospheric concentrations appear to have increased rapidly over the past 100 years and are currently higher than ever in human history, suggesting that more carbon is being released than can be absorbed on earth.

References