The natural flows of carbon between the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial ecosystems, and sediments are fairly balanced so carbon levels would be roughly stable without human influence. The ocean contains the largest active pool of carbon near the surface of the Earth. The carbon exchanges between reservoirs occur as the result of various chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes. These carbon stores interact with the other components through geological processes. Sediments, including fossil fuels, freshwater systems, and non-living organic material.Ocean, including dissolved inorganic carbon and living and non-living marine biota.The global carbon cycle is now usually divided into the following major reservoirs of carbon (also called carbon pools) interconnected by pathways of exchange: : 5–6 The carbon cycle was first described by Antoine Lavoisier and Joseph Priestley, and popularised by Humphry Davy. The majority of fossil carbon has been extracted over just the past half century, and rates continue to rise rapidly, contributing to human-caused climate change. The increased carbon dioxide has also caused a reduction in the ocean's pH value and is fundamentally altering marine chemistry. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere had increased nearly 52% over pre-industrial levels by 2020, forcing greater atmospheric and Earth surface heating by the Sun. Human activities have disturbed the fast carbon cycle for many centuries by modifying land use, and moreover with the recent industrial-scale mining of fossil carbon ( coal, petroleum, and gas extraction, and cement manufacture) from the geosphere. Slow or geological cycles (also called deep carbon cycle) can take millions of years to complete, moving substances through the Earth's crust between rocks, soil, ocean and atmosphere. Fast carbon cycles can complete within years, moving substances from atmosphere to biosphere, then back to the atmosphere. The fast carbon cycle is also referred to as the biological carbon cycle. ![]() To describe the dynamics of the carbon cycle, a distinction can be made between the fast and slow carbon cycle. It describes the movement of carbon as it is recycled and reused throughout the biosphere, as well as long-term processes of carbon sequestration (storage) to and release from carbon sinks. The carbon cycle comprises a sequence of events that are key to making Earth capable of sustaining life. Carbon is the main component of biological compounds as well as a major component of many minerals such as limestone. ![]() Other major biogeochemical cycles include the nitrogen cycle and the water cycle. The carbon cycle is that part of the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of Earth.
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