Carbon cycle

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The carbon cycle is a part of the biogeochemical cycle where carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of Earth. Other major biogeochemical cycles include the nitrogen cycle and the water cycle. Carbon is the main component of biological compounds as well as a major component of many rocks such as limestone. The carbon cycle comprises a sequence of events that are key to making Earth capable of sustaining life. 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. At 422.7 parts per million (ppm), the global average atmospheric carbon dioxide has set a new record high in 2024. To describe the dynamics of the carbon cycle, a distinction can be made between the fast and slow carbon cycle. The fast cycle is also referred to as the biological carbon cycle. Fast cycles can complete within years, moving substances...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Diagram adapted from U.S. DOE, Biological and Environmental Research Information System., Public domain