more science, systems & the carbon cycle

More Science: First, a caveat: I am not a scientist.  This is an outline of my very basic, humble undertanding of some pretty complex concepts.  Okay, here goes: I've already briefly outlined some basic scientific information, and here's a more in-depth expression of the Laws of Thermodynamics:

The 1st Law of Thermodynamics: For a thermodynamic cycle, the net amount of energy transferred into a closed system by heat equals the net amount of energy transferred out of the system by work. For a process, the change of the total energy within a closed system equals the net amount of energy transferred into the system by heat minus the net amount of energy transferred out of the system by work.

The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics: It is impossible for any system to operate in such a way that the result would be an energy transfer of heat from a cooler to a hotter body. It is impossible for any system to operate in a thermodynamic cycle and deliver a net amount of energy by work to its surroundings while receiving energy by heat from a single thermal reservoir. It is impossible to construct a perpetual motion machine of the second kind.

Open, Closed and Isolated Systems:  A system can be anything - a body, a factory, a city, a planet.  Everything outside the system is the system's surroundings and the system is distinguished from its surroundings by a specific boundary.  In an open system, both matter and energy can transfer in and out of the system across the system boundary.  A closed system always contains the same amount of matter, but energy can transfer in and out through the system boundary. An isolated system does not interact in any way with its surroundings, and all matter and energy contained within it is retained (this is pretty theoretical, though as we have not yet discovered a perfect insulator).  The Earth is a closed system, meaning that matter is retained on the planet (for the most part, barring the occasional meteorite landing here or satellite being launched), while energy (solar energy in, albedo radiated out) flows in and out across the system boundary.

The Carbon Cycle:  The Carbon Cycle is a complex series of processes (including photosynthesis, respiration, biochemical and geochemical processes) through which all Carbon atoms in the Earth System move.  Carbon is one of the essential elements of life, and is present in all plants and animals on the planet.  As mentioned above, the Earth is a closed system.  This means that if it's here, it's not going anywhere, so we'd better be careful about what we let accumulate in our ecosphere and atmosphere.  It also means that the carbons that make up your body have been here since the dawn of time, and may have been part of a blue-green algae living somewhere around where Thailand now stands, eons and eons ago.  It's a trip....  (You really want to blow your mind, start thinking about whether or not the universe is an open, closed or isolated system!)

The Role of Photosynthesis and Respiration in the Carbon Cycle: The biological processes of Photosynthesis and Respiration play an important role in the movement of carbon through the Earth system, particularly in the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Almost all life forms are dependent on the sugars produced through Photosynthesis, the process through which plants and marine biota synthesize Carbon Dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere and water absorbed from the soil, with the help of solar energy (E), to make carbohydrates (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2).

Photosynthesis: E + 6 CO2 + 6 H20 => C6H12O6 + 6 02

Respiration is the process by which these carbohydrates are metabolized to produce chemical energy for growth and reproduction, rendering them back into carbon dioxide and water (H2O). Through respiration and decay (respiration involving bacteria and fungi), carbon is returned to the atmosphere.

Respiration: C6H12O6 + 6 02 => 6 CO2 + 6 H20 + E

In the oceans, photosynthesis and respiration done by phytoplankton aids in the creation of shells made of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which settle to the ocean floor after death and build up over geological time periods to form fossil fuel deposits.

The Role of the 1st and 2nd Laws of Thermodynamics in the Carbon Cycle:  With relation to the Carbon Cycle, The 1st Law of Thermodynamics implies that the temperature of the Earth is regulated by the presence of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases, and water vapour, produced by respiration, play key roles in retaining sufficient solar energy to sustain life. The Earth is a closed system, and concentrations of carbon dioxide affect the energy exchanged between the atmosphere and the sun. Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lead to more energy being trapped in the system, creating an systematically increasing deviation from the natural state and potentially causing a complex series of effects, including global warming, polar ice cap melting, an amplification of the albedo, ocean warming (releasing trapped carbon dioxide and disrupting growth of marine organisms), releasing of methane gases from the Earth’s crust, increasing or decreasing plant growth, forcing of an interglacial-glacial transition, etc. Because of the complex and non-linear nature of the Earth system, it is impossible to tell what sort of positive feedback loops could be created by forcing the system in the manner which humans have been doing.

With relation to the Carbon Cycle, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics implies that the main energy source of the Earth system in which the cycle operates is the sun, which is analogous to a large solar-space battery in that the positive solar energy is radiated into the negative area of space. The Earth then radiates heat away from itself back into the negative area of space (the albedo), creating a flow of energy that regulates the internal energy of the Earth’s atmosphere. This cyclical and directional movement of energy from hotter to a cooler body charges other “secondary batteries” and geophysical processes such as the water cycle and photosynthesis, producing a leveling effect of the global climate.

The Link Between Increasing CO2 levels in the Atmosphere and Global Climate Change: Systemically increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere contribute to more solar energy being trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. The possible effects of this include increased global mean temperature, polar ice cap melting, rising sea levels, a slowing down/disruption/cessation of thermohaline circulation, inclement weather systems (ie: stronger hurricanes, tsunamis, etc.), amplification of the albedo, ocean warming (releasing trapped carbon dioxide and disrupting growth of marine organisms), releasing of methane gases from the Earth’s crust, increases or decreases in plant growth, forcing of an interglacial-glacial transition, etc.

So people, we have got to seriously check our use of carbon, especially in emissions, and our physical destruction of the natural systems that cleanse the atmosphere, like Amazon deforestation.  It's no longer just about saving trees, it's about saving ourselves from cataclysmic death.  Okay, that's the bad news.  The good news is that we are amazing, complex and intelligent beings who can look at all this and decide to stop the insanity before it all comes crashing to a big halt and the planet devolves into what Karl-Henrik likes to call a "Republic of Grass and Insects."  Though to be honest, it all seems very daunting from where I sit at the moment, and we have (half-) jokingly talked about making an SLTS suicide pact.  Just kidding, you can drink our Kool-Aid.  And don't worry, we're coming to save the world....

Comments

[Peter Weggeman]

Good summary. I am a chemist. I am looking for mathematical or experimental analyses of impact of increasing levels of CO2 in atmosphere/sunlight models. Have been unable to find such data.
Thanks. Peter.