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edited Mar 22, 2023 at 3:08

The assumptions you state are:

Oxygen only exists in the atmosphere, as either O2 or CO2
Carbon only exists in the atmosphere as CO2 and above surface in the form of organic matter
Oxidization of organic matter and photosynthesis are the only ways in which oxygen and carbon move through their respective reservoirs.

But all of these assumptions are, in essence, wrong:

Carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean where it is then sequestered via CaCO3 into sedimentary rocks and from there into the Earth mantle. There were ~600 gigatons of carbon in the atmosphere in the pre-industrial era, about 4 times that much in the biosphere (organic carbon), and about 60 times that much in the oceans (about 38,000 gigatons of carbon). (Source) There is far far more carbon even in the crust and the mantle: About $10^{8}$ and $10^{10}$ gigatons, respectively. (Source)
A certain fraction of the carbon is also moved from the atmosphere via photosynthesis into rocks by way of hydrocarbons (oil, gas, and coal). And then, of course, some of that is released again as well: By way of us burning fossil fuels, but also by way of direct methane and oil leaks from underground reservoirs to the ocean or the atmosphere; by oxidation of these fossil fuels by bacteria if oxygen can reach these reservoirs; or by coal seam fires.

Oxygen, too, is bound up elsewhere. An example are oxidized iron rocks -- banded iron formations -- in which oxygen was drawn out of the atmosphere-ocean system and sequestered into rocks.

The assumptions you state are:

Oxygen only exists in the atmosphere, as either O2 or CO2
Carbon only exists in the atmosphere as CO2 and above surface in the form of organic matter
Oxidization of organic matter and photosynthesis are the only ways in which oxygen and carbon move through their respective reservoirs.

But all of these assumptions are, in essence, wrong:

Carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean where it is then sequestered via CaCO3 into sedimentary rocks and from there into the Earth mantle. There were ~600 gigatons of carbon in the atmosphere in the pre-industrial era, about 4 times that much in the biosphere (organic carbon), and about 60 times that much in the oceans (about 38,000 gigatons of carbon). (Source) There is far far more carbon even in the crust and the mantle: About $10^{8}$ and $10^{10}$ gigatons, respectively. (Source)
Oxygen, too, is bound up elsewhere. An example are oxidized iron rocks -- banded iron formations -- in which oxygen was drawn out of the atmosphere-ocean system and sequestered into rocks.

The assumptions you state are:

Oxygen only exists in the atmosphere, as either O2 or CO2
Carbon only exists in the atmosphere as CO2 and above surface in the form of organic matter
Oxidization of organic matter and photosynthesis are the only ways in which oxygen and carbon move through their respective reservoirs.

But all of these assumptions are, in essence, wrong:

Carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean where it is then sequestered via CaCO3 into sedimentary rocks and from there into the Earth mantle. There were ~600 gigatons of carbon in the atmosphere in the pre-industrial era, about 4 times that much in the biosphere (organic carbon), and about 60 times that much in the oceans (about 38,000 gigatons of carbon). (Source) There is far far more carbon even in the crust and the mantle: About $10^{8}$ and $10^{10}$ gigatons, respectively. (Source)
A certain fraction of the carbon is also moved from the atmosphere via photosynthesis into rocks by way of hydrocarbons (oil, gas, and coal). And then, of course, some of that is released again as well: By way of us burning fossil fuels, but also by way of direct methane and oil leaks from underground reservoirs to the ocean or the atmosphere; by oxidation of these fossil fuels by bacteria if oxygen can reach these reservoirs; or by coal seam fires.

Oxygen, too, is bound up elsewhere. An example are oxidized iron rocks -- banded iron formations -- in which oxygen was drawn out of the atmosphere-ocean system and sequestered into rocks.

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created Mar 21, 2023 at 23:17

The assumptions you state are:

Oxygen only exists in the atmosphere, as either O2 or CO2
Carbon only exists in the atmosphere as CO2 and above surface in the form of organic matter
Oxidization of organic matter and photosynthesis are the only ways in which oxygen and carbon move through their respective reservoirs.

But all of these assumptions are, in essence, wrong:

Carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean where it is then sequestered via CaCO3 into sedimentary rocks and from there into the Earth mantle. There were ~600 gigatons of carbon in the atmosphere in the pre-industrial era, about 4 times that much in the biosphere (organic carbon), and about 60 times that much in the oceans (about 38,000 gigatons of carbon). (Source) There is far far more carbon even in the crust and the mantle: About $10^{8}$ and $10^{10}$ gigatons, respectively. (Source)
Oxygen, too, is bound up elsewhere. An example are oxidized iron rocks -- banded iron formations -- in which oxygen was drawn out of the atmosphere-ocean system and sequestered into rocks.