Questions tagged [carbon]
The carbon tag has no usage guidance.
52
questions
2
votes
0
answers
48
views
what is pMC percent modern carbon?
In material about carbon dating I see a lot of results expressed in pMC. For example I saw a 14C/C ratio of .12 pMC. My understanding is that the amount of 14C in carbon is about one trillionth. I'...
- 153
1
vote
1
answer
68
views
Why isn't more money used to build huge Power-2-X photovoltaics stations?
Not sure if this is the right Stack to ask this, please comment if there is a better one.
Currently, there are many entities world-wide which try to use money to reduce carbon emissions: governments, ...
- 113
0
votes
1
answer
74
views
Coversion of μmol/m2 to kg/ m2
I would like to convert μmol C/m2 to kg C/ ha. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to do it? Based on ChatGPT It can be ...
- 3
1
vote
1
answer
72
views
How can woodland be a carbon sink when it is shrinking?
Only half of anthropogenic CO2 emissions remain in the atmosphere. This is easy to check by comparing the rate of emissions against the rate of increase in atmospheric CO2. I have read from various ...
- 121
4
votes
2
answers
394
views
How much does overpopulation affect the carbon dioxide concentration in the air in terms of just breathing?
I'm not talking about other artificial human activities like fossil fuels or cars or cattle farming. I meant just in terms of breathing, how much did the CO2 level of the earth increase because of the ...
- 51
2
votes
0
answers
106
views
Convert methane emissions calculated with GWP100 to GWP20
Given a figure of 1 tonne of CO2e methane emissions, where the CO2e figure is calculated using the 100-year global warming potential, is it possible to do a straight conversion back to tonnes of ...
- 176
0
votes
1
answer
178
views
How to convert Carbon stored in surface sediments (kg/m2) to percent?
I need to convert organic carbon provided in kg C/m2 to percent.
Any help would be appreciated.
1
vote
2
answers
821
views
What is the current atmospheric concentration of $\small\sf{CO_2}$ in the atmosphere in atm (or bar)?
For some reason, I can only find the answer in ppm and I don’t know how to do this conversion.
- 233
4
votes
1
answer
618
views
How do you convert the μmol/mol units for atmospheric CO2 into CO2 mass fraction?
The Keeling curve reports CO2 in units of μmol/mol, but people's (and country's) emissions are generally reported in kilograms or tons of CO2. I would like to convert μmol/mol of CO2 in the atmosphere ...
- 171
3
votes
1
answer
92
views
Looking for details on data presented in IPCC AR6 WG1 report
I am working on a table of data from a chart that appears in the IPCC AR6 WG1 report, Global Carbon and Other Biogeochemical Cycles and Feedbacks-Chapter 5, Figure 5.12 | ...
- 133
2
votes
1
answer
245
views
When is the carbon stored in fossil fuels released back to the atmosphere under natural conditions?
On which time scale is the carbon stored in petroleum and black coal released back to the atmosphere under natural conditions? Exploiting fossil fuels and burning them releases the carbon today, but ...
4
votes
2
answers
750
views
But what exactly is "black carbon" in the context of snow-melting particulates reaching Antarctica?
CNN's What is black carbon? The latest way humans are causing changes in Antarctica doesn't actually say anything about what black carbon is. Neither does The Guardian's Black carbon pollution from ...
- 6,904
4
votes
1
answer
216
views
If methane decays to $\small\sf{CO_2}$ in the atmosphere, shouldn't there be much more $\small\sf{CO_2}$?
I am trying to understand the atmospheric ppm data, specifically around how CH4 decays to CO2.
This data says 2017 CH4 is about 1850ppm, and 2017 CO2 is 402ppm increasing about 3ppm/year. (https://www....
- 151
6
votes
1
answer
130
views
Would home heat pumps provide large benefits against climate change?
Some facts I have learnt
The Global Warming Potential (GWP) was developed to allow comparisons of the global warming impacts of different gases. Specifically, it is a measure of how much energy the ...
- 335
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is Radiocarbon dating flawed?
I posted this before on physics stack exchange, but it was deemed off topic, which is understandable, so I hope it won't be here.
Recently, I stumbled upon an article by an individual named A.M. ...
- 49
1
vote
0
answers
28
views
Calculating carbon sequestration on the percentage of tree cover
What variables are necessary to calculate carbon sequestration on densely population tree cover over a large spatial range?
I wish to work on a project that has been proposed to me and my team at work....
- 111
4
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Is it possible to convert carbon dioxide into a solid at low cost?
Is it possible to reduce the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere by converting it into a solid, thus reducing the level of greenhouse gases?
- 41
3
votes
1
answer
91
views
Why don't we store carbon by storing used plastics under ground?
Some types of used plastics are very stable.
They also contain a significant amount of carbon.
An example is polyethylene (PE).
When waste is collected for recycling, not every plastic part can be ...
- 679
5
votes
1
answer
282
views
How much of the petroleum ever formed has made it into reservoir rocks?
I am aware that it's a bit general a question, and petroleum geology (or petrology ;-)) has never been a field of interest to me. A superficial search using related keywords brings up only economic ...
user20217
2
votes
2
answers
83
views
CO2 Storage, it's possible, but what about
It is possible to store $CO_2$ geologically similar to natural burial. But at the rate that it needs to be buried, how do we know it is economic enough that more fossil fuels wouldn't have to be ...
1
vote
2
answers
154
views
Can a person's individual carbon emissions become negative over their lifetime?
Imagine that a person's individual carbon emissions were logged and accounted for in a ledger over an entire lifetime. If that person could perform certain actions to subtract from their carbon ...
- 113
9
votes
3
answers
221
views
Is $\ce{CO_2}$ in photosynthesis the only way for carbon to become organic?
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_cycle, organic carbon has a cycle. My question is how does carbon enter the cycle in first place? As far as I can say, inorganic carbon enters the ...
- 596
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why is more carbon in the atmosphere good, up to a certain level?
According to Elon Musk, there's "an argument" stating that the current level of carbon in the atmosphere (more than 400 ppm) is better than it was some hundreds of years ago (200 ppm). He even calls ...
2
votes
1
answer
249
views
What is the total mass of organic carbon on Earth?
What is the estimated total mass of organic carbon plus elemental carbon (defined here as all carbon in any chemical form, minus carbon dioxide, inorganic carbonates, and other fully oxidized carbon ...
- 121
4
votes
2
answers
366
views
Is the net amount of CO2 sequestered by trees from the atmosphere simply related to the mass of new growth?
My simplistic model for the carbon cycle was that plants (or trees in particular) photosynthesise and transpire. The former takes up $\small\mathsf{CO_2}$ and $\small\mathsf{H_2O}$ and the latter does ...
- 41
5
votes
3
answers
720
views
Why is carbon dioxide a more important greenhouse gas than nitrous oxide?
I admit that this is not a genuinely earth sience question, but since there is no stack exchange site genuinely devoted to general ecology, I dare to ask it here:
From a table in the German Wikipedia ...
1
vote
1
answer
447
views
What is the Carbon Footprint of not changing car oil?
I am on my second vehicle that I have stopped changing my oil after the car has been broke in or around 90k. The first car I made it 400k miles before the rear end went out. The second car I'm at 130k ...
- 1
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why is there so much more silicon than carbon in the Earth's crust?
Some arguments I've seen about the viability of silicon-based life involve the relative abundance of silicon vs carbon. In the universe as a whole, there's a lot more carbon than silicon around. Yet, ...
- 163
5
votes
1
answer
232
views
Are there any consequences to carbon capture and storage that also sequesters oxygen?
A big argument for carbon capture and storage is true reversal; while switching to renewable energy and eliminating CO2 emissions is a must, it will not reverse the massive movement of carbon from ...
- 153
2
votes
1
answer
333
views
How much net carbon can coral sequester?
So I am wondering how much carbon any given coral can sequester given that carbon dioxide dissolves in water and forms carbonic acid, and coral uses that carbonic acid in their own calcification ...
- 21
7
votes
3
answers
1k
views
In an Earth-like planet with no history of carbon-based life forms, would there be limestone?
The extent of my understanding of limestone is about what Wikipedia says at the very top of the page:
Limestone is a sedimentary rock, composed mainly of skeletal fragments of marine organisms such ...
- 176
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Can I use diamonds as fossil fuel?
Aside from cultural implications (correct me if I'm wrong but artificial diamonds are not so hard to obtain, right?) diamonds are pure carbon and are more unstable than graphite. So, why not use ...
- 154
5
votes
1
answer
198
views
If a person uses public transport, how much carbon is added to the footprint?
For example if I use a public transport which is burning fuel with or without my presence, how one could calculate carbon footprint?
Hope I am in the right place for asking this question.
- 151
8
votes
1
answer
175
views
What controls the acidity of the ocean?
I have learned that:
coral reefs are made up mostly of calcium carbonate
coral reefs are mainly distributed in the tropical zone
The calcium carbonate will be decomposed in the reaction as ...
- 2,489
6
votes
2
answers
195
views
Will photosynthesis based carbon sequestration always be more efficient than other chemical means - in terms of rate?
There seem to be many ideas for carbon sequestration. The problem with anything electrochemical, is that unless it is solar-based, you're putting carbon into the atmosphere at probably a great rate ...
- 915
7
votes
0
answers
50
views
Effect of snow on BVOC emmisions of plants/trees
Plants re-emit a substantial fraction of their assimilated carbon into the atmosphere as Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) that affect the chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere. ...
- 243
1
vote
0
answers
76
views
How to calculate the Ecological footprint [closed]
I'm looking for a algorithm or a formula to calculate the ecological footprint of one person who is using any kind of vehicle (car, public transit...).
- 11
9
votes
7
answers
20k
views
Does organic decay release the same CO2 as burning?
Does a fallen tree left to decay release essentially all of its stored carbon as $\small\mathsf{CO_2}$ to the atmosphere? Or is the carbon uptaken by termites and bacteria, preventing its release to ...
- 193
11
votes
7
answers
31k
views
Is there any experiment to prove that CO2 with the atmosphere concentration can have greenhouse effect?
All gas molecules have the capability to absorb radiation energy. $\rm{CO}_2$ has much less capability to absorb radiation energy, comparing with water vapor.
In Earth's atmosphere currently $\rm{CO}...
- 175
21
votes
3
answers
10k
views
Does rain (temporarily) deplete the surrounding atmosphere of carbon dioxide?
CO2 in the air dissolves into rain water, making them slightly acidic. Is that enough to deplete the surrounding air out of CO2? If yes, how fast does this occur? Is it only with the first drops of ...
- 23.2k
1
vote
0
answers
43
views
Effect of hydration on CaO in calcium looping
How does hydration increase the lifetime of CaO in calcium looping?
- 71
2
votes
1
answer
414
views
Percentage of power plants with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology? [closed]
Does anyone know roughly what percentage of fossil fuel power plants around the world are equipped with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology?
- 71
1
vote
1
answer
323
views
Time relativity relating to Carbon dating? [closed]
Theoretically if in early years the earth was moving at an astronomically different pace (whether in orbit or rotation, whatever sounds better) wouldn't that alter the science of carbon dating? As I ...
8
votes
4
answers
12k
views
Why has CO2 decreased in the history of the Earth?
I noticed that the $\ce{CO2}$ is actually decreasing in the eon time.
My guess is lush vegetation or forests began to grow which absorbed the $\ce{CO2}$ by photosynthesis? Would anyone give me any ...
- 271
5
votes
4
answers
22k
views
What is the difference between a carbon sink and a carbon reservoir?
I am trying to figure out the difference between a carbon sink and a carbon reservoir.
The definition for a carbon sink from Wikipedia is
carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that ...
- 271
4
votes
1
answer
222
views
Timescale of the biological pump？
I'm tying to find any clue about the timescale of the biological pump. That the carbon is recycled to the surface ca. 1,000 years is clear but the timescale of the biological pump seems hard to find. ...
- 271
23
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Are there pockets of liquid carbon dioxide in Earth's oceans?
The carbon dioxide phase diagram shows that at high pressure and normal temperature CO2 becomes liquid. Since it is heavier than water, I wonder if there are lakes of liquid CO2 at the bottom of the ...
- 948
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Oscillations in the Keeling curve?
I'm having a slightly difficult time understanding the Keeling curve, pictured here:
I understand that carbon dioxide (ppm) is increasing with respect to time, but why is there an oscillation between ...
- 357
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
The youngest and oldest source rock for hydrocarbons in economic quantities
Most famous and productive source rocks for hydrocarbons are Paleozoic or Mesozoic, but there are also examples from the Neogene. Time is needed for the rock to reach the right depth and temperature ...
- 5,946
8
votes
1
answer
151
views
What amount of permafrost carbon release could be expected with the IPCC worse-prediction of a 4.8C temperature rise?
As answered in my earlier question How much methane clathrates are buried in continental deposits?, there is alot of methane trapped in the form of clathrates in continental deposits. Additionally, ...
user889