The Carbon Cycle

Important Terms:

• The geosphere is made up of the solid parts of the earth including rocks or minerals. The geosphere at Karoo National Park includes a unique rock formation surrounding the park.

• The hydrosphere includes all the water on Earth. A major water source running through Karoo is the Tankwa River.

• The atmosphere includes all the gases (oxygen, etc.) that make up the earth.

• The biosphere is the ecosystem of the earth. Karoo's biosphere is its large variety of plants or animals in the park.

The diagram above shows the carbon cycle at Karoo National Park. Carbon Dioxide begins in the atmosphere and is transferred back and forth between the hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere. As you can see, carbon dioxide goes through the geosphere and eventually goes back up to the atmosphere, and this process is the same for both the biosphere and hydrosphere also. This carbon dioxide is moved from many different processes and factors.