AP®︎ Environmental Science: Topic 7.4 Flashcards

A carbon source releases more carbon than it absorbs during a stated period; a carbon sink absorbs more than it releases

In aerobic respiration, organisms use oxygen to extract energy from organic molecules and release their carbon as CO₂.

Breakdown of dead organisms, wastes, and other organic matter; aerobic decomposer respiration releases CO₂, while anaerobic decomposition can produce CO₂ and CH₄.

Rising magma loses pressure and releases geological CO₂; volcanoes also eject particulate ash and emit SO₂ that can form sulfate aerosols

Bidirectional transfer of CO₂ between surface water and air; water becomes a natural atmospheric source when it releases dissolved CO₂.

CO₂ released from soil by plant-root respiration and microbial respiration during decomposition

Small solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in air, including dust, ash, smoke, sea salt, pollen, and spores; aerosol may also mean the entire suspension

Primary particles enter the atmosphere directly; secondary particles form there through reactions involving gaseous precursors

Soil and mineral particles lifted from dry, sparsely vegetated surfaces by strong winds and sometimes transported thousands of kilometers

Lightning-caused fires that release CO₂ through biomass combustion and particulate smoke, soot, organic particles, and ash

Suspended seawater droplets and sea-salt particles produced when breaking waves and bursting bubbles eject seawater into the air

Airborne biological particles such as pollen, fungal spores, microorganisms, and fragments of plants or animals

Inhalable particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 micrometers or less

Fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less