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Related Concept Videos

The Carbon Cycle01:14

The Carbon Cycle

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Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.
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Global Climate Change01:50

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Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
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Classifying Matter by State02:49

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Chemistry is the study of matter and the changes it undergoes. Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. Matter is all around us; the air, water, soil, mountains, even our bodies are all examples of matter. Matter is divided into three states — solid, liquid, and gas — that are commonly found on earth. The fourth state of matter, plasma, occurs naturally in the interiors of stars. 
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Classifying Matter by Composition03:35

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Matter: Pure Substances and Mixtures
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
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Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters

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Ice sheets matter for the global carbon cycle.

J L Wadham1, J R Hawkings2,3, L Tarasov4

  • 1University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK. j.l.wadham@bris.ac.uk.

Nature Communications
|August 17, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ice sheets are active participants in the global carbon cycle, influencing atmospheric greenhouse gases. Recent research reveals their significant role in storing and cycling carbon, challenging previous assumptions.

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Area of Science:

  • Earth science
  • Climate science
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • The global carbon cycle is a key determinant of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and long-term climate.
  • Ice sheets were historically considered inert in the carbon cycle and omitted from global models.
  • Recent research highlights microbial communities and biogeochemical processes within ice sheets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the active role of ice sheets in the global carbon cycle.
  • To assess the potential impact of increased ice melt and discharge on carbon cycling in a warming climate.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent research on ice sheet biogeochemistry.
  • Analysis of carbon and nutrient storage and cycling within ice sheets.
  • Assessment of potential changes due to enhanced ice melt and discharge.

Main Results:

  • Ice sheets harbor unique microbial communities driving biogeochemical weathering.
  • Significant reservoirs of organic carbon (>10^4 Pg C) and nutrients are stored and cycled within ice sheets.
  • Enhanced melting and ice discharge may alter the global carbon cycle.

Conclusions:

  • Ice sheets are dynamic components of the global carbon cycle, not inert masses.
  • Understanding ice sheet processes is crucial for predicting climate change impacts.
  • Future warming may lead to significant alterations in carbon cycling due to ice sheet dynamics.