- Introduction
Learn- Task
Learn
As fossil fuel use increases in the world, carbon dioxide levels will continue to increase in the atmosphere. The amount of carbon dioxide has been steadily increasing in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution.
Coal has been mined from the Earth as a major source of energy for thermoelectric power plants. As this coal is mined and burned to generate electricity, there has been a shift in the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, oceans, and Earth's crust.
Not only does the fossil fuel combustion alter atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, but it also increases carbon levels in the oceans. As the levels of atmospheric carbon increase, the amount of carbon in plants increase because they absorb carbon dioxide to carry out photosynthesis. However, the levels of carbon trapped in the Earth's crust in the form of fossil fuels steadily decreases because the fuels are being used as energy sources.
Even if all the fossil fuel combustion were to stop today, the fossil fuels would not have time to renew themselves, and the carbon dioxide levels would not immediately drop back to pre-Industrial Revolution levels.
While working through this carbon simulation lab, take note of how carbon levels in the different areas of the earth change with the increase in the amount of fossil fuels burned.
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