Exploring the flows and stores of carbon between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere – Dr Ian Matthews

In this video, Dr. Ian Matthews introduces and explores some of the key concepts surrounding the carbon cycle and how current climatic change can be understood within those terms. The video introduces and gives examples of transfers and stores of carbon in the earth system at a range of geographic and temporal scales. The methods of measuring the transfer of carbon between the atmosphere, lithosphere and biosphere are discussed alongside the ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ components of the carbon cycle. Next, a longer term perspective of the changing amounts of carbon in the atmosphere is presented using indirect (proxy) measurements from ice core records and chemical measurements. The video finishes with a brief discussion of the way of mitigating the effects of enhanced amounts of carbon in the atmosphere can be achieved using natural carbon stores.