From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov Title: Depiction of the Global Carbon Cycle Changes Over Time Description: In six steps, this animation depicts the changes that have occurred over time to the global carbon cycle, including the amount of carbon existing in and moving between the planet's major carbon reservoirs before and after 1800. Related GAO Work: GAO-11-71, Climate Engineering: Technical Status, Future Directions, and Potential Responses Issue date: July 28, 2011 [First screen] This screen has the GAO logo and the following text: “Depiction of the Global Carbon Cycle Changes Over Time,” “Animation to GAO-11-71,” “Climate Engineering: Technical Status, Future Directions, and Potential Responses.” [Second screen] This screen title, in a gray box at the bottom of the screen, reads: “1. Pre-industrial landscape.” Also in the gray box it notes that “All numbers are in gigatons of carbon.” The screen depicts a landscape including four carbon reservoirs: the ocean labeled “oceanic,” the sky labeled “atmospheric,” the land labeled “terrestrial,” and the layers below the earth’s surface labeled “geological.” [ Narrator: ] Carbon is the basic element of life on Earth. It resides in many places and in every organism, from the depths of the oceans, to the land and vegetation, and in the atmosphere. It is also found in geological deposits well below the Earth’s surface. [Third screen] This screen title, in a gray box at the bottom of the screen, reads: “2. Pre-industrial carbon reservoirs.” Also in the gray box it notes that “All numbers are in gigatons of carbon.” The screen depicts the same landscape and reservoir labels from the previous screen. Numbers appear beside each label as follows: “oceanic, 38,700;” “atmospheric, 590;” “terrestrial, 3,800;” and “geological, 7,180.” [ Narrator: ] The amount of carbon estimated to have been contained in the Earth’s major carbon reservoirs prior to the year 1800 is reflected here. All figures are scientific estimates and are represented in gigatons, or billions of tons, of carbon. [Fourth screen] The screen title, in a gray box at the bottom of the screen, reads: “3. Pre-industrial flow of carbon.” Also in the gray box it notes that “All numbers are in gigatons of carbon.” This screen depicts the same landscape, labels, and numbers from the previous screen. Small gray dots appear moving between several of the reservoirs to represent carbon transfers, and black numbers appear beside them indicating the net magnitude of those transfers. The dots are moving from “oceanic” to “atmospheric” at .6 gigatons per year, from “atmospheric” to “terrestrial” at .6 gigatons per year, and from “terrestrial” to “oceanic” at .6 gigatons per year. [ Narrator: ] In the years prior to 1800, transfers of carbon, or “fluxes,” took place naturally between these different reservoirs. While carbon moved back and forth between the reservoirs, the overall, or net, direction of these fluxes annually is indicated by the movement of the gray dots. Their overall, net magnitude is indicated by the small black numbers beside them. [Fifth screen] The screen title, in a gray box at the bottom of the screen, reads: “4. Arrival of the industrial age.” Also in the gray box it notes that “All numbers are in gigatons of carbon.” The screen zooms in slightly and a drawing of a city emerges on the land that is identified with a label reading “industrialization.” Elements within the city include large buildings, cars moving along streets, a plane flying above the city, small black dots of coal being extracted from below the earth’s surface through a tube, and grey clouds rising into the air. [ Narrator: ] Industrialization changed the landscape. Extracting and burning fossil fuels to power new modes of production and transportation had a direct impact on the carbon cycle. [Sixth screen] The screen title, in a gray box at the bottom of the screen, reads: “5. Industrial age effect on carbon cycle.” Also in the gray box it notes that “All numbers are in gigatons of carbon.” The screen zooms out again to reveal the previous landscape, which now includes the city. New red dots appear alongside the gray dots to represent the effect of industrialization on the carbon transfer, and red numbers appear beside them indicating the magnitude of that effect. The dots move from “atmospheric” to “oceanic” at 1.9 gigatons per year, and from “atmospheric” to “terrestrial” at .2 gigatons per year. Red dots also move out from the top of the city into the air at 6.4 gigatons per year. Additionally, red numbers appear next to each carbon reservoir title to represent the effect of industrialization on the amount of carbon in that reservoir, as follows: “oceanic, +137,” “atmospheric, +187,” “terrestrial, -20,” and “geological, -304.” [ Narrator: ] The amount of carbon emitted by industrial processes is estimated at 6.4 gigatons per year. Over time, this has affected both the balance of carbon in the existing reservoirs, and the magnitude of carbon fluxes between those reservoirs. The large red numbers indicate the total changes to the carbon reservoirs since 1800. The red dots and the smaller red numbers beside them indicate the annual impact of industrialization on the carbon fluxes. Notice that the annual impact on the flux between the oceanic and atmospheric reservoirs runs in the opposite direction of the natural flux, and at a much greater magnitude. In contrast, the annual impact on the flux between the atmospheric and terrestrial reservoirs amplifies the natural flux. [Seventh screen] The screen title, in a gray box at the bottom of the screen, reads: “6. Current carbon cycle.” Also in the gray box it notes that “All numbers are in gigatons of carbon.” The gray and red dots merge, turn orange, and move in the new net direction of the carbon transfers. Orange numbers appear beside them to represent the net magnitude of those transfers. The dots move from “atmospheric” to “oceanic” at 1.3 gigatons per year, from “atmospheric” to “terrestrial” at .8 gigatons per year, and from “terrestrial” to “oceanic” at .6 gigatons per year. Red dots continue to emerge from the city at 6.4 gigatons per year. [ Narrator: ] The net effect of the use of fossil fuels on the carbon fluxes is reflected here. The movement of the orange dots indicates the new net direction of the fluxes, and their net magnitude is listed beside them. One result of this shifting carbon balance is increased acidity of both the air and ocean water. Many in the scientific community are also concerned about its cumulative effect on global surface temperatures.