Question

earths spheres and interactions (concept 1 and 2 quiz)

the ocean’s biological carbon pump is driven by organisms that live in there. just like the terrestrial carbon cycle, the oceanic biological carbon pump plays in oceanic photosynthesizing, respiring, eating, producing waste products, dying, and decomposing. which of these is not a process the biological pump plays in oceanic carbon cycling?

moving carbon down to sea floor sediments via the processes of death and decomposition

moving carbon throughout the ocean via food webbing

transforming carbon compounds into new forms of carbon compounds like calcium carbonate in shells.

reciprocal processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration occurring among marine organisms.

upwelling currents bringing deep, cold ocean water to the surface to warm and release carbon back to the atmosphere.

Explanation:

To determine which is not a process of the oceanic biological carbon pump, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Death/decomposition moving carbon to sea - floor sediments is part of the biological pump (organisms die, decompose, carbon goes to sediments).
• Option 2: Food webbing moves carbon through the ocean (organisms eat, transfer carbon), so this is part of the biological pump.
• Option 3: Marine organisms making calcium carbonate (e.g., in shells) transforms carbon compounds, part of the biological pump.
• Option 4: Photosynthesis (takes in CO₂) and cellular respiration (releases CO₂) among marine organisms are key biological processes of the pump.
• Option 5: Upwelling bringing deep - cold water to the surface to release carbon to the atmosphere is a physical oceanographic process (related to ocean circulation, not driven by biological organisms' activities like the biological pump). The biological pump is driven by organisms' life processes (photosynthesis, respiration, eating, waste, death, decomposition), while upwelling is a physical process.

Answer:

upwelling currents bringing deep, cold ocean water to the surface to warm and release carbon back to the atmosphere.