Question

evaluate: answer the question below. identify one process in the diagram that happens quickly and one process that happens slowly. explain how the rate at which fossil fuels are transferred into the atmosphere, as shown in the diagram, has altered the carbon cycle during the past 250 years.

Explanation:

For the first part, respiration and decomposition in terrestrial food - chains and burning of forests and organic debris are relatively quick processes as they occur over short - time scales. The formation of coal, oil and gas, and limestone from organic sediments over time are slow processes as they take millions of years. For the second part, in the past 250 years, the rate of fossil fuel combustion has increased significantly. Fossil fuels are long - term carbon stores. When burned, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere much faster than natural processes can remove it, thus disrupting the natural balance of the carbon cycle.

for the change in the carbon cycle: The rapid transfer of carbon from fossil fuels to the atmosphere through combustion over the past 250 years has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, disrupting the natural balance of the carbon cycle as the rate of release is much faster than the rate of natural carbon - sequestration processes.

Answer:

One process that happens quickly: Burning of forests and organic debris. One process that happens slowly: Formation of coal.