The carbon cycle describes the process in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the Earth and then back into the atmosphere. Human activities have a tremendous impact on this cycle. Burning fossil fuels, changing land use, and using limestone to make concrete all transfer massive quantities of carbon into the atmosphere.
As a result, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rapidly rising — it is now greater than at any time in the last 3.6 million years. For more information check out the Science Learning Hub at https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/image_maps/3-carbon-cycle.
