What are the sinks of carbon dioxide?
A sink is a method by which a gas is removed from the atmosphere. This section outlines the principal sinks for carbon dioxide, i.e. its absorption by the oceans and terrestrial biota (for example forests). The oceans contain about 95% of the carbon actively circulating within the biosphere. Carbon dioxide is dissolved within the ocean and it also reacts with the chemical constituents in the water. Scientists believe that a large proportion of the carbon dioxide that has been released into the atmosphere will eventually be held within the oceans. However, the cycling of carbon within the ocean is a slow process that can take between 100-1000 years, so the absorption of CO2 by the oceans is not keeping pace with the amount of carbon dioxide that is being emitted. There is also scientific concern that if the predicted climate changes occur, this will affect the natural exchange of carbon between the ocean and the atmosphere and consequentially the uptake of carbon dioxide by the oceans.
