What is the primary natural mechanism in the slow carbon cycle that removes atmospheric $ ext{CO}_2$?
Answer
Chemical weathering
Chemical weathering is the primary mechanism where atmospheric $ ext{CO}_2$ dissolves in rainwater, forms weak acid, dissolves rock minerals, and eventually leads to carbon being locked in oceanic sediments.
Related Questions
Which reservoir holds the largest approximate amount of carbon according to the provided estimates?What is the primary natural mechanism in the slow carbon cycle that removes atmospheric $ ext{CO}_2$?What negative consequence results from the ocean absorbing excess atmospheric $ ext{CO}_2$?What process is central to the fast carbon cycle, involving the absorption of atmospheric $ ext{CO}_2$ to create sugars?What is the only major natural pathway for deep, geological carbon stored in rocks to return to the atmosphere?How does the annual carbon flow rate of the fast biological cycle compare to that of the slow geological cycle?What is the consequence of thawing permafrost in the far north regarding greenhouse gas emissions?Approximately how long does it take to lock down carbon absorbed via fast cycles into stable, long-term chemical forms?Which process, sometimes called carbon fertilization, is leading to enhanced terrestrial uptake of atmospheric $ ext{CO}_2$?What was the approximate atmospheric $ ext{CO}_2$ concentration before the Industrial Revolution?