Cycles that shape planets The carbonate-silicate cycle

• This cycle is powered by the water cycle and plate tectonics

  • Water dissolves ions from silicates. CO2 dissolves in water to make carbonic acid (H2CO3)
  • Ions and Carbonic acid in the water are incorporated into the shells of plankton, shellfish, and corals (CaCO3). Some solid carbonates can be made by other processes.
  • Plate tectonics brings the shells of dead organisms deep into the crust.
  • Volcanoes release CO2 that is buried in the crust

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