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Article: Carbon Dioxide in the Ocean and Atmosphere
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- Water:Science and Issues
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Carbon Dioxide in the Ocean and Atmosphere
Carbon dioxide (CO
2
) is considered a trace gas in the atmosphere because it is much less abundant than oxygen or nitrogen. However, this trace gas plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth and in controlling the Earth's climate by trapping heat in the atmosphere.
The oceans play an important role in regulating the amount of CO
2
in the atmosphere because CO
2
can move quickly into and out of the oceans. Once in the oceans, the CO
2
no longer traps heat. CO
2
also moves quickly between the atmosphere and the land biosphere (material that is or was living on land).
Of the three places where carbon is stored
—
atmosphere, oceans, and land ...