Carbon Cycle

Imagine trying to manage the balance of your monthly expenses with the money coming into your bank account. Just as you need to carefully track how money flows in and out to maintain financial stability, the carbon cycle is about the flow of carbon among the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. In this analogy, your income and expenses are like the carbon sources and sinks; just as you deposit (earn) and withdraw (spend) money, carbon is absorbed and released by plants, animals, oceans, and the atmosphere, keeping the Earth's systems in balance.