Originally posted by Carrikature
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Mass numbers and atomic numbers can only change by nuclear reactions. Excepting some rare processes, the amount of carbon on Earth is constant; and the mass and the atomic numbers don't change either. Some processes can give a slight "fractionation", with more of one isotope than another concentrating in different carbon reservoirs; but this doesn't involve any nuclear changes; only sorting of what variation already exists.
Exceptions will change BOTH mass and atomic numbers. The big example in the carbon cycle involves carbon-14.
Cosmic rays from space will add new carbon to the atmosphere in the form of C14. This is the basis of radiocarbon dating. What happens is that a cosmic ray produces neutrons, and neutrons hit a Nitrogen-14 atom (which has seven neutrons and seven protons; mass number 14 and atomic number 7). The collision knocks out one photon and absorbs the neutron, to give an atomic with eight neutrons and six protons. This is carbon 14, with mass number 14 and atomic number 6. The proton soon enough picks up an electron and becomes normal hydrogen.
Carbon 14 is radioactive; it undergoes beta decay, emitting an electron so that one of the protons becomes a neutron; this turns it back into Nitrogen 14.
As well as this, there are a couple of other natural radioactive processes that can produce or destroy carbon. This involves tiny amounts of no significance to the total amount of carbon. It can, however, be useful for tracing carbon as it moves around the carbon cycle. Fossil carbon (coal, oil, etc) has slightly less carbon-13 than carbon in the fast parts of the carbon cycle of the ocean, atmosphere and soils. This is because of fractionation in the photosynthesis process. In any case, this means observations of changes in atmospheric C13 levels are direct proof that carbon increases in the atmosphere are from fossil fuel use; not from the ocean.
We know this in any case simply because we know how much fossil fuel is being used; but even if we had no idea how much fossil fuel is being burned around the world we would still have the Suess effect as proof that this is the source of the additional atmospheric carbon.
I recently started composing a brief introduction to the carbon cycle as an answer to Teal's question; I'll probably get around to posting in sometime soon; though I gather the original question is now answered to Teal's satisfaction by Carrikature? I endorse the notion of constant carbon, and processes simply moving carbon between reservoirs in atmosphere, ocean, biosphere, soils, rocks and sediments.
Cheers all -- sylas
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