Humans currently pump about 9.1 billion tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere each year. Of this, about 5.0 billion tons are absorbed by plants, soils, and the oceans. Most of the remaining 4.1 billion tons goes into ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The question asks where most of the remaining 4.1 billion tons of CO₂ goes. The options A and B are unlikely since CO₂ is a gas and does not get trapped in outer space or the polar ice caps. Option D is also unlikely since it takes millions of years for CO₂ to become part of sedimentary rocks. Therefore, the most plausible option is C, which means that most of the remaining CO₂ goes back into the atmosphere.

Humans Currently Pump About 9