Graphic: Cross Section of Earth's Deep Carbon Recycling Program (IMAGE)
Caption
Left to Right shows: Cross section of the modern plate tectonic cycle, including (1) creation of oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges, (2) subduction at ocean trenches, (3) dehydration and melting beneath subduction volcanoes, (4) carbon storage in the upper mantle, (5) carbon transport in island arc volcanoes where oceanic crust is subducted beneath oceanic crust, (6) carbon emissions from volcanoes, and (7) diffuse carbon sources. Several features such as hotspot volcanoes and convergent margin volcanoes (where oceanic crust is subducted beneath continental crust) are not pictured here.
Credit
Credit: Deep Carbon Observatory
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