| definition |
- Vehicle for removal of a chemical or gas from the atmosphere-biosphere-ocean system, in which the substance is absorbed into a permanent or semi-permanent repository, or else transformed into another substance. A carbon sink, for example, might be the ocean (which absorbs and holds carbon from other parts of carbon cycle) or photosynthesis (which converts atmospheric carbon into plant material). Sinks are a fundamental factor in the ongoing balance which determines the concentration of every greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. If the sink is greater than the sources of a gas, its concentration in the atmosphere will decrease; if the source is greater than the sink, the concentration will increase.
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