Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.

For Hobbyists & Makers · Carbon Cycle

Carbon Cycle for a reef ecosystem

Built for hobbyists & makers exploring it for fun. Play with real physics and math, no license and no setup — just open and tinker. Simulate a reef ecosystem live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Carbon Cycle Box ModelLive

reservoirs & fluxes

Controls

Speed1×

Presets

Emissions (GtC/yr)

Carbon moves between four great reservoirs — atmosphere, surface ocean, deep ocean, and biosphere — through exchange fluxes. Add fossil emissions to the atmosphere box and watch how slowly the oceans and land can draw it back down. The deep ocean is huge but exchanges slowly.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Year0

Atmosphere875 GtC

CO₂410 ppm

Governing equation

\frac{d C _{a t m}}{d t} = E - F_{a s} - F_{ab} = 10.0 - 6.8 - - 3.6 GtC/yr

Reading this result: At 10 GtC/yr the surface ocean and biosphere buffer part of the input, but they saturate, so atmospheric CO₂ keeps drifting upward rather than settling.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for hobbyists & makers?: Yes — this version of "Carbon Cycle for a reef ecosystem" is framed for hobbyists & makers exploring it for fun. Play with real physics and math, no license and no setup — just open and tinker.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.