Human activities in the recent past have caused the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but a lot of it does not remain in the lower atmosphere because of 1. its escape into the outer stratosphere. 2. the photosynthesis by phytoplankton in the oceans. 3. the trapping of air in the polar ice caps. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Statement 1 is incorrect: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is relatively well-mixed in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. While there is exchange, significant amounts do not readily "escape" to the outer stratosphere as a primary removal mechanism from the lower atmosphere. 2. Statement 2 is correct: The oceans act as a major sink for atmospheric CO2. Marine phytoplankton utilize CO2 for photosynthesis, converting it into organic carbon. This biological pump transfers carbon from the surface waters to the deep ocean, effectively removing it from the atmosphere for long periods. 3. Statement 3 is incorrect: While air bubbles trapped in polar ice caps provide valuable data on past atmospheric compositions, the rate of ice formation and air trapping is extremely slow compared to the rate of current anthropogenic CO2 emissions. It is not a significant sink for the excess CO2 produced by human activities in the recent past. Therefore, only the photosynthesis by phytoplankton in the oceans is a major reason why a lot of the increased CO2 does not remain in the lower atmosphere.