Cycling of Matter
Water
covers 70% of Earth
Key Characteristics
liquid state: (0-100 degrees Celsius)
allows for liquid water in most environments throughout the year
high heat capacity
Vocabulary
heat capacity: amount of energy needed to raise temp of a certain amount of water by 1 degrees Celsius
Heat of Vaporization: amount of energy needed to cause a liquid to evaporate
high heat of vaporization: allows for bodies of water to exist in hot places
good/universal solvent: makes it key to multiple cycles and biological processes
high surface tension: enables upward transport in plants and soil
Density
ice is less dense than water: floats on surface fish can live in water underneath
3% of water is fresh
most is in glacial and cap ie
.003% can be used by humans
Carbon Cycle
Cycle
Evaporation
liquid water--> water vapor
energy from sun
vapor move to atmosphere
moves to new location
dries and cools on surface where water sat
Transpiration/Evapotranspiration
water evaporates from leaves of live plants
through small surface openings
Condensation
water vapor-->liquid water
atmosphere vapor cools; condense into liquid water
particles give water a place to condense
Precipitation
liquid water in atmosphere falls
rain, sleet, snow, hail
liquid water condensed and grew too big to stay in air
Run-off
Infiltration
water runs downhill
water sinks into ground
surface water does not move (quickly)
depends on amount of rain and ground type
amount depends on rainfall and ground
Percolation
infiltrated water continuously sinks
water can dissolve minerals from rocks
can result in a lot of erosion
collects to form ground water
upper layer:water table
entire area: aquifer
Carbon Sinks
take in and hold more carbon than they release
Precipitation of Ocean Sediment
this is when carbon is oceans solidifies on the floor
overall effect is deposition into carbon sink
Removal from Atmosphere
Return to Carbon to the Cycle
Photosynthesis
plants absorb CO2 from air
plants transfer this CO2 into energy
Defacation
Consumption
animals eat plants and get the carbon byproduct
when animals die the carbon is still there
some carbon based materials are released from the excretory systems
re-enter the environment
Respiration
occurs in plants and animmals
CO2 is released as organisms use their carbon-based sugars
opposite process of photosynthesis
Decomposition
carbon-based compounds break down; releases carbon
released into ground, air, and water
Fossil Fuel Formation
decomposed materials can be buried and compressed
eventually changes into things like coal and oil
Burning Fossil Fuels
used in cars and industries
burning the fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere as gas
Diffusion into Ocean
carbon diffuses directly into ocean water
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Nitrogen Cycle
Remove from the Atmosphere
Return to the Atmosphere
Change Nitrogen Type
Nitrogen Fixation
Nitrification
nitrogen-fixing bacteria atmospheric nitrogen--> ammonium--> nitrous oxide--> nitrate
lightning can change atmospheric nitrogen into nitrate
Uptake
plants absorb nitrate
animals eat the plants for their nitrogen
not permanent removal
Excretion
nitrogen compounds are released
Decomposition
bacteria break down dead organisms into basic compounds
carbon stored in organisms is released
Denitrification
nitrate--> atmospheric nitrogen
changes nitrogen into a form the plants can use
Sedimentation
in oceans
cyanobacteria change atmospheric nitrogen--> ammonium