03 The Carbon and Water Cycle

Carbon & Water Cycles

Understanding Earth’s Life Support Systems

Exploring the Age of Water and

its Role in Earth’s Climate

Introduction to
Earth’s Cycles

How old is the water you

drink??

Key Concepts:

Carbon Cycle

Water Cycle

BIotic and Abiotic Interactions

The Water Cycle and the Rock Cycle

Hydrologic Cycle: the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the
surface of the Earth.

Processes: evaporation, condensation, transpiration, groundwater seepage, precipitation

The Water Cycle and the Rock Cycle

Rock Cycle: series of processes through which rocks are transformed from one type to another.

Process: formation, breakdown, reformation of rocks from geological processes (erosion, melting, recrystallization)

The Water Cycle and the Rock Cycle

Mechanical Weathering: physical breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces without changing
their chemical composition. Causes: temperature changes, frost, wind and water

Chemical Weathering: rocks are broken down through chemical reactions (water, acid, gases)
and changes the rock’s mineral composition

Recrystallization*: minerals within a rock undergo structural changes due to heat and pressure
to make new minerals

​Recrystallization
(no water is used for this)

Mechanical Weathering

The water cycle interacts with the rock cycle

Mechanical - stream transportation and deposition, erosion with soil moisture variations, frost
wedging

​Frost Wedging

Erosion of rocks by former seas

Chemical Weathering

Chemical weathering, recrystallization

Multiple Select

What are the phases of the water cycle?

• precipitation

• evaporation

• transpiration

• groundwater seepage

• condensation

Match

Match the following

• rain/snow/sleet/hail

• this builds clouds

• this comes from plants

• this is where water on the ground goes

• this comes from bodies of water

Precipitation

Condensation

Transpiration

Groundwater Seepage

Evaporation

• Precipitation

• Condensation

• Transpiration

• Groundwater Seepage

• Evaporation

Multiple Choice

What type of weathering uses water to break rocks apart (frost wedging) or to move (deposition) pieces of rock from one place to another?

• recrystallization

• mechanical

• chemical

• condensation

Multiple Choice

What type of weathering does not change the chemical composition of the rocks?

• recrystallization

• mechanical

• chemical

• condensation

Multiple Choice

What type of weathering uses water to change the chemical composition of rocks.

• recrystallization

• mechanical

• chemical

• condensation

Multiple Choice

What is the process of a rock undergoing structural changes due to heat and pressure?

• recrystallization

• mechanical

• chemical

• condensation

Multiple Choice

What type of weathering would a bird moving pieces of rock from one place to another be?

• recrystallization

• mechanical

• chemical

• condensation

Multiple Choice

What type of weathering would acid rain do to rocks?

• recrystallization

• mechanical

• chemical

• condensation

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon Reservoirs: natural systems that store carbon in various forms.

Reservoirs include: atmosphere, oceans, soil, plants, and fossil fuels.

Reservoirs play a crucial role by regulating the flow of carbon between these
systems

The Carbon Cycle - Biotic Components

Photosynthesis: process that green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert sunlight, CO2, and
water into glucose and oxygen. Reservoir to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Respiration: process that living organisms use to break down glucose and other organic molecules
to produce carbon dioxide that will return to the atmosphere.

Decomposition: the breakdown of dead organic matter by decomposers and microorganisms.
Releases carbon dioxide and nutrients back into the carbon cycle.

The Carbon Cycle - Abiotic Components

Combustion: the burning of organic material (fossil fuels or biomass) with oxygen to release energy, carbon
dioxide, and water vapor into the atmosphere

Fossil Fuels: energy-rich substances (coal, oil, natural gas) that is formed from the ancient remains of plants
and animals. Carbon is released to the atmosphere

Carbon Sequestration: process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide in carbon reservoirs
(forests, soils, geological formations) to reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere. Mitigates climate change.

The Carbon Cycle effects the climate

Important in maintaining Earth’s climate

Carbon moves between atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere

​Video -->

Yes, watch it!

Multiple Select

What are carbon reservoirs?

• atmosphere

• soil

• plants

• fossil fuels

• ocean

Match

Match the following

atmosphere

soil

plants

oceans

fossil fuels

• atmosphere

• soil

• plants

• oceans

• fossil fuels

Multiple Select

Which of the following processes are biotic SOURCES of carbon??

(source = emits carbon)

• photosynthesis

• respiration

• decomposition

• sequestration

Multiple Choice

Which of the following processes are biotic SINKS of carbon??

• phtotosynthesis

• respiration

• decomposition

• sequestration

Multiple Select

Which of the following processes are abiotic SOURCES of carbon??

• combustion

• respiration

• fossil fuels

• sequestration

Multiple Choice

What process breaks down dead organic matter?

• decomposition

• respiration

• fossil fuels

• sequestration

Match

Match the following

• decomposition

• respiration

• carbon sequestration

• combustion

• photosynthesis

nutrient recycling with dead organisms

break down glucose and release carbon

carbon storage

uses oxygen and heat to ignite

carbon dioxide absorption

• nutrient recycling with dead organisms

• break down glucose and release carbon

• carbon storage

• uses oxygen and heat to ignite

• carbon dioxide absorption

Modeling Biogeochemical Cycles

Carbon cycles through various Earth systems - the ocean, atmosphere, soil and
biosphere

Humans play a major role in this cycle

Case Study: Oceans are used to sequester carbon, but what does it do to the marine life and global climate?

Multiple Select

The ocean can do what with carbon

• absorb (reservoir)

• release (source)

• evaporate

• make waves

Multiple Choice

What happens if the ocean absorbs too much carbon?

• ocean neutralization

• ocean basicfication

• ocean acidification

• ocean stabilization

Quantitative Modeling of the Carbon Cycle

We can develop a simple quantitative
model to describe the cycling of carbon
among Earth’s spheres.

This includes how human activities
influence the cycle

Observe the different arrow directions
and the numbers associated with each
arrow

Multiple Choice

Add all of the SOURCES (arrows move up)

• 221.5 Gt/yr

• 276 Gt/yr

• 374.5 Gt/yr

• 123 Gt/yr

Multiple Choice

Add all of the SINKS (arrows move down)

• 221.5 Gt/yr

• 276 Gt/yr

• 374.5 Gt/yr

• 123 Gt/yr

Energy Flow and Climate Impact

We can analyze how variations in energy flow (e.g., solar radiation) affect Earth’s
climate.

Energy flow fluctuates due to greenhouse gases that affect the way climate changes

The warming of the planet is due to the greenhouse effect.

Multiple Select

What are the different forms of greenhouse gases?

• methane

• carbon dioxide

• nitric oxides

Multiple Choice

Greenhouse gases regulate climate

• maybe

• true

• false

• debatable

Water Cycle Reservoirs

How old is water?

The answer is found deep in the ground

Case study - aquifers play a role in providing ancient water (Floridian Aquifer, US)

Case Study: Aral Sea

The rivers that flow to the Aral Sea have been diverted, and it has impacted
the local and global water cycles

Key Concepts

The Carbon cycle plays an important role in moving carbon around the planet

Processes like photosynthesis, respiration, absorption, and combustion will
move carbon around the planet

The amount of carbon in the atmospheric reservoir determines the amount of
global warming or cooling will occur

Processes like evaporation, transpiration, precipitation, condensation, and
groundwater seepage will move water around the planet