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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

The elements and compounds that The elements and compounds that

sustain us are cycled endlessly sustain us are cycled endlessly

through living things and through through living things and through

the environment.the environment.

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

when when human activityhuman activity alters flow rates or alters flow rates or

storage times in these natural cycles, storage times in these natural cycles,

overwhelmingoverwhelming the environment’s ability the environment’s ability

to process them, these materials can to process them, these materials can

become become pollutantspollutants. .

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

on the global scale on the global scale Biogeochemical Biogeochemical

cyclingcycling is the transport and transformation is the transport and transformation

of substances in the environment, through of substances in the environment, through lifelife, ,

airair, , seasea, , landland, and , and iceice..

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

these these global cyclesglobal cycles include the include the

circulationcirculation of certain elements, or of certain elements, or

nutrients, upon which life and the nutrients, upon which life and the

earth’s climate depend.earth’s climate depend.

Hydrologic Hydrologic cyclecycle

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WaterWater•Very important

astronomers

How come we never run out of water?

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After four and a half million years you’d think the water would be all used

up! It’s not, though, because of one

special process: the hydrologic cycle, more commonly called “the

Water Cycle.”

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The Hydrological CycleThe Hydrological Cycle

(also known as the water cycle) is the

journey, water takes as it circulates from air, the land , subsurface waters, and organism to the sky, and back again. 

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MOVIE TIME!!MOVIE TIME!!SEAT BACK!SEAT BACK!

RELAX!!RELAX!!ENJoY ! ENJoY !

• The multiple cycle that makes up the Earth’s water cycle involve:– Four main physical actions :

• Evaporation• Precipitation• Infiltration• Runoff• Subsurface flow

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•Evaporation

– Transfer of water from bodies of surface water into the

atmosphere

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•Precipitation

– Atmospheric moisture that has previously condensed to form

clouds.

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• InFiltration

– transition from the surface water to groundwater.

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•Run-Off

– variety of ways by which land surface water moves down slope

to the oceans..

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•Subsurface Flow

– movement of water within the earth, or within aquifers.

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Carbon CycleCarbon Cycle

• Serves as dual Purpose for Organism:– Structural component of organic

molecules– Chemical bonds in carbon

compound provided metabolic energy.ECOWLEECOWLE

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Carbon CycleCarbon Cycle•Begins with photosynthetic organism taking up CO2 because carbon is changed from gaseous CO2 to less mobile organic molecules.

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Carbon CycleCarbon Cycle

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• The movement of carbon, in its many forms, between the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans and geosphere.

• Plants obtain carbon dioxide from the air, through photosynthesis

incorporate carbon into their tissues.

• Producers and consumers – transform part of the carbon in their food back into Co2 via respiration.

• Decomposers- release the carbon tied up in dead plants and animals

into the atmosphere

• Another major exchange of carbon dioxide occurs between Oceans and

atmosphere

• The dissolve co2 in the oceans is used by marine biota in

photosynthesis

• 2 other important processes – Fossil fuel burning– Changing land use

• Fossil Fuel Burning, coal, oil, natural gas, and Gasoline are

consumed by industry, power plants and automobiles.

• Changing land use is a broad term which encompasses a host of essentially human activities,

including agriculture, deforestation, and reforestation.

• The global carbon cycle is out of balance, making rapid global climate change.

• Co2 forms when the carbon in biomass oxidizes as it burns or decays

• Many biological processes in motion by people release carbon

dioxide

1. Burning fossil fuels2. Slash-and burn agriculture3. Clearing land for

permanent pasture, cropland, human settlements.

4. Accidental and intentional forest burning

5. Unsustainable logging and fuel wood collection

• Clearing vegetation cover from a forested hectare release much of the carbon lodged in the soil.

• The annual movement of carbon, the carbon exchanges bet. Reservoirs, occur because of various chemical, physical, geological and biological processes.

• The Ocean contains the largest pool of carbon near the surface of the

earth

Global Carbon Global Carbon BudgetBudget

• Is the Balance of the exchanges of carbon between the carbon reservoirs or between

a specific loop of the cycle

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BByye!! e!! TThahank nk yyOu Ou

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