The Sulfur and
Carbon Cycle
By:
Victoria, Drew, Rheanna,
Brittany, David, Jessica
Carbon Cycle
Chemical Reactions Involved:
• Photosynthesis:
Air and water molecules and the energy from the sun to produce a
simple sugar such as glucose and oxygen molecules as a by
product.
During photosynthesis plants use carbon dioxide and produce
oxygen.
Combustion/Metabolism Reaction
• During combustion/metabolism oxygen is used and carbon
dioxide is a product. The whole purpose of both processes is
to convert chemical energy into other forms of energy such as
heat.
Inorganic Reservoirs
•NONE
Organic Reservoirs
• The oceans are a major carbon storage of a reservoir.
They contain dissolves oxygen and carbon in the
water.
(Example) As water warms, more dissolved carbon
returns to the atmosphere, just as more carbon dioxide
fizzes out of a carbonated beverage when it warms.
• Terrestrial rocks
• Fossil Fuels
• The atmosphere (mainly carbon dioxide)
• Land food webs (producers, consumers,
decomposers, and detritivores)
Pathway of Movement
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In the atmosphere carbon is stored as CO2, methane (CH4), and other
organic compounds. These move into the atmosphere from
decomposition of matter, respiration of organism, combustion,
volcanic activity, burning fossil fuels, and others.
Carbon moves out of the atmosphere by photosynthesis, dissolution
of water, and weathering of rock. The plants use photosynthesis to
take CO2 out of the atmosphere to make sugars.
In the hydrosphere carbon is stored as dissolved CO2 in water.
Gaseous carbon dissolves into the ocean because it is cold. Carbon
moves out of the oceans by photosynthesis (plankton and
cyanobacteria), degassing of warm seas, and deposition in marine
sediments.
In the biosphere carbon is stored as living or recently dead animals,
plants, or micro-organism in the oceans and on land. Carbon moves
out of the biosphere by respiration and decomposition.
Impact of Human Intervention
• Withdrawing large quantities of fresh water, in some
heavily populated or heavily irrigated areas, these have
led to ground water depletion or intrusion or ocean salt
water into underground water supplies.
• Clearing vegetation for various reasons
1) Increases runoff
2) Reduces infiltration that recharges ground water
supplies
3) Increases flood risk
4) Accelerates soil erosion
• Modifying water quality by
1) Adding nutrients and other pollutants
2) Changing ecological processes that purify water
naturally
Sulfur Cycle
Chemical Reactions Involved
• The chemical processes help produce
hydrogen In the atmosphere.
• When the sulfur and the water in the
atmosphere mix they make sulfuric acid
which is put into the rain and put onto the
earth surface
Pathway of Movement
• Sulfur is put into the atmosphere by volcanoes
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•
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and factories putting it out
Sulfuric acid is rained and made into fog which
puts it into the oceans and onto the land.
On the land the plants absorb the sulfur, which is
eaten by the animals
When the plants and animals die their sulfur gets
put back into the earth
Then the sulfur from the earth gets put back into
the magma which is erupted by the volcanoes and
the land is used by some factories
Organic Reservoirs
• Soil
• Plants
Impact of Human Intervention
• We are tying to come
up with cleaner ways
to run factories so we
put less sulfur into
the atmosphere thus
reducing the sulfuric
acid in the rain which
makes it better for
the plants
Inorganic Reservoirs
• Deep oceanic rock
• Sediments
• Freshwater
• Ice
• Atmosphere
• Seas