Introducing the Geochemical Cycles
(it is necessary to understand & use
these if you want to design a Mars
Colony or any ecosystem…)
Water cycle
Carbon cycle
Energy NON-cycle
Part II –
the
Carbon
Cycle:
Most of the carbon on earth is locked up in the
crust in limestone rocks: CaCO3
(PUT THIS IN YOUR NOTES!)
Some of the rest is in
fossil fuels: coal,
crude oil and natural
gas.
Coal = carbon
Methane =
CH4
(PUT IN
Some is in the atmosphere as CO2:
(PUT IN NOTES)
A lot is dissolved in seawater as
carbonate (CO32-),
bicarbonate (HCO3-),
carbonic acid (H2CO3) and
carbon dioxide (CO2):
(PUT IN NOTES)
And of course some is in living & dead
biological tissue (Biomass): (NOTES)
PHOTOSYNTHESIS (plants and Algae):
6CO2 + 6H2O (sunlight)  C6H12O6 + 6O2
RESPIRATION (all life)
C6H12O6 + 6O2  6CO2 + 6H2O (+ energy!)
Where:
C6H12O6 = sugar
O2 = oxygen
CO2 = carbon dioxide
H2O = water
(PUT THIS IN NOTES)
Draw in some ball-and-stick molecules…
carbon dioxide
carbonate
bicarbonate
carbonic acid
calcium carbonate
water
(PUT THIS IN NOTES)
Carbon Cycle
getting started…
(don’t put this in your notes!)
CO2
Limestone
CaCO3
CO2
The main thing is to present it as a
CYCLE
That means every place with carbon has at
least one arrow coming in and one arrow
going out!