"A biogeochemical cycle, or more generally a cycle of matter, is the movement and transformation of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms, the atmosphere, and the Earth's crust."
The cycling of elements and compounds in Earth's biogeochemical systems, including the carbon cycle, water cycle, and nitrogen cycle.
Introduction to Geochemistry: This topic covers the basic concepts, principles, and terminology of geochemistry.
The Earth's Interior: This topic explores the chemical makeup of the Earth's interior, including the composition of rocks, minerals, and fluids.
The Atmosphere: This topic covers the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, including the role of greenhouse gases.
The Hydrosphere: This topic explores the chemical properties of water, including its interactions with the Earth's surface and the atmosphere.
The Lithosphere: This topic covers the chemical processes that occur in the Earth's crust, including mineral formation and weathering.
The Carbon Cycle: This topic explores the cycling of carbon between the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and lithosphere.
The Nitrogen Cycle: This topic covers the cycling of nitrogen between the Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
The Phosphorus Cycle: This topic explores the cycling of phosphorus between the Earth's lithosphere, oceans, and biota.
The Sulfur Cycle: This topic covers the cycling of sulfur between the Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
The Water Cycle: This topic explores the cycling of water between the Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.
Isotope Geochemistry: This topic covers the use of isotopes in understanding geochemical processes, including radiometric dating, stable isotopes, and isotopic fractionation.
Geochemical Modeling: This topic explores the use of mathematical models to simulate and predict geochemical processes.
Biogeochemistry: This topic covers the interactions between the biosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere, including the cycling of nutrients and pollutants.
Environmental Geochemistry: This topic explores the impact of human activities on the Earth's geochemical cycles, including pollution, acid rain, and climate change.
Economic Geology: This topic covers the use of geochemical data and techniques in mineral exploration and extraction.
Water Cycle: The movement of water from the earth's surface to the atmosphere and back through evaporation, precipitation, and runoff.
Carbon Cycle: The movement of carbon through the earth's system, involving both abiotic and biotic processes, including photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition.
Nitrogen Cycle: The cycling of nitrogen through the earth's system, involving the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into forms that are usable by plants and other organisms.
Phosphorus Cycle: The cycling of phosphorus through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of phosphorus by plants, and the return of phosphorus to the soil through decomposition.
Sulfur Cycle: The cycling of sulfur through the earth's system, including the release of sulfur into the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions, the weathering of rocks, and the uptake of sulfur by plants.
Oxygen Cycle: The cycling of oxygen through the earth's system, including the production of oxygen through photosynthesis and the consumption of oxygen through respiration.
Iron Cycle: The cycling of iron through the earth's system, including the release of iron into the oceans from weathering of rocks and the uptake of iron by marine organisms.
Uranium Cycle: The cycling of uranium through the earth's system, including the release of uranium into the soil and water from weathering of rocks and the uptake of uranium by plants and animals.
Mercury Cycle: The cycling of mercury through the earth's system, including the release of mercury into the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions and the burning of fossil fuels, and the uptake of mercury by plants and animals.
Zinc Cycle: The cycling of zinc through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of zinc by plants, and the return of zinc to the soil through decomposition.
Selenium Cycle: The cycling of selenium through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of selenium by plants and animals, and the return of selenium to the soil through decomposition.
Copper Cycle: The cycling of copper through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of copper by plants, and the recycling of copper from the soil through decomposition.
Cobalt Cycle: The cycling of cobalt through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of cobalt by plants, and the recycling of cobalt from the soil through decomposition.
Manganese Cycle: The cycling of manganese through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of manganese by plants, and the recycling of manganese from the soil through decomposition.
Chromium Cycle: The cycling of chromium through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of chromium by plants, and the return of chromium to the soil through decomposition.
Nickel Cycle: The cycling of nickel through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of nickel by plants, and the recycling of nickel from the soil through decomposition.
Cadmium Cycle: The cycling of cadmium through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of cadmium by plants and animals, and the return of cadmium to the soil through decomposition.
Lead Cycle: The cycling of lead through the earth's system, including the release of lead into the environment from human activities, the uptake of lead by plants and animals, and the cycling of lead through the soil and water.
Arsenic Cycle: The cycling of arsenic through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of arsenic by plants and animals, and the recycling of arsenic from the soil through decomposition.
Barium Cycle: The cycling of barium through the earth's system, including the weathering of rocks, the uptake of barium by plants and animals, and the return of barium to the soil through decomposition.
"Major biogeochemical cycles include the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the water cycle."
"In each cycle, the chemical element or molecule is transformed and cycled by living organisms and through various geological forms and reservoirs."
"The abiotic compartments are the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere."
"Atmospheric carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants through photosynthesis, which converts it into organic compounds that are used by organisms for energy and growth."
"Carbon is then released back into the atmosphere through respiration and decomposition."
"Carbon is stored in fossil fuels and is released into the atmosphere through human activities such as burning fossil fuels."
"Atmospheric nitrogen gas is converted by plants into usable forms such as ammonia and nitrates through the process of nitrogen fixation."
"Nitrogen is returned to the atmosphere through denitrification and other processes."
"In the water cycle, the universal solvent water evaporates from land and oceans to form clouds in the atmosphere, and then precipitates back to different parts of the planet."
"Precipitation can seep into the ground and become part of groundwater systems used by plants and other organisms, or can runoff the surface to form lakes and rivers."
"Subterranean water can then seep into the ocean along with river discharges, rich with dissolved and particulate organic matter and other nutrients."
"There are biogeochemical cycles for many other elements, such as oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorus, calcium, iron, sulfur, mercury, and selenium."
"There are also cycles for molecules, such as water and silica."
"There are also cycles for synthetic compounds such as for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)."
"In some cycles, there are geological reservoirs where substances can remain or be sequestered for long periods of time."
"Biological processes include the influence of microorganisms, which are critical drivers of biogeochemical cycling."
"Microorganisms have the ability to carry out wide ranges of metabolic processes essential for the cycling of nutrients and chemicals throughout global ecosystems."
"Without microorganisms, many of these processes would not occur, with significant impact on the functioning of land and ocean ecosystems and the planet's biogeochemical cycles as a whole."
"Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and using large amounts of fertilizer can disrupt cycles, contributing to climate change, pollution, and other environmental problems."