BIOGEOCHEMICAL

CYCLES
 BASICS
• BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE: THE COMPLETE PATH A CHEMICAL TAKES
THROUGH THE FOUR MAJOR COMPONENTS, OR RESERVOIRS, OF
EARTH’S SYSTEM (ATMOSPHERE, LITHOSPHERE, HYDROSPHERE AND
BIOSPHERE)

• ATMOSPHERE: LAYER OF GASES SURROUNDING THE EARTH. DIVIDED

INTO 4 LAYERS (TROPOSPHERE, STRATOSPHERE, MESOSPHERE,
THERMOSPHERE)

• LITHOSPHERE: THE OUTER LAYER OF THE EARTH, APPROX. 100KM THICK,

OF WHICH THE PLATES THAT CONTAIN THE OCEAN BASIN AND
CONTINENTS ARE COMPOSED

• HYDROSPHERE: THE WATER PORTION OF OUR PLANET CONSISTING OF

SURFACE FRESHWATER, OCEANS, GLACIERS, GROUNDWATER AND
ATMOSPHERIC WATER (CLOUDS)

• BIOSPHERE:
1. THAT PART OF A PLANET WHERE LIFE EXISTS
2. THE PLANETARY SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES AND SUSTAINS LIFE

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 2

 BASICS

BIOGEOCHEMICAL
It is chemical because it
It is bio because it
is chemicals that are
involves life
cycled

It is geo because the

cycle may include the
atmosphere,
hydrosphere, rocks and
soil
ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 3
 GENERAL CONCEPTS

1. SOME CHEMICAL ELEMENTS (E.G. O, N) CYCLE QUICKLY AND ARE

READILY REGENERATED FOR BIOLOGIC ACTIVITY. TYPICALLY THESE
ELEMENTS HAVE A GAS PHASE AND ARE PRESENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE
AND/OR EASILY DISSOLVED IN WATER AND CARRIED BY THE
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
2. OTHER CHEMICALS ARE EASILY TIED UP IN RELATIVELY IMMOBILE
FORMS AND ARE RETURNED SLOWLY, BY GEOLOGIC PROCESSES, TO
WHERE THEY CAN BE REUSED BY LIFE. THEY TYPICALLY LACK A GAS
PHASE AND ARE NOT FOUND IN SIGNIFICANT CONCENTRATIONS IN
THE ATMOSPHERE. THEY ARE ALSO RELATIVELY INSOLUBLE IN WATER
(E.G. P)
ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 4
 GENERAL CONCEPTS

3. MOST REQUIRED NUTRIENT ELEMENTS HAVE A LIGHT ATOMIC

WEIGHT. THE HEAVIEST REQUIRED MICRONUTRIENT IS IODINE
4. SINCE LIFE EVOLVED IT HAS GREATLY ALTERED BIOGEOCHEMICAL
CYCLES AND THIS ALTERATION HAS CHANGED OUR PLANET IN
MANY WAYS
5. THE CONTINUATION OF PROCESSES THAT CONTROL
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES IS ESSENTIAL TO THE LONG TERM
MAINTENANCE OF LIFE ON EARTH

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 5

 GENERAL CONCEPTS

• ALL LIVING THINGS ARE MADE UP OF CHEMICALS (24 OUT OF THE MORE THAN 103
KNOWN CHEMICALS ARE REQUIRED FOR LIFE)
• MACRONUTRIENTS: ELEMENTS REQUIRED IN LARGE AMOUNTS BY LIVING THINGS.
INCLUDE THE BIG 6 (C, H, O, N, P, S)
• MICRONUTRIENTS: CHEMICAL ELEMENTS REQUIRED IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS BY AT
LEAST SOME FORMS OF LIFE. (E.G. B, CU, MO)
• LIMITING FACTOR: THE SINGLE REQUIREMENT FOR GROWTH AVAILABLE IN THE LEAST
SUPPLY IN COMPARISON TO THE NEED OF THE ORGANISM
• SOME ELEMENTS CAN BE TOXIC EVEN AT LOW CONCENTRATIONS (E.G. HG) WHILE
OTHER ELEMENTS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL IN SMALL CONCENTRATIONS CAN BE TOXIC AT
HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS (E.G. CU)

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 6

 PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 7

 SIMPLIFIED BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE

• Source: Refers to a compartment that donates to another compartment

• Sink: Refers to a compartment the receives materials (e.g. a chemical element)

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 8

 GEOLOGICAL CYCLE

• GEOLOGIC CYCLE: THE PROCESSES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FORMATION

AND CHANGE OF EARTH MATERIALS
• ENCOMPASSING TERM FOR:
• TECTONIC CYCLE
• ROCK CYCLE
• HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
• BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 9

 TECTONIC CYCLE

• IT INVOLVES THE CREATION/DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH’S OUTER LAYER (LITHOSPHERE)

• THE LITHOSPHERE IS BROKEN INTO LARGE PLATES THAT MOVE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER (PLATE
TECTONICS) AT A RATE OF 2 -15CM PER YEAR
• PROCESS DRIVEN BY HEAT FROM THE INTERIOR (WHICH RISES) WHILE AT THE SAME TIME COOLER
DENSER SLABS SINK BANK INTO THE EARTH’S CRUST SETTING THE PLATES IN MOTION
• IMPACTS:
• CHANGES THE POSITION, SIZE AND SHAPE OF CONTINENTS
• CAN CHANGE OCEAN AND ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION PATTERNS LEADING TO ENVIRONMENTAL
CHANGE
• CAN ALSO CREATE ECOLOGICAL ISLANDS, LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SPECIES
• BOUNDARIES ARE GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE AREAS (EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES)

• TYPES OF PLATE BOUNDARY: CONVERGENT, DIVERGENT, TRANSFORM

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 TYPES OF PLATE BOUNDARIES
• CONVERGENT BOUNDARIES
• PLATES MOVE INTO EACH OTHER
• LEADS TO THE DESTRUCTION OF LITHOSPHERE
• TYPES:
• CONTINENTAL CRUST AND OCEANIC CRUST
• CONTINENTAL CRUST LESS DENSE THAN OCEANIC CRUST
• THEREFORE OCEANIC CRUST GETS SUBDUCTED WHILE THE CONTINENTAL
CRUST “FLOATS” ON TOP
• CAN LEAD TO EXTENSIVE VOLCANISM
• E.G. THE ANDES MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH AMERICA

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 11

 TYPES OF PLATE BOUNDARIES
• CONTINENTAL CRUST AND CONTINENTAL CRUST
• BOTH CRUSTS OF EQUAL DENSITY
• LEADS TO BUCKLING, FRACTURING AND DEFORMATION OF THE CRUST
• E.G. THE HIMALAYA’S
• OCEANIC CRUST AND OCEANIC CRUST
• ONE IS THRUST UNDERNEATH ANOTHER
• LEADS TO EXTENSIVE VOLCANISM
• CAN LEAD TO THE FORMATION OF VOLCANIC ISLAND ARCS
• E.G. MARIANA ISLANDS

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 12

 TYPES OF PLATE BOUNDARIES

• DIVERGENT BOUNDARIES
• PLATES ARE MOVING APART, LEADS TO THE PRODUCTION OF NEW
LITHOSPHERE
• TYPICALLY OCCURS AT MID-OCEAN RIDGES (SEAFLOOR SPREADING)
• E.G. THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
• TRANSFORM BOUNDARIES
• OCCURS WHERE PLATES GRIND PAST EACH OTHER
• LITHOSPHERE IS NOT BEING CREATED OR DESTROYED
• E.G. SAN ANDREAS FAULT

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 MAJOR GLOBAL TECTONIC PLATES

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 THE ROCK CYCLE
• A group of processes that
produce igneous, sedimentary
and metamorphic rocks
• The rock cycle can serve as a
sink for carbon (formation of
coal or anthracite)
• Additional elements can also
be incorporated into rock
such as limestone (a sink for
Ca)
• Additionally certain gases can
be released into the
atmosphere during the
formation of igneous rocks
(the extrusive variety)
• Rocks, through the process of
weathering, can be a source
ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science of a variety of chemical 15
elements into the
environment
 THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

• THE TRANSFER OF WATER FROM THE OCEANS, TO THE ATMOSPHERE, TO THE LAND
AND THEN EVENTUALLY BACK TO THE OCEANS
• HAS THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS
• EVAPORATION FROM THE OCEAN
• PRECIPITATION ON LAND
• EVAPORATION FROM LAND
• TRANSPIRATION BY VEGETATION
• SURFACE RUNOFF (STREAMS, RIVERS)
• SUBSURFACE FLOW
• STORAGE ON LAND (LAKES, DAMS, GLACIERS)
• EVAPORATION FROM LAKES AND DAMS

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 16

 THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

• PROCESS DRIVEN BY SOLAR ENERGY

• DISTRIBUTION OF WATER:
• OCEANS: 97%
• GLACIERS AND ICE CAPS: 2%
• SHALLOW GROUND WATER: 0.8%
• LAKES AND RIVERS: 0.01%
• ATMOSPHERE: 0.001%

• THE RATE OF TRANSFER OF WATER FROM THE LAND TO THE OCEAN IS RELATIVELY LOW
• THE LAND AND OCEAN SOMEWHAT ISOLATED FROM THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
• MOST OF THE RAINFALL IN THE OCEAN CAME FROM WATER EVAPORATED FROM THE OCEAN
AND LIKEWISE FOR LAND

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 THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
Units: • Approx. 60% of the
thousands of water that precipitates
km3/yr on land evaporates
back to the
atmosphere, while 40%
flows back to the ocean
• Water is not evenly
distributed on land as
this has environmental
implications

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 18

 THE CARBON CYCLE

• ATMOSPHERE:
• EXISTS IN A GASEOUS STATE (CO2, CH4)
• REMOVED FROM ATMOSPHERE BY:
• PHOTOSYNTHESIS
• DIFFUSION WITH OCEAN
• INTRODUCED INTO ATMOSPHERE BY:
• RESPIRATION
• WILDFIRES
• BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS
• DECOMPOSITION OF ORGANIC MATERIALS
• DIFFUSION WITH OCEAN
• VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 19

 THE CARBON CYCLE

• HYDROSPHERE
• EXISTS AS DISSOLVED CO2, OR AS CO3-2, HCO3-
• REMOVED FROM OCEAN BY:
• PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF ALGAE AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS
• DIFFUSION WITH ATMOSPHERE
• FORMATION OF CACO3 IN SEA SHELLS
• INTRODUCED INTO OCEAN BY:
• RESPIRATION OF MARINE ORGANISMS
• DIFFUSION WITH ATMOSPHERE
• RIVERS (DISSOLVED CO2, ORGANIC PARTICLES)
• WIND

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 THE CARBON CYCLE

• BIOSPHERE
• PLANTS TAKE UP C DURING THE PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
• HIGHER TROPHIC LEVELS OBTAIN THEIR C BY FEEDING ON THE LOWER
TROPHIC LEVELS
• DECOMPOSITION OF MATERIAL IS DECOMPOSED INTO ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS AS WELL AS CO2
• IN AREAS WHERE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH OXYGEN OR THE TEMPERATURE
IS TOO LOW, THE RATE OF DECOMPOSITION SLOWS DOWN AND
ORGANIC MATERIAL ACCUMULATES

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 THE CARBON CYCLE

• LITHOSPHERE
• VERY SMALL CONSTITUENT OF CRUST (0.035% BY WEIGHT)
• THE ACCUMULATED ORGANIC MATERIAL IN LAND SYSTEMS CAN OVER TIME
BECOME COMPRESSED BY GEOLOGIC FORCES
• THIS COMPRESSION SQUEEZES OUT O AND H (CONTAINED WITHIN THE
ORGANIC MATERIAL) INCREASING THE CARBON CONTENT LEADING TO THE
FORMATION OF COAL
• IN MARINE SYSTEMS THE COMPRESSION OF ORGANIC MATERIAL (MOSTLY
PHYTOPLANKTON) LEADS TO THE FORMATION OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS
• THE FORMATION OF LIMESTONE (CACO3) IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTS IS ALSO
A SINK FOR CARBON

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 22

 THE CARBON CYCLE
Units: billions
of metric
tonnes

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 23

 THE PHOSPHOROUS CYCLE

• ATMOSPHERE:
• P DOES NOT HAVE A GASEOUS PHASE ON EARTH
• FOUND IN THE ATMOSPHERE ONLY IN SMALL PARTICLES OF DUST
• HYDROSPHERE:
• P TENDS TO FORM COMPOUNDS THAT ARE RELATIVELY INSOLUBLE IN WATER
• TRANSPORTED BY RIVERS TO THE OCEANS IN SOLUBLE FORM OR AS
SUSPENDED PARTICLES
• RUNOFF OF INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL WASTES CAN INTRODUCE
PHOSPHATES INTO WATER SYSTEMS. (CAN LEAD TO ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION - EUTROPHICATION)

ENV 101: Introduction to Environmental Science 24

 THE PHOSPHOROUS CYCLE

• BIOSPHERE
• ENTERS BIOTA THROUGH UPTAKE OF PHOSPHATE BY PLANTS, ALGAE AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC
BACTERIA
• CAN BE RETURNED TO LAND BY PELAGIC BIRDS THAT FEED ON FISH WHICH IN TURN FEED ON
PLANKTON WHICH TAKE UP P
• THESE BIRDS NEST ON OFF SHORE ISLANDS AND THEIR P RICH EXCREMENT ACCUMULATES (GUANO).
• THESE ACCUMULATIONS CAN BE UP TO 40M THICK

• LITHOSPHERE
• OCCURS IN AN OXIDISED STATE (PHOSPHATE)
• COMBINES WITH CA, MG, K, FE TO FORM MINERALS
• RATE OF TRANSFER SLOW COMPARED TO THAT OF C OR N
• RECYCLED IN MARINE SEDIMENTS TO BECOME PART OF THE ROCK CYCLE

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 THE PHOSPHOROUS CYCLE

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