Earth’s 4 Spheres

air

life

water

earth/rocks

The Water Cycle

The Water Cycle

Evaporation

Condensation

Precipitation

Human Uses

Human Waste

Groundwater

Runoff

Transpiration

Evaporation

• Water that rises from the earth (lithosphere or biosphere) into the atmosphere

Condensation

• Water in the atmosphere that clumps together to form clouds

Precipitation

• Water that falls from the atmosphere to the earth (lithosphere)

Runoff

• Water on the earth (lithosphere) that flows into bodies of water (hydrosphere)

Human Uses

• We need water to live– For our bodies– To clean our food and ourselves

Human Waste

• Animals (including humans) return water to ground and bodies of water through urine

Groundwater

• Water stored in the lithosphere

The Carbon Cycle

The Carbon Cycle

Gas Exchange

PhotosynthesisPollution

Gas Exchange

Decomposition

Burning Fossil FuelsAnimal Waste

Fossilization

Carbon Fixation

Gas Exchange

• CO2 exchanges between water and the atmosphere– dissolves from the atmosphere into

water (the hydrosphere)– rises out of water into the atmosphere

Photosynthesis

• Plants use CO2 from the atmosphere to make glucose sugar (C6H12O6)

Carbon Fixation

• When CO2 leaves the atmosphere and enters the biosphere (usually photosynthesis)

Animal Waste

• Carbon compounds are released through solid waste into land and water (the lithosphere and hydrosphere)

Decomposition

• Carbon is decomposed (by bacteria and other decomposers) into soil

Fossilization

• When plants and animals die, the carbon in their bodies may be turned into fossil fuels– Under the right heat and pressure

Burning Fossil Fuels

• We can burn these fossils and use the energy from them as fuel (coal, oil, and natural gas)– CO2 is released when they are burnt

Pollution

• CO2 from the burnt fuels is released back into the atmosphere

The Nitrogen Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle

Runoff

Nitrogen Fixation

Animal Use

Burning Fossil Fuels

Plant Use

Waste

De-nitrification

Nitrogen Fixation

• Lightning and bacteria put atmospheric nitrogen into the lithosphere and hydrosphere (NO3 and NH3)

Plant Use

• Plants use nitrogen to make amino acids (the building blocks of proteins!)– From the atmosphere to the biosphere

Animal Use

• Animals break apart the plant proteins and use the amino acids to build their own proteins– Stays in the biosphere

Waste

• Decomposers break down animals and plant matter into nitrogen for the soil (lithosphere and biosphere)

De-nitrification

• Decomposers turn nitrogen compounds back into nitrogen gas (lithosphere to atmosphere)

Runoff

• Runoff washes nitrogen from the ground into water (lithosphere into the hydrosphere)

Burning Fossil Fuels

• Nitrogen enters the atmosphere as pollution from our factories– Lithosphere to atmosphere

Question 1:

Explain how the Earth’s 4 spheres are connected

through the water, carbon, and nitrogen

cycles.

Analysis: Yosemite National Park was my grandfather’s favorite place on earth. When he died, we spread some of his ashes there.  Draw and label the path of a CARBON atom from Ms. Macway’s Grandpa’s remains to where it could become part of a hawk.  Note: A hawk is a carnivore, but it did NOT dig up and consume my Grandpa’s remains!!!