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Carbon Cycle and Water Cycle notes; Form 2 Kyle College 23/7/2021
Carbon Cycle and Water Cycle Notes
Carbon moves from the atmosphere and back via animals and plants. Water moves on,
above, or below the surface of the Earth.
The carbon cycle
Carbon is being continually recycled on Earth. The processes that release carbon dioxide to
the atmosphere include:

• combustion of fossil fuels

• respiration by plants and animals

Carbon dioxide is taken in from the atmosphere by plants so that they can carry
out photosynthesis.

Some processes move carbon compounds from place to place, including:

• feeding by animals

• formation of fossil fuels

The model that describes the processes involved is called the carbon cycle.

Carbon is passed from the atmosphere, as carbon dioxide, to living things. It is then passed
from one organism to the next in complex molecules, and returned to the atmosphere as
carbon dioxide again. This is known as the carbon cycle.

Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Plants use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for photosynthesis. The carbon becomes
part of complex molecules in the plants, such as proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Passing carbon from one organism to the next

When an animal eats a plant, carbon from the plant becomes part of the fats and proteins in
the animal. Microorganisms and some animals feed on waste material from animals, and
the remains of dead animals and plants. The carbon then becomes part of these organisms.

Returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere

Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere through respiration by animals, plants and
microorganisms. It is also released by the combustion of wood and fossil fuels (such as coal,
oil and natural gas). The use of fossil fuels is gradually increasing the carbon dioxide levels in
the atmosphere.

Decomposition or decay also releases carbon dioxide. This process happens faster in warm,
moist conditions with plenty of oxygen because it involves microorganisms. Decay can be
very slow in cold, dry conditions, and when there is a shortage of oxygen.
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Fossil fuels
The fossil fuels were formed from the remains of dead organisms over millions of years.
They are non-renewable, finite resources. The carbon cycle describes how carbon is recycled
in the environment.

Formation of fossil fuels

Crude oil, coal and gas are fossil fuels. They were formed over millions of years, from the
remains of dead organisms:

• coal was formed from dead trees and other plant material

• crude oil and gas were formed from dead marine organisms

Fossil fuels are non-renewable. They took a very long time to form and we are using them
up faster than they can be replaced - once they have all been used up, they cannot be
replaced. Fossil fuels are also finite resources. They are no longer being made or are being
made extremely slowly.

How crude oil and natural gas were formed

Millions of years ago, huge numbers of microscopic animals and plants - plankton - died and
fell to the bottom of the sea. Their remains were covered by mud.

As the mud sediment was buried by more sediment, it started to change into rock as the
temperature and pressure increased. The plant and animal remains were altered chemically
by this process, and slowly changed into crude oil and natural gas. The below show what
happened and how we get oil from the ground today:
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The oil moved upwards through the spaces in permeable rock. It became trapped if it
reached impermeable rock. Oil companies can drill down through the impermeable rocks to
get it out. They are then able to turn it into products we can use, such as petrol and diesel.
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The water cycle

The water cycle is also known as the hydrological cycle. It describes how water moves on,
above, or just below the surface of our planet.

Water molecules move between various locations - such as rivers, oceans and the
atmosphere - by specific processes. Water can change state.

Evaporation

Energy from the Sun heats the Earth’s surface and water evaporates from oceans, rivers and
lakes. The warm air rises, carrying water vapour with it.

Transpiration

Transpiration from plants releases water vapour into the air.

Condensation

The moist air cools down as it rises. Water vapour condenses back into liquid water, and
this condensation process produces clouds.

Precipitation

As the water droplets in the cloud get bigger and heavier, they begin to fall as rain, snow
and sleet. This is called precipitation (it is not the same as precipitation in Chemistry).