Introducing the Geochemical Cycles

(it is necessary to understand & use these if you want to design a Mars Colony or any ecosystem…)

Water cycleCarbon cycleEnergy 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 = carbonMethane = CH4

(PUT IN NOTES!)

Some is in the atmosphere as CO2:(PUT IN NOTES)

A lot is dissolved in seawater as carbonate (CO3

2-), 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…

CO2

CO2

LimestoneCaCO3

Photosynthesis:

CO 2 + H 2

O sugar + O 2

Respiration:

Sugar + O 2

CO 2 + H 2

O

(don’t put this in your notes!)

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!