Earth's Cycles Final Assessment

Earth's Cycles Final Assessment

Part I

Rock Cycle:

1. How does a metamorphic Rock become a sedimentary rock?

A metamorphic rock can become a sedimentary rock when the metamorphic rock is broken into sediments through the process of weathering, is transported by erosion, then gets compacted through compaction, and glued together by cementation to form a sedimentary rock.

2. How does magma change into a metamorphic rock?

Magma change into a metamorphic rock when it erupts from a volcano and becomes lava, then lava cools down by crystallization and then forms an igneous rock and lastly, through heat and pressure forms a metamorphic rock.

Carbon Cycle:

3. How does a consumer become a fossil?

A consumer becomes a fossil when it dies, then get decomposed(broken down) by decomposers through the process of decomposition, and get buried deep down into the ground over a long period of time to form a fossil.

4. How can a fossil fuel be used in photosynthesis?

When a fossil fuel gets burned through consumption, the carbon dioxide released through CO2 emission is absorbed by plants through absorption and then gets released into the atmosphere as oxygen.

Water Cycle:

5. How does water(liquid) turn into a cloud?

Liquid water can turn into a cloud when the sunlight heats water and turns it into water vapor  through the processes of evaporation and transpiration, then water vapors get together through condensation and form a cloud.

6. How can a cloud turn into groundwater?

A cloud can turn into groundwater when precipitation happens, rain, snow, hail, etc become run-offs on land, then through infiltration the water goes underground and is called groundwater.

Part II

1. How are the rock, carbon, water cycles connected to the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere and biosphere? Be sure to discuss each sphere in a paragraph and how they relate to the three cycles(rock, carbon & water).

All of earth's cycles--rock, carbon, water are connected to the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere and biosphere one way or another. 

The hydrosphere can be defined as simply water. The hydrosphere helps the rock cycle by providing it with water so the following processes can happen in the rock cycle: precipitation, crystallization, erosion, and weathering. Precipitation breaks rocks in the rock cycle through weathering. Water carries rocks through erosion. Water coold down lava and change it into an igneous rock through crystallization. The hydrosphere helps in the carbon cycle by providing water so the following processes could take place in the carbon cycle: absorption an diffusion. In the carbon cycle, plant takes up water to make foood through photosynthesis. CO2 goes into water sources through diffusion so some aquatic organisms can make their shell, etc. The hydrosphere works with the water cycle in all ways because the hydrophere is water, itself. All the processes in the water cycle(evaporation, run-offs, precipitation, infiltration, transpiration, condensation, etc) happen within the hydrosphere.

The Lithosphere can be defined as land, ground, rock, earth. The lithosphere works with the rock cycle in all ways because earth is  made out of rock.One specific example is that sedimentary and metamorphic rocks are made underground. Magma, lava, igneous rock, sediments, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks are all rocks in different forms--remember that the lithosphere is basically rock too. The lithosphere works with the water cycle through the process of infiltration and  through run-offs. Run-offs is water on land. Run-offs goes undergroud(lithosphere) through the process of infiltration. The lithosphere works with the carbon cycle through fossils and decomposition. When consumers in the carbon cycle dies, they get buried into the lithosphere(ground). After a long period of time, the buried consumers become fossils. A specific example  of the lithosphere working with the carbon cycle is when coal(a type of sedimentary rock) is made in the lithosphere from the remains of consumers. 

The atmosphere can defined as air or gas. The atmosphere works with the rock cycle through the process of weathering and eruption. When magma/lava erupts from volcanoes, they release gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Wind in the atmosphere can break down rocks through weathering. Precipitation from the atmosphere breaks rock as well. When lava cools down, the vapor is released  into the atmosphere. The atmosphere works with the water cycle thorugh the the processes of evaporation, transpiration, and condensation.In the water cycle, when sunlight heats up the water on earth through evaporation and transpiration,water vapor goes into the atmosphere to form clouds through condensation. The atmosphere works with the carbon cycle in many ways, respiration, CO2 Emissions, and photosynthesis. Through CO2 Emissions, carbon is released into the air. Consumers in the carbon cycle release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through respiration. Plants then take in the carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere. 

The biosphere can be defined as living things or organisms. The biosphere works with the rock cycle through the process of eruption. When a volcano erupts, it releases carbon dioxide  in the atmosphere, the plants(living thing) take in that CO2 and turn it into oxygen. The biosphere works with the water cycle through the process of transpiration, plant uptake, and through run offs. Plants take water through their roots by the process of plant uptake. When the sun heats up that water in the plant, it releases water vapor into the air, which make the air moist and suitable for organisms to respire. Living things such as aquatic organisms live in rivers and other water sources. The biosphere works with the carbon cycle through concumers, producers, decomposers, etc. All of them are living things. They all work together to keep the cycle going.

To conclude, the cycles and the spheres of earth work together in so many ways to keep life going on earth. They work with each other thoroughly. 

 

2. How are the three cycles(rock, water, carbon) connected to each other?

The three cycles, rock, water, and carbon are connected to each other in various ways. One example is that when a consumer in the carbon cycle dies, it gets buried underground and is turned into a sedimentary rock such as coal in the rock cycle. Precipitation in the water cycle can break down that sedimentary rock into sediments and transports it through the process of erosion. That's just one example of how all the cycles interact with each other.