THE CYCLES OF MATTER

WATER CYCLE

Drinking water that dinosaurs drank?

Did you know that the same water used by the dinosaurs 65 millions years ago is the same water we are using nowadays. This is because water is recycled through the water cycle.

There are about 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water in the Earth system.

1 cubic kilometer = more than 264 gallons
1 gallon = almost 4 L (3.87 L)

Althought that is an enormous volume of water, only a small fraction of it: 3,000 km2 exist in the atmosphere. 

In other words if all the water in the atmosphere fell to the Earth´s surface at one time, the land on Earth would be covered with about 2.5cm of water. 

The movement of water between the oceans, atmosphere, land and living things is known as the water cycle. 

The parts of the water cycle are shown above and described as follows:

• The Sun's heat provides energy to evaporate water from the Earth's surface (oceans, lakes, etc.). 

• Plants also lose water to the air (this process is called transpiration)

• The water vapor eventually condenses, forming tiny droplets in clouds

• When the clouds meet cool air over land, precipitation (rain, sleet, or snow) is triggered, and water returns to the land (or sea).

• Some of the underground water is trapped between rock or clay layers; this is called groundwater.

• But most of the water flows downhill as runoff (above ground or underground), eventually returning to the seas as slightly salty water.  

• Accumulation - the process in which water pools in large bodies (like oceans, seas and lakes). 

• Condensation - the process in which water vapor (a gas) in the air turns into liquid water. Condensing water forms clouds in the sky. Water drops that form on the outside of a glass of icy water are condensed water. (This term appears twice in the diagram.)

• Evaporation - the process in which liquid water becomes water vapor (a gas). Water vaporizes from the surfaces of oceans and lakes, from the surface of the land, and from melts in snow fields.

• Precipitation - the process in which water (in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail) falls from clouds in the sky.

• Subsurface Runoff - rain, snow melt, or other water that flows in underground streams, drains, or sewers.

• Surface Runoff - rain, snow melt, or other water that flows in surface streams, rivers, or canals.

• Transpiration - the process in which some water within plants evaporates into the atmosphere. Water is first absorbed by the plant's roots, then later exits by evaporating through pores in the plant.

Water cicle in motion

• Plants play an important role in the water cycle. Of the 1200km2 of water that enters the atmosphere every day, as much as 120Km3 is released by plants as they transpire. 

• Plants take water thorugh their roots and release it through stomates, which are small pores located on the undersides of their leaves. 

Now let´s see how much you have learned:

Labeling the water cicle diagram


Water Cycle snap cards



CARBON CYCLE

Carbon is an element. It is part of oceans, air, rocks, soil and all living things. Carbon doesn’t stay in one place. It is always on the move!

Carbon cycle involves the movement of carbon (C) through

living organisms and the non-living environment.

Plants are a good starting point when looking at the carbon 

cycle on Earth.

Plants have a process called photosynthesis:

CO2 + water + Sun light _______ glucose + oxygen

                       (energy)

                                    Process called carbon fixation.

• Carbon moves from the atmosphere to plants.
• Carbon moves from plants to animals.
• Carbon moves from plants and animals to the ground.
• Carbon moves from living things to the atmosphere.
• Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when fuels are burned.
• Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the oceans. 

Let´s learn something else

Another part of the carbon cycle happens when

organisms (plant and animal) break sugars down into

energy, water, and carbon dioxide 

The process of metabolism breaks down the sugars,

proteins, and starches they eat. The results are

energy for the organism, water, and carbon dioxide 

molecules. 

The carbon dioxide then returns to the atmosphere

where the plants can use it again. 

So, your carbon dioxide is now back in the atmosphere. 

All of that CO2 gas goes into the atmosphere. 

While some of it is taken up by plants on the land and microorganisms in the oceans, it seems to be building up over the past few decades. 

Now let´s imagine we are a carbon atom

Let´s play with the carbon cycle