Carbon
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon into what major reservoir?
The atmosphere
What is the largest reservoir of nitrogen?
The atmosphere
Where in the world is phosphorus never present?
In the atmosphere
What is the process called where liquid water in the ocean becomes a gas when heated?
evaporation
What is another word for a reservoir when talking about the element cycles?
A sink
What is the biological process by which humans release carbon into the atmosphere?
Cellular Respiration
What is the process where bacteria turn nitrogen into a usable form?
Nitrogen Fixation
What is the largest reservoir of phosphorus?
Sediments & Rock
What is the largest reservoir of water?
The ocean
What is another word for something that releases or gives off the element?
A source
What is the biological process by which plants take in carbon from the atmosphere and turn it into glucose?
Photosynthesis
What organism is responsible for making nitrogen usable and then releasing it back into the atmosphere when a living thing dies?
Bacteria
Does the phosphorus cycle occur relatively fast or relatively slow?
Slowly
What is the name of the process where water in the air begins to turn into rain/snow/hail
Condensation
What is the term for when water is absorbed into groundwater / aquifers?
Infiltration
Which of the following is a carbon sink?
A. Burning Fossil Fuels
B. Forests
C. Humans
D. Animals
B. Forests
Where do we (humans) get our nitrogen from?
From eating (plants or animals)
Where do we (humans) get our phosphorus from?
From eating (plants or animals)
What is the name of the process where water that does not sink into the soil makes it way into lakes/rivers/streams?
Runoff
What is the term for when a plant takes in phosphorus or nitrogen via its roots?
assimilation
Why is too much carbon in the atmosphere a problem?
Global Warming (rising temperatures) or ocean acidification (more carbon dissolved in the water)
Why do organisms (both plants and animals) need nitrogen to live?
Nitrogen is needed for DNA, RNA, and Amino Acids/Proteins.
Why do organisms (both plants and animals) need phosphorus to live?
Phosphorus is needed for DNA, RNA, and ATP
What is the driving force behind the water cycle?
The sun
What is the formal name of the water cycle?
The Hydrologic Cycle