1.2. How important are water and carbon to life on Earth?
1a. Water and carbon support life on Earth and move between the land, oceans a
Importance of carbon: The water and carbon cycles:
Carbon is a common chemical element, stored in Atmosphere = the thin envelope of gases (mainly nitroge
carbonate rocks such as limestone, seafloor Biosphere = the space at the Earth’s surface & within the
sediments, ocean water (as dissolved CO2), the
atmosphere (CO2) & in the biosphere Evapotranspiration = combined loss of water at the sur
Apart from its biological significance, carbon is used by plants
as an economic resource The cycling of individual water molecules & carbon
- Fossil fuels such as coal, oil & natural gas power days to millions of years
the global economy Water moves between stores through the processes
- Oil is also used as a raw material in the off & groundwater flow
manufacture of products ranging from plastics to
Photosynthesis = process by which green plants conver
paint & synthetic fabrics
presence of sunlight
- Agricultural crops & forest trees also store large
amounts of carbon available for human use as Respiration = the process in living organisms where
food, timber, paper, textiles & many other substances to produce energy & release CO2
products Oxidation = a chemical process that whethers certain ty
oxygen from either the atmosphere or water by rock min
Water & carbon cycles as open & closed systems: Weathering = the in-situ breakdown of rocks at or near
Systems are groups of objects & their relationships biological processes
that bind the objects together The global carbon cycle also contains a series of store
1a. Water and carbon support life on Earth and move between the land, oceans a
Importance of carbon: The water and carbon cycles:
Carbon is a common chemical element, stored in Atmosphere = the thin envelope of gases (mainly nitroge
carbonate rocks such as limestone, seafloor Biosphere = the space at the Earth’s surface & within the
sediments, ocean water (as dissolved CO2), the
atmosphere (CO2) & in the biosphere Evapotranspiration = combined loss of water at the sur
Apart from its biological significance, carbon is used by plants
as an economic resource The cycling of individual water molecules & carbon
- Fossil fuels such as coal, oil & natural gas power days to millions of years
the global economy Water moves between stores through the processes
- Oil is also used as a raw material in the off & groundwater flow
manufacture of products ranging from plastics to
Photosynthesis = process by which green plants conver
paint & synthetic fabrics
presence of sunlight
- Agricultural crops & forest trees also store large
amounts of carbon available for human use as Respiration = the process in living organisms where
food, timber, paper, textiles & many other substances to produce energy & release CO2
products Oxidation = a chemical process that whethers certain ty
oxygen from either the atmosphere or water by rock min
Water & carbon cycles as open & closed systems: Weathering = the in-situ breakdown of rocks at or near
Systems are groups of objects & their relationships biological processes
that bind the objects together The global carbon cycle also contains a series of store
