8: The Five Environmental Spheres and Biogeochemical Cycle
- Page ID
- 285324
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)“In addition to water, air, solid earth, and life, a fifth sphere of the environment must be considered, the anthrosphere consisting of the things made and used by humans. The anthrosphere has such a profound influence that we are now entering a new epoch, the anthropocene in which Earth’s environment will be largely determined by human activities.
- 8.1: Five Environmental Spheres
- This page discusses Earth's five interconnected spheres—hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere—and their interactions through biogeochemical cycles. These exchanges of matter and energy are vital for understanding green chemistry, sustainability, and natural resource management.
- 8.2: The Hydrosphere
- This page discusses the crucial role of water (H2O) in the hydrosphere and hydrologic cycle, highlighting the challenge of managing fresh water amid issues like drought and pollution. Human activities, especially well withdrawals, lead to aquifer depletion, stressing the importance of sustainability. Innovations such as water recycling and groundwater recharge can mitigate water scarcity.
- 8.3: The Atmosphere
- This page highlights the importance of Earth's atmosphere in supporting life, protecting organisms, and regulating climate. It is vital for ecological cycles but is threatened by human activities, leading to climate change and environmental degradation. Greenhouse gas emissions cause severe weather events that jeopardize food production, while pollutants result in acid rain and smog.
- 8.4: The Geosphere
- This page discusses the geosphere as Earth's solid layer, highlighting its role as a source of natural resources like minerals and fossil fuels. It interacts with the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere and has a layered structure. The theory of plate tectonics accounts for geological events like earthquakes and volcanic activity. Emphasis is placed on sustainable management practices, such as soil conservation, to ensure environmental sustainability and support human life.
- 8.5: The Biosphere
- This page discusses the biosphere's vital role in sustainability, covering all living organisms and their interactions. It highlights the importance of photosynthesis for energy and biomass and classifies organisms into kingdoms like bacteria, plants, and animals. The biosphere's relationship with other environmental spheres, impacted by human activities, underscores the need for efficient resource recycling and reduced toxicity to promote sustainable industry and agriculture practices.
- 8.6: The Anthrosphere
- This page discusses the impact of the microsociosphere on personal interactions, information access, and community engagement, highlighting its reliance on the broader sociosphere for stability and individual well-being.
- 8.7: Cycles of Matter
- This page explains biogeochemical cycles, highlighting the interconnectedness of environmental spheres through cycles of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus. It discusses key components like reservoirs and conduits and emphasizes the importance of the carbon cycle in sustainability through photosynthesis.
- Questions and Problems
- This page presents inquiry-based questions across atmospheric science, hydrology, ecology, and industrial processes, fostering research and critical thinking. Key topics include the atmosphere's water reservoir role, the tropopause's hydrologic significance, river water usage comparisons, production of argon and neon, ozone dynamics, sulfur cycle pollutants, volcanic eruptions' impacts, soil formation, lessons from the biosphere for industrial ecology, and organism classification evolution.
- Supplementary References
- This page lists three publications: "Man and the Geosphere," edited by Igor V. Florinsky (Nova Science Publishers, 2009); "What is the Rock Cycle?" by Natalie Hyde (Crabtree Publications, 2011); and "Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure" by Annalise Silivanch (Rosen Publications, 2011).