Across
- 4. effect – increase in Earth’s temperature from trapped heat by CO₂ and other gases
- 6. – conversion of nitrates back to atmospheric N₂ gas
- 8. – bacteria temporarily lock up nutrients for their own use
- 9. – the shape of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, ranging from more circular to more elliptical on ~100,000-year cycles.
- 11. - any process, location, or system that releases a substance or energy into the environment, adding it to a cycle.
- 12. – bacteria convert ammonia to nitrites (NO₂⁻) and nitrates (NO₃⁻)
- 14. Tilt (Obliquity) – the angle between Earth’s rotational axis and its orbital plane, varying between 22.1° and 24.5° every ~41,000 years.
- 15. cycle – movement of elements through living organisms and the environment
- 16. – movement of water (and nutrients) across Earth’s surface
- 17. – water stored underground in aquifers
- 19. – all living things on Earth and the environments where they exist.
- 21. – movement of rock layers bringing nutrients back to surface
- 23. fuels – long-term carbon storage from buried organic material (coal, oil, natural gas)
- 25. –absorption of nutrients by an organism.
- 26. Niño – a periodic warming of surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that weakens trade winds and alters global weather patterns.
- 27. – flow of water into the ground to recharge aquifers
- 29. - any process, location, or system that absorbs or stores a substance or energy from the environment, temporarily or permanently removing it from a cycle.
- 30. – the solid parts of Earth, including rocks, soil, and landforms.
- 31. – downward movement of water into soil and rock layers
- 32. – evaporation of water from plant leaves
- 34. fixation – bacteria or lightning convert atmospheric N₂ into ammonia (NH₃) or ammonium (NH₄⁺)
- 35. – layer of rock or sediment holding groundwater
Down
- 1. – all water on, above, and below Earth’s surface
- 2. Cycles – long-term variations in Earth’s orbit, tilt, and wobble that alter how solar energy is distributed across the planet.
- 3. – the slow wobble of Earth’s axis, changing the timing of the seasons relative to Earth’s position in orbit (~26,000-year cycle)..
- 5. – phosphate settles in oceans forming new rocks
- 7. (Mineralization) – decomposition releasing ammonia from organic matter
- 10. – storage location for elements or compounds (e.g., ocean, atmosphere, soil)
- 13. – water vapor cools to liquid forming clouds
- 18. – processes that release minerals or nutrients from rocks
- 20. – the gases surrounding Earth, forming the air and weather systems.
- 22. change – a long-term shift in Earth’s average temperature and weather patterns, occurring naturally or through human influence.
- 24. – liquid water changes to vapor
- 25. –tThe fraction of sunlight reflected by a surface; higher albedo means more reflection and less heat absorption.
- 28. Niña – the cooling phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), when stronger trade winds push warm water westward, increasing upwelling in the eastern Pacific.
- 33. – rain, snow, sleet, or hail returning water to Earth