Biogeochemical

Cycle: Sulfur
By Jeff Roberge

Introduction
Biogeochemical

Cycle- the cycle of

matter through the Earth since:

Earth is a closed system

All matter is conserved
All matter cycles (since none is destroyed)

Cycle

consists mostly of macronutrients

C, H2O, O, N, P, S, K, Na, Fe, Mg

But also of Micronutrients (B, Cu, Mo)
(Introduction)

Introduction
Flow

of a chemical through certain

subdivisions

Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere

Usually

of Elements
(Institute)

Introduction
Sulfur-

S, it is an element

Naturally found in earth

At room temp., it is a solid
Present in proteins, amino acids, vitamins,
and enzymes, necessary for plants and
animals
Often reacts with hydrogen creating
hydrogen sulfide
(Sulfur)
Can dissolve in water
With metals in water, forms metal
sulfides;sulfates in air

Sulfur Cycle

(Part IV)

Sulfur Cycle

In ground: most found in rocks, or salt in

earth, or as sediment at bottom of ocean
Found as S, H2S, SO4-2, (NH4)2SO4
Enter ground: Plants absorb, or left by acid
deposition (fog or precipitation)
As SO4-2, (NH4)2SO4, and then turn H2S by
bacteria, decay, and plant use
Stored: Ground,(Oxygen)
rock, ocean, somewhat in air

Sulfur Cycle
Sulfur

is transferred into biosphere

then back into ground, or from ground
to atmosphere
Microorganisms turn it into H2S (gas)
Oxidized in atmosphere to SO2, and then
to H2SO4 (an acid) with water contact
Mined ores released to atmosphere in
factories as H2S and SO2
Volcanoes and hot springs

Sulfur Cycle

Deposited next in water

Through precipitation, dry deposition, leaching

Rainfall= deposited 73E12 grams sulfur in 1960

SO4-2 leaches from soil into ocean as sediment

H2SO4 falls into ocean
Dimethyl Sulfide, carbonyl sulfide (biogenic
gases), released by plankton returns back into
atmosphere (turns into SO2)
Either re-evaporated, left as sediment for long
time, or deposited on land
20E12 grams of sulfur a year deposited on land
by sea
When back on land, cycle repeats

Driving Force
Driven

by:

constant addition of sulfur to environment

by earths interior (geosphere)
Human disturbance, addition of sulfur to
atmosphere, (also dug up from
environment)
Natural processes (incl. Biological,
hydrological, due to suns energy)
(A Black Smoker)
Plant uptake, microbes (Desulfovibrio sp. or
Desulfotomaculum sp.)

Percentages of Sulfur

Common in ground as FeS2

Reservoirs (in 10E18 grams of sulfur):

Oceanic Rocks= 2375 (accurate to 820)

Sediment= 7800 (accurate to 1700)
Freshwater= .003 (accurate to .002)
Ice= .006 (accurate to .002)
Atmosphere= 3.6
Sea= 1280 (accurate to 55)
Organic= .00562
http://www.soils.wisc.edu/soils/courses/451/2
0b.%20Global%20S%20cycle.ppt
(Sulfur Cycle)

Percentages of Sulfur

Most sulfur in particulate form

Therefore it is a sedimentary cycle
Very short residence time in atmosphere
(1-2 days)
Even in atmosphere, found as aerosols
(<1 micrometer), not gas usually
In atmosphere, way less than 1%
Its around .000314 percent
90-95% SO2 from power plants and
factories

Human Effect

When mine ores, sulfur/sulfides released

(Arial)
into soil
Combustion
of fossil fuels
(Sulfur

Release Mining)
of SO2, causes acid rain, increases
amount already present
28% of sulfur in rivers from pollution, mining,
erosion, etc.
Help move cycle but also upset balance- too
much S means acid rain
Hydrodesulphurization (refine hydrocarbons)surplus of S in Alberta Canada

Conclusion
Sulfur

Cycle is important to biological

and natural processes although
humans role impacts nature in a
negative way
Driving force for life, supported first
life

Works Cited
A Black Smoker Venting. NOAA. 17 Nov. 2008 <http://whyfiles.org/coolimages/index.html%3Fid=1016732011.html>.
Arial Photograph of Eggborough Power Station. June 2005. 17 Nov. 2008
<http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/industrial/eggborough-power-station.htm>.
Institute for Computational Earth System Science. 1 March 2005. University of California. 17 Nov. 2008
<http://www.icess.ucsb.edu/>.
Introduction to Biogeochemical Cycles Chapter 4. 26 Jan. 1998. University of Colorado at Boulder. 17 Nov. 2008
<http://www.colorado.edu/GeolSci/courses/GEOL1070/chap04/chapter4.html>.
Oxygen Family. 2008. Advameg Inc. 17 Nov. 2008 <http://www.scienceclarified.com/Oi-Ph/Oxygen-Family.html>.
Part IV of "Matter cycles": The sulfur cycle. 2006. Lenntech Water Treatment and Air Purification. 17 Nov. 2008
<http://www.lenntech.com/sulfur-cycle.htm>.
Sulfur. AK Collectibles. 17 Nov. 2008 <http://www.akcollectables.com/store/index.php?page=2&act=viewCat&catId=2>.
Sulfur Cycle. University of Wisconsin: Department of Soil Science. 17 Nov. 2008 <http://64.233.169.132/search?
q=cache:wQIjeBet-ZEJ:www.soils.wisc.edu/soils/courses/451/20b.%2520Global%2520S
%2520cycle.ppt+human+effect+on+sulfur+cycle&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us>.
Sulfur Mining. 2008. Microsoft. 17 Nov. 2008 <http://encarta.msn.com/media_461536436_761568357_1_1/sulfur_mining.html>.