What happens to phosphorus that is carried by runoff to the ocean?

What happens to phosphorus that is carried by runoff to the ocean?

Water erodes rock and soil containing phosphorus, which dissolves in the water. The phosphorus joins with the oxygen to form phosphate. What happens to the phosphorus that is carried by run-off to the oceans? The phosphorus is in the form of phosphates, much of which in concentrated in marine sediment.

What happens to phosphate in the ocean?

Phosphorus dissolved in seawater repeatedly participates in biogeochemical processes owing to its assimilation by phytoplankton that annually consumes from 1.5 to 2.5 Gt of phosphorus. Dissolved phosphorus is incorporated in organic remains and precipitates from seawater by a biogenic mechanism, too.

How is phosphorus returned to the cycle from the ocean?

When animals and plants die, phosphates will return to the soils or oceans again during decay. After that, phosphorus will end up in sediments or rock formations again, remaining there for millions of years. Eventually, phosphorus is released again through weathering and the cycle starts over.

What happens in phosphorus cycle?

Phosphorus moves in a cycle through rocks, water, soil and sediments and organisms. Over time, rain and weathering cause rocks to release phosphate ions and other minerals. When the plant or animal dies, it decays, and the organic phosphate is returned to the soil.

How does phosphorus enter the phosphorus cycle?

What controls phosphate in the ocean?

Atmospheric iron input and nitrogen fixation are known important controls on surface phosphate, but model simulations showed that differences in the iron-to-macronutrient ratio in the vertical nutrient supply and surface lateral transport are additional drivers of phosphate concentrations.

What is phosphorus in the phosphorus cycle?

Phosphorus is an essential component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism (i.e. uptake and transport of nutrients); deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known …

How does runoff affect the phosphorus cycle?

Phosphorus enters lakes and streams when runoff from landscapes drains to surface water bodies. Phosphorus may dissolve in runoff water (soluble or dissolved P) or become associated with particles such as soil or organic matter particles (particulate P) carried in the runoff.

Where does phosphorus go when it enters the ocean?

Phosphorus enters the ocean via leaching and runoff, where it becomes dissolved in ocean water or enters marine food webs. Some phosphorus falls to the ocean floor where it becomes sediment. If uplifting occurs, this sediment can return to land.

How does nitrogen and phosphorus affect the water cycle?

When nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer are carried in runoff to lakes and oceans, they can cause eutrophication, the overgrowth of algae. The algae may deplete oxygen from the water and create a dead zone. Is phosphorus important?

Where do phosphates go when plants and animals die?

When plants and animals excrete wastes or die, phosphates may be taken up by detritivores or returned to the soil. Phosphorus-containing compounds may also be carried in surface runoff to rivers, lakes, and oceans, where they are taken up by aquatic organisms.

What happens when there is too much phosphorus in water?

Phosphorus is an essential element for plant life, but when there is too much of it in water, it can speed up eutrophication (a reduction in dissolved oxygen in water bodies caused by an increase of mineral and organic nutrients) of rivers and lakes.