The Geological Cycle Analysis

1. Introduction:

The geologic cycle consists of three cycles which collectively play a role in the formation of the materials and processes on earth; the tectonic cycle, rock cycle and hydrological cycle. It is a continuous system involving many different aspects which must work together to achieve a natural balance. These cycles exchange energy and matter and whenever this occurs there is the potential for environmental damage due to extreme conditions (Nelson, 2016). The concept of uniformitarianism states that “the present is key to the past” and that by investigating events of the past, future events can be predicted. However, the earth is 4.5 Ga years old which means that conditions such as temperature are not the same as they were billions

The excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is related to climate change; this affects the environment through increased temperatures, extreme events such as droughts and floods as well as a rise in sea levels (Lebon, 2009). When volcanic gas enters the atmosphere, the water droplets formed become contaminated with that substance and when it rains, the rain that falls is acidic. Acid rain causes negative effects to surrounding plant life as it is corrosive making it useless to animal species that rely on it as a food source (Lebon, 2009). Other environmental impacts associated with tectonic movements are earthquakes. This kind of deformation is classified as natural disasters and causes destruction through flooding, rifts and collapsing of large buildings in cities. This affects the environment because it creates a negative balance in energy and leads to mass loss of species, habitats and food sources (Nelson, 2016). Earthquakes break up large portions of continents while volcanic activity creates new land; according to(Botkin and Keller (1998), both of these processes disrupt “atmospheric and ocean circulation” as well as the fauna and flora of an area (pg 142). Figure 5: Sedimentary rock (Sandstone) http://geology.com/rocks/ Figure 6: Metamorphic rock (Marble) http://geology.com/rocks/ Figure 4: Igneous rock (Granite) http://geology.com/rocks/

When topsoil becomes eroded during heavy rains, it washes away nutrient rich soil needed by plants for growth. This limits the amount of vegetation on an area which subsequently leads to further erosion of soil and therefore soil degradation. Animals may lose habitats and food sources due to lack of plants to feed on and this will affect the natural species population in these areas (Mack, 2017). When loose sediment is combined with water, natural disasters