Earth's Systems Readers and Passages

The carbon cycle shows how carbon travels through the atmosphere, living organisms, and the Earth. I...

The carbon cycle explains how carbon moves through the environment, plants, and animals. Processes l...

The oxygen cycle explains how oxygen circulates through air, water, and living organisms. Plants pro...

This passage introduces the Great Barrier Reef, a magnificent underwater ecosystem off the coast of ...

The water cycle describes how water continuously moves through our planet via evaporation, condensat...

The nitrogen cycle describes how nitrogen moves through the air, soil, and living organisms. It invo...

The phosphorus cycle details how phosphorus travels through rocks, soil, water, and organisms. Essen...

This educational reading passage explores the water cycle - Earth's natural system for recycling wat...

Earth's carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of people the planet can support sustainably....

The Gaia Hypothesis, proposed by James Lovelock, suggests that Earth functions like a living organis...

Measuring carbon stored in vegetation is crucial for understanding climate change. Plants absorb CO₂...

Forests play a critical role in maintaining clean water supplies and regulating the water cycle. Con...

Forests play a vital role in regulating the atmosphere by absorbing CO₂, producing oxygen, cooling t...

The ocean is made up of water, dissolved salts, gases, and organic matter. Its composition varies wi...

Stream flow refers to the movement of water in rivers and creeks. It is influenced by precipitation,...

A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a specific chemical composition and crystal...

Rocks are mixtures of minerals, while minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a spec...

Convection currents in the ocean are driven by temperature and density differences. They play a key ...

Runoff from precipitation replenishes rivers and lakes but can cause flooding and pollution. Solutio...

The ocean floor features diverse landscapes like continental shelves, abyssal plains, and mid-ocean ...

Porosity and permeability are key properties of soil and rock that affect water movement underground...

Transpiration is the process by which plants release water vapor into the atmosphere. It cools plant...

All minerals have a crystalline structure, but not all form visible crystals. The size and shape of ...

Ocean circulation involves the movement of seawater driven by wind, temperature, and salinity. It in...

Surface ocean currents are driven by wind and influenced by Earth’s rotation. They transport warm an...