The seasons are a well-known example of a cycle.
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What is a Cycle?
You've probably heard of
the water cycle,
the solar cycle,
the rock cycle and maybe even the
carbon,
nitrogen and phosphorus cycles.
Very simply, when scientists talk about cycles, they are talking about sequences of events that repeat themselves. Some cycles are very simple. For example, the phases of the Moon represent a cycle in that they always repeat – New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent and then back to New Moon!
In Earth system science, cycles can be very complex. There are many
different types of elements and nutrients in the Earth system. These
elements can not be made or destroyed, but they can change their
location. Locations where elements can be stored are called reservoirs. Elements can move in and out of a reservoir over time. In this way,
elements cycle through the Earth system. These cycles are called
biogeochemical cycles.
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