Chlorine cycle
Article
The chlorine cycle is the movement of chlorine among oceans, the atmosphere, soils, groundwater, rocks, and living organisms. Most chlorine near Earth's surface occurs as chloride ions, especially in seawater.
Sea spray transfers chloride into the atmosphere, where it can undergo chemical reactions before returning through rain or dry deposition. Rivers and groundwater carry dissolved chloride from weathered rocks and soils to the oceans.
Evaporation can concentrate chloride and produce salt deposits, while sediment burial, subduction, volcanism, and hydrothermal activity connect surface reservoirs with Earth's interior.
Human activities add chlorine through road salt, fertilisers, industrial chemicals, wastewater, and combustion. Some chlorine-containing compounds participate in stratospheric ozone depletion or contribute to groundwater salinisation.
Source details and credits
- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_cycle