Question

Which one of the following is a sedimentary cycle?
(a)Carbon
(b)Hydrogen
(c)Nitrogen
(d)Phosphorus

Answer 1

Hint: Element being highly reactive, never found in free state on the earth and exist in two forms- white and red.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Sedimentary cycle also known as rhythmic sediments is a process that generates the cyclic deposits of the substance by which a chemical substance moves through biotic and abiotic components of earth.
Sedimentary cycles include iron, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, and other earthbound elements. As the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen movement takes place by the atmosphere but phosphorus movement takes place by the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Cyclic sedimentation occurs when the deposition of environmental changes occurs repeatedly. Based on the process to generate there are two types of sedimentary cyclic successions- allocycle and autocycles.

Additional Information:
-Allocycles
-This type of sedimentation cycle is caused by processes outside of the depositional system and which involves forced oscillations of the sedimentary system.
-In this type cyclic succession stores some features of the forcing process like sea-level fluctuation, climate oscillations, or tectonic activity.
-This type of cyclic succession is extended over a great distance and is not limited to single deposition.
-Examples- Liassic platform of Musandam, Oman.

-Autocycles
-This type of sedimentation cycle is caused by processes that only take place within the region of deposition and which involves free oscillations of the sedimentation system.
-Example- Giant dinosaur track, High Atlas, Morocco.

So, the correct answer is “Phosphorus”.

Note:
-The sedimentation cycle is a type of biogeochemical cycle.
-Sedimentation cycles are the process of weathering of rocks and erosion of minerals takes place to circulate the minerals back to the environment.
-The phosphorus cycle by sediments is the slowest in all biogeochemical cycles.