Which statement is true about sulfur cycle steps?

Which statement is true about sulfur cycle steps?

• A. Sulfur is released as sulfate that is taken up by plants, then remains in plants permanently.
• B. Sulfur released from rocks becomes sulfate, taken up by plants and microorganisms; animals obtain organic sulfur; decomposition returns sulfate; additional sulfur enters oceans; in the ocean some sulfur forms FeS and some is lost to the depths; sulfur reenters the atmosphere by sea spray, H2S, and volcanic activity.
• C. Sulfur is only stored in rocks and never cycles.
• D. Sulfur cycles only as H2S in swamps and does not enter the atmosphere.

Answer: (B)

Sulfur moves through rocks, soils, living organisms, oceans, and the atmosphere in a dynamic cycle. Weathering of rocks releases sulfate, which plants and soil microbes take up as a nutrient. Animals obtain sulfur by consuming plants or other animals. When organisms die, decomposition returns sulfur to the soil as sulfate, keeping the cycle going. In the oceans, sulfate remains a major reservoir, but microbes can reduce it to sulfide, forming iron sulfide (FeS) and related minerals; some sulfur is buried in sediments or carried to deeper waters, removing it from active cycling for long periods. Sulfur also returns to the atmosphere through sea spray, emissions of hydrogen sulfide, and volcanic activity, completing the link between surface and air. This sequence captures the full set of transformations and transfers, making it the best description of how sulfur cycles.

Sulfur moves through rocks, soils, living organisms, oceans, and the atmosphere in a dynamic cycle. Weathering of rocks releases sulfate, which plants and soil microbes take up as a nutrient. Animals obtain sulfur by consuming plants or other animals. When organisms die, decomposition returns sulfur to the soil as sulfate, keeping the cycle going. In the oceans, sulfate remains a major reservoir, but microbes can reduce it to sulfide, forming iron sulfide (FeS) and related minerals; some sulfur is buried in sediments or carried to deeper waters, removing it from active cycling for long periods. Sulfur also returns to the atmosphere through sea spray, emissions of hydrogen sulfide, and volcanic activity, completing the link between surface and air. This sequence captures the full set of transformations and transfers, making it the best description of how sulfur cycles.