(1) Subsystems

• Atmosphere

  • thin layer of gases that surrounds the Earth
  • composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, 0.03% carbon, and trace amounts of other gases
  • thin gaseous layer that insulates the Earth from extreme temperature
• Biosphere

  • made up of the parts of Earth where life exists
  • extends from the deepest root systems of trees, to trenches, to lush rain forests and high mountaintops
  • consists of all living organisms on Earth
• Hydrosphere

  • comprises the earth's liquid water
  • covers about 70% of the surface of the Earth and is home for many plants and animals
  • can be divided into freshwater and saltwater
• Saltwater

  • includes oceans and seas
• Freshwater

  • includes springs, rivers, and lakes
• Layers of the Atmosphere

  • Troposphere
  • Stratosphere
  • Mesosphere
  • Thermosphere
  • Exosphere
• Troposphere

  • lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere
  • most clouds are found here and almost all weather occurs
  • clouds here are known as "rain-forming clouds"
• Stratosphere

  • driest layer; cannot rain
  • ozone layer
  • clouds here are called "polar stratospheric clouds"
• Mesosphere

  • where meteors burn up into small fragments
  • clouds here are called "polar mesospheric clouds"
  • rain cannot happen here
• Thermosphere

  • this is where the International Space Station (ISS) orbits
  • where aurora borealis can be seen
• Exosphere

  • satellites are located here
• Global Positioning System (GPS)

  • provides an accurate location almost anywhere on Earth
• Karman Line

  • where Earth ends and outer space starts
  • conventional boundary between earth’s atmosphere and outer space
  • made to classify aircraft and spacecraft that are subject to different jurisdictions and legislations
• The higher we go, the less air there is to slow us down.
• Evaporation

  • change of water from liquid to gas
  • most of this takes place on the oceans
• Condensation

  • change of phase from gas to liquid
  • chan happen in two ways: (1) gas is cooled to its dew point (2) air becomes so saturated with water that it can't hold any more water
• How do clouds form?

  Clouds form when the invisible water vapor in the air condenses into visible water droplets or ice crystals
• Precipitation

  • release of water from clouds
  • can be in the forms of: rain, snow, or hail
• Transpiration

  • process of liquid to gas, but water comes from plants
  • water inside of plants is transferred from the plant to the atmosphere as water vapor through numerous leaf openings (stomata)
• Infiltration

  • seepage of water into the ground
• Runoff

  • occurs when precipitation exceeds infiltration
  • carries pollutants from yards - streams - rivers
• Percolation

  • movement of water through the soil
  • could also relate to the movement of rocks
• Storage

  • surface storage occurs in oceans, lakes, reservoirs, and glaciers
  • underground storage occurs in the soil, in aquifers, and in the crevices of rock formations
• Geosphere

  • solid, outer part of the Earth
  • includes the brittle upper portion of the mantle and the crust, the outermost layers of Earth's structure
  • bounded by the atmosphere above and the asthenosphere below
• Aquifer

  • body of porous rock or sediment saturated with groundwater
• Ano pinagkaiba ng 'lithosphere' sa 'geosphere'?

  • Geosphere includes ALL ROCKS ON EARTH, while the Lithosphere is the SURFACE OF THE EARTH (tectonic plates)
• Z44 Chavyo

  • deepest manmade hole ever made
  • has a depth of 12376m
• Biotic and Abiotic

  • the biosphere includes both _____ and _____ factors of life
• Levels of Biological Organization

  • cells
  • tissues
  • organs
  • organ systems
  • organisms
  • population
  • community
  • ecosystem
  • biosphere
• Prokaryotes

  • these include eubacteria and archaebacteria
• Eukaryotes

  • these include plants, animals, and fungi
• Ano pinagkaiba ng prokaryotes sa eukaryotes?

  Prokaryotes are cells that LACK A NUCLEUS and are membrane-bound organelles. They are smaller and simpler. Eukaryotes, on the other hand, are cells that DO HAVE A NUCLEUS and membrane-bound organelles, which help to organize and compartmentalize functions in the cell
• Eubacteria

  • true bacteria
  • have higher degrees of organization
• Archaebacteria

  • are also called living fossils
  • can survive in extreme conditions or environments