Global Systems

• The Earth is made up of four spheres:

  • Atmosphere (air): the layer of gas that surrounds Earth and is 600 km thick 
  • Biosphere (life): all of the living things on Earth 
  • Hydrosphere (water): all the water on Earth
  • Lithosphere (rock): Earth's rigid outer zone (crust and upper mantle), made up of tectonic plates
• Atmosphere

  The four major layers are: troposphere (weather), stratosphere (ozone), mesosphere (meteorites), thermosphere (aurora)

  The atmosphere consists of oxygen (21%), nitrogen (78%), argon (0.93%), carbon dioxide (0.04%). 

  Protects life from harmful radiation by either absorbing it or reflecting back into space.
• Hydrosphere

  All water is all forms - solid (snow/ice), liquid and gas (water vapour). 97% of water on Earth is salt and 3% is fresh. All water is connected through the water cycle.

  Lithosphere

  Movements of plates result in volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

  Biosphere

  Biologists used food chains and food webs to represent interactions between organisms in ecosystems.
• The carbon cycle: the cycle that explains how carbon moves between Earth's spheres

  Lithosphere: decomposing matter in soil and rocks Hydrosphere: carbon dioxide dissolved in lakes oceans atmosphere: carbon dioxide

  Moves through sphere: Food webs (producers to consumers), Cellular respiration (biosphere-atmosphere
• Carbon sink: a place where carbon is stored in the carbon cycle ex: forests, oceans, soil
• Mining and burning fossil fuels interrupts the carbon cycle process faster than it would naturally.
• Deforestation limits the amount of photosynthesis  that can take place.
• The ocean absorbs excess carbon and causes water to become more acidic.
• Atmosphere: adds gas and ash particles
• Lithosphere: Lava can destroy old landforms and create new ones, forming new igneous rock
• Ash adds minerals and nutrients to soil, highly fertile
• Hydrosphere:Produces acid rain, forms clouds
• Biosphere: Can kill plants and wildlife, destroy habitats, volcanic soils makes lots of plants grow.
• Cyclone: an intense tropic storm that forms over warm oceans
• Can cause flooding and higher tides
• Impact on lithosphere: Cause erosion and intense wind and wave action can kill organisms and damage habitats land/ocean.
• Greenhouse effect: the trapping of the Sun's warmth by the atmosphere (enhanced is when it is influenced by human greenhouse gas emissions).
• Greenhouse gas: a gas that traps heat energy in the atmosphere (carbon dioxide, methane, ozone)
• More burning fossil fuels has increased Earth’s temperature
• (enhanced greenhouse effect).
• Impact: Temperature of Earth increases, rainfall patterns change, warming the ocean, more co2 is absorbed in the ocean making them acidic.
• Kyoto protocol and Paris agreement.
• The ozone layer is a part of the stratosphere that protects life from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
• Ozone layer becomes depleted by chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)
• Preventing new ozone from forming, allows UV radiation to come through.