Untitled

• Earth


  A complex self-regulating system that consists of four major subsystems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere
• Earth's four major subsystems

  • Atmosphere
  • Hydrosphere
  • Geosphere
  • Biosphere
• Atmosphere


  All the gases on Earth, named from the Greek word atmos meaning gas
• The atmosphere has no specific boundary but an imaginary line called the Karman line separates it from outer space
• Most abundant gases in the atmosphere

  • Nitrogen (78.1%)
  • Oxygen (20.9%)
  • Argon (0.9%)
  • Carbon dioxide and other gases (0.1%)
• Layers of the atmosphere

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


  • Extends to about 14.5 km above Earth's surface, where weather disturbances occur
• Stratosphere


  • Found 14.5 to 50 km above Earth's surface, contains the ozone layer that protects from UV radiation
• Mesosphere


  • Extends from 50 to 85 km above Earth's surface, protects from space debris, coldest temperatures on Earth (-90°C) at the top
• Thermosphere


  • Found 85 to 600 km above Earth's surface, has charged particles affected by Earth's magnetic field, creates the Auroras, many satellites orbit in this layer
• Exosphere


  • Outermost layer, extends to about 10,000 km above Earth's surface, no clear boundary where it ends and space begins
• Geosphere


  Includes all the soil, rocks, and minerals present in the crust to the core of Earth, from the Greek word "geo" meaning ground
• Layers of the geosphere

  • Crust
  • Mantle
  • Core
• Crust


  • Outermost layer of the geosphere, made mostly of silicate materials, oceanic crust 5-10 km thick, continental crust 15-70 km thick, boundary with mantle is the Mohorovicic discontinuity
• Mantle


  • 2,900 km thick layer below the crust, mostly made up of silicate rocks rich in magnesium and iron, temperature increases with depth, uppermost mantle is cold and brittle forming the lithosphere, asthenosphere below is hot enough to flow allowing plate movement, lower mantle is hotter and denser
• Core


  • Innermost layer of Earth, radius of 3,480 km, made up of iron and nickel, comprised of an outer core and inner core separated by the Bullen discontinuity
• Hydrosphere


  Composed of all water on Earth in any form: water vapor, liquid water, and ice, from the Greek word "hydro" meaning water
• The hydrosphere is comprised of 97.5% saltwater and 2.5% freshwater
• Biosphere


  Comprised of all living things on Earth, from the Greek word "bio" meaning life
• The biosphere extends from the upper areas of the atmosphere where insects and birds can be found to the deep parts of the oceans where marine organisms can still survive
• Earth's four primary subsystems

  • Atmosphere
  • Geosphere
  • Hydrosphere
  • Biosphere
• The atmosphere is made up of various gaseous elements
• The geosphere is composed of all the soil, rocks, and minerals from the surface of Earth up to its interior
• Earth


  A complex self-regulating system that consists of four major subsystems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere
• The hydrosphere includes all forms of water bodies on Earth
• Earth's four major subsystems

  • Atmosphere
  • Hydrosphere
  • Geosphere
  • Biosphere
• The biosphere includes all living things on Earth
• Atmosphere


  All the gases on Earth, named from the Greek word atmos meaning gas
• Weather


  The fluctuating state of the atmosphere over a short period of time
• The atmosphere has no specific boundary but an imaginary line called the Karman line separates it from outer space
• Climate


  The average weather over a certain period and area, varies depending on latitude, distance to large bodies of water, and geography
• Composition of the atmosphere

  • Nitrogen (78.1%)
  • Oxygen (20.9%)
  • Argon (0.9%)
  • Carbon dioxide and other gases (0.1%)
• The climate system of Earth is an interactive system consisting of the interactions of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere
• Layers of the atmosphere

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


  • Extends to about 14.5 km above Earth's surface, where weather disturbances occur
• Greenhouse gases


  Trace gases in the atmosphere such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone that absorb and emit radiation, causing the greenhouse effect
• Water vapor is considered the primary greenhouse gas because it is the most variable component of the atmosphere
• Stratosphere


  • Found 14.5 to 50 km above Earth's surface, contains the ozone layer that protects from UV radiation
• The oceans, which cover approximately 70% of Earth's surface, act as climate regulators because they strongly influence temperature changes
• Mesosphere


  • Extends from 50 to 85 km above Earth's surface, protects from space debris, coldest temperatures on Earth (-90°C) at the top