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Four spheres
This document describes the four spheres that make up Earth's systems - the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. It provides details on each sphere, including that the hydrosphere is made up of 71% of Earth's surface as oceans and saltwater, while the atmosphere is a thin gaseous envelope composed of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and aerosols. The document also notes that the geosphere encompasses Earth's solid interior from the crust to the core, and the biosphere incorporates all living things on the planet.
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Four spheres
- 2. OBJECTIVES • describe thefour spheres of the earth; • draw a representation for each sphere; and • realize the importance of each sphere to support life on Earth and how they are interconnected
- 3. HABITABLE • Only Earthcan support life 1. The star should survive long enough for planets to develop life. 2. Water should remain liquid. Goldilocks Zone, remember?
- 4. THE FIVE SPHERES •Hydrosphere (water portion) • Atmosphere (gaseous envelope) • Geosphere (solid component) • Biosphere (living component)
- 6. HYDROSPHERE Earth is calledthe “blue planet” or the “blue marble” because of its water component. Water in Earth is unique because it naturally exists in three phases.
- 7. HYDROSPHERE The hydrosphere makesup 71% of the Earth’s surface, and most of it is saltwater found in oceans.
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- 9. HYDROSPHERE GROUNDWATER is thelargest reservoir of freshwater available to humans.
- 10. HYDROSPHERE How does the hydrosphereinteract with the other spheres?
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- 14. ATMOSPHERE This is thethin, life-giving gaseous envelope of the Earth. Its composition is divided into: A. major components (N,O) B. variable components (water vapor and aerosols)
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- 16. ATMOSPHEREWATER VAPOR isthe gaseous phase of water able to trap heat on. An AEROSOL is a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in a gas (smoke, fog, mist).
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- 18. ATMOSPHERE The major componentsare responsible for the air that people breathe, and trap outgoing infrared radiation to keep Earth warm.
- 19. ATMOSPHERE The variable componentsare responsible for weather and climate. Weather and climate are experienced on Earth because of the interaction of the atmosphere with the hydrosphere and geosphere.
- 20. ATMOSPHEREWater vapor isneeded for cloud formation and atmospheric heat relention. Aerosols serves as condensation nuclei for the water vapor because it can absorb, reflect and scatter incoming solar radiation.
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- 22. ATMOSPHERETROPOSPHERE • Lowest layer •Temperature decreases with altitude • 11 km thick • Where weather phenomena occur • Tropopause
- 23. ATMOSPHERESTRATOSPHERE • 11 km– 48 km from surface • Temperature increases with altitude • Where the ozone layer is found • Stratopause
- 24. ATMOSPHERE Ozone Layer isthe component of the atmosphere that protects Earth from the harmful UVR of the sun.
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- 26. ATMOSPHEREMESOSPHERE • Temperature decreaseswith altitude • Coldest layer (-90 deg. Celsius) • Where asteroids/meteors burn up • Mesopause
- 27. ATMOSPHERETHERMOSPHERE • 55 km– Karman Line • Least amount of atmospheric molecules • Receives most of HE radiation • Increase in temperature as altitude increases
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- 29. GEOSPHERE The solid regionof the Earth which comprises not only the solid visible layer but extends to the center of the earth.
- 30. GEOSPHERE CRUST • outermost layerof the Earth • relatively thin (1% of the Earth’s volume) • continental and oceanic crust • crust is thickest at mountainous regions
- 31. GEOSPHERE MANTLE • The Moho •82% of the Earth’s volume • upper and lower mantle • rocky lithosphere (upper mantle) • plastic asthenosphere
- 32. GEOSPHERE CORE • Gutenburg Discontinuity •Bullen/Lehman Discontinuity • liquid outer core • solid inner core • iron-nickel (outer core of high viscosity)
- 33. BIOSPHERE • biological componentof the Earth • includes all microbes, plants and animals from air to the oceans • anthroposphere – “human sphere”