Four spheres

For Earth and Life Science Senior High School

1. OBJECTIVES d escribe the four spheres of the earth; d raw a representation for each sphere; and r ealize the importance of each sphere to support life on Earth and how they are interconnected

2. HABITABLE Only Earth can support life The star should survive long enough for planets to develop life. 2. Water should remain liquid. Goldilocks Zone, remember?

3. THE FIVE SPHERES Hydrosphere (water portion) Atmosphere (gaseous envelope) Geosphere (solid component) Biosphere (living component)

4. HYDROSPHERE Earth is called the “blue planet” or the “blue marble” because of its water component. Water in Earth is unique because it naturally exists in three phases.

5. HYDROSPHERE The hydrosphere makes up 71% of the Earth’s surface, and most of it is saltwater found in oceans.

6. HYDROSPHERE

7. HYDROSPHERE GROUNDWATER is the largest reservoir of freshwater available to humans.

8. HYDROSPHERE How does the hydrosphere interact with the other spheres?

9. HYDROSPHERE Hydrosphere EVAPORATION Atmosphere PRECIPITATION Geosphere RUNOFF Hydrosphere

10. HYDROSPHERE

11. HYDROSPHERE

12. ATMOSPHERE This is the thin, life-giving gaseous envelope of the Earth. Its composition is divided into: A. major components (N,O) B. variable components (water vapor and aerosols)

13. ATMOSPHERE

14. ATMOSPHERE WATER VAPOR is the 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).

15. ATMOSPHERE

16. ATMOSPHERE The major components are responsible for the air that people breathe, and trap outgoing infrared radiation to keep Earth warm.

17. ATMOSPHERE The variable components are responsible for weather and climate. Weather and climate are experienced on Earth because of the interaction of the atmosphere with the hydrosphere and geosphere .

18. ATMOSPHERE Water vapor is needed 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.

19. ATMOSPHERE

20. ATMOSPHERE TROPOSPHERE Lowest layer Temperature decreases with altitude 11 km thick Where weather phenomena occur Tropopause

21. ATMOSPHERE STRATOSPHERE 11 km – 48 km from surface Temperature increases with altitude Where the ozone layer is found Stratopause

22. ATMOSPHERE Ozone Layer is the component of the atmosphere that protects Earth from the harmful UVR of the sun.

23. ATMOSPHERE

24. ATMOSPHERE MESOSPHERE Temperature decreases with altitude Coldest layer (-90 deg. Celsius) Where asteroids/meteors burn up Mesopause

25. ATMOSPHERE THERMOSPHERE 55 km – Karman Line Least amount of atmospheric molecules Receives most of HE radiation Increase in temperature as altitude increases

26. ATMOSPHERE LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE PLOTTING

27. GEOSPHERE The solid region of the Earth which comprises not only the solid visible layer but extends to the center of the earth.

28. GEOSPHERE CRUST outermost layer of the Earth relatively thin (1% of the Earth’s volume) continental and oceanic crust crust is thickest at mountainous regions

29. GEOSPHERE MANTLE The Moho 82% of the Earth’s volume upper and lower mantle rocky lithosphere (upper mantle) plastic asthenosphere

30. GEOSPHERE CORE Gutenburg Discontinuity Bullen /Lehman Discontinuity liquid outer core solid inner core iron-nickel (outer core of high viscosity)

31. BIOSPHERE biological component of the Earth includes all microbes, plants and animals from air to the oceans anthroposphere – “human sphere”