18 Questions
Who discovered the Lehmann discontinuity in 1936?
Inge Lehmann
What does the Lehmann discontinuity separate?
Inner core from outer core
What is the total amount of water found on Earth known as?
Hydrosphere
What drives the water cycle on Earth?
Solar energy
Where do seismic waves travel through to reach the Earth's core?
Mantle
Which form of precipitation can lead to the formation of glaciers?
Snow
What is the primary composition of the Earth's crust?
Silicate minerals
Which layer of the Earth is characterized by p-waves and s-waves travelling through it?
Mantle
What type of wave slowly travels only through solids in Earth's interior?
S-waves
Which boundary separates the Earth's crust from the mantle?
Mohorovičić discontinuity
What type of scientist studies the geosphere's internal structure and surface features?
Geologist
Which of the following is NOT a component of the Earth's mantle?
Iron and nickel
What is the Mohorovicic discontinuity?
The boundary between the crust and the mantle
Which element is NOT commonly found in the Earth's crust?
Lead
What makes the asthenosphere unique from other parts of the mantle?
It can flow like a liquid due to extreme temperature and pressure
Who discovered the Mohorovicic discontinuity and in what year?
Andrija Mohorovicic in 1909
What percentage of Earth's total volume does the mantle make up?
84%
What is the primary reason for the formation of faults in the crust?
Flow of molten rocks from the mantle
Study Notes
Troposphere
- 80% of the atmosphere's mass is in the troposphere, which is mostly composed of nitrogen and oxygen.
- The troposphere is bounded by the tropopause.
Geosphere
- The geosphere is the solid portion of Earth, including the interior structure, rocks, minerals, landforms, and the ocean floor.
- It is the solid ground on Earth, and scientists who study it are called geologists.
- The geosphere has three main layers: the crust, mantle, and core.
- Seismic waves are used to study the geosphere's internal structure and surface features.
Geosphere's Internal Structure
- The crust is the outermost layer, ranging from 5-70 km in thickness.
- The continental crust is thicker than the oceanic crust.
- The Mohorovicic discontinuity (Moho) is the transitional boundary between the crust and the mantle.
- The mantle is the largest part of Earth, making up 84% of its total volume.
- The mantle is solid rock, and its upper part is the asthenosphere, where extreme temperature and pressure cause rocks to become ductile and move like liquid.
- The asthenosphere radiates heat from the mantle towards the surface, causing faults to form.
Hydrophere
- The hydrosphere is the total amount of water found on Earth, including ice, vapor, and liquid water.
- Water covers 70% of the Earth's surface, with most of it being ocean water.
- Water is associated with the existence of life.
- The hydrological cycle involves water circulating through the hydrosphere, driven by the sun's energy.
- The cycle includes evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, with water moving through the atmosphere, oceans, lakes, rivers, and underground.
Hydrological Cycle
- The sun's energy drives the water cycle through light and heat.
- Water evaporates from oceans, lakes, rivers, and other sources, and condenses into clouds.
- Precipitation occurs in the form of snow, which can recrystallize into glaciers.
- Glaciers contain most of Earth's water supply.
- Water can return to the ground through condensation and evaporation, restarting the cycle.
Test your knowledge on Earth's atmospheric layers and geosphere with this quiz. Learn about the troposphere, tropopause, Gaia hypothesis, and geosphere. Explore how organisms interact with their surroundings and contribute to a self-regulating system on Earth.
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