Earth's Spheres and Climate

Earth's Spheres

• The relationships between the Earth's hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere are explored.
• The focus is on how these spheres sustain life and influence climate.

Lithosphere Review

• (Information about the lithosphere from the slideshow would be here)

Hydrosphere

• (Information about the hydrosphere from the slideshow would be here)

The Water/Hydrological Cycle

• Water cycles through the hydrosphere by collecting in clouds and falling as rain or snow.
• Water gathers in rivers, lakes, and oceans before evaporating into the atmosphere, restarting the cycle.
• Changes in atmospheric temperature and radiation balance are closely linked to the water cycle.
• The hydrological cycle may intensify with increased precipitation and evaporation.
• Extra precipitation may not be evenly distributed around the globe.

The Atmosphere

• (Information about the layers of the atmosphere from the slideshow would be here)

The Atmosphere as a Gaseous Layer

• The atmosphere acts as a filter, blocking most ultraviolet radiation while letting in the sun's warming rays.
• Ultraviolet radiation is harmful (e.g., causes sunburns).
• Solar heat is essential for life on Earth.

Atmospheric Composition

• (Information about the amounts of gasses that make up the atmosphere from the slideshow would be here)

The Troposphere

• It is the lowest atmospheric layer.
• Almost all weather events occur there because it contains almost all of the atmosphere's water vapor.
• Air density and temperature decrease with increasing altitude.
• Fast-moving, high-altitude jet streams circle the Earth near the troposphere's upper boundary.

The Stratosphere

• Features strong horizontal winds with minimal turbulence.
• Ideal for aircraft flight due to stable conditions.
• Stratosphere air is very dry, and clouds are rare.
• Contains a thin shell of ozone, called the ozone layer.
• The ozone layer prevents harmful UV rays from reaching Earth, making the stratosphere crucial for life.

The Mesosphere

• It features the coldest temperatures in the atmosphere, reaching -120°C (-184°F or 153 K).
• The atmosphere's highest clouds are located there.
• Shooting stars become visible due to the burning of meteors, dust, and rocks.
• It is too high for aircraft and weather balloons but too low for spacecraft to operate.

The Thermosphere

• It is the thickest layer of the atmosphere.
• It contains mostly light gases like oxygen, helium, and hydrogen.
• Gas molecules absorb X-rays and UV radiation.
• Auroras, also known as the northern and southern lights, appear there.
• The temperature is very high, but there is not much heat because heat is created when molecules transfer energy.
• The Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) orbit the Earth.

The Exosphere

• Its size fluctuates with solar storms.
• Particles are flung through space from the sun.
• The turbopause is the fluctuating area between the thermosphere and the exosphere.
• The exobase is the exosphere's lowest level.
• The geocorona, a fuzzy blue illumination, is visible from satellites and circles the Earth.

Weather vs Climate

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Defining Weather

• It refers to the atmosphere's behavior, especially regarding its effects on life and human activities.
• It consists of short-term changes (minutes to months) in the atmosphere.
• It is described by temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate

• It describes long-term weather patterns in a specific area.
• Studying climate and climate change is important because it affects people around the world.
• Rising global temperatures are expected to raise sea levels, change precipitation patterns, and alter local climate conditions.
• Human activities, like burning fossil fuels, have altered the chemical composition of the atmosphere.
• Buildup of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

The Biosphere

• Earth's layer where life is possible.
• It is a global ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and nonliving (abiotic) factors.
• It is characterized by the continuous cycling of matter and the flow of solar energy.
• Solar energy contributes to self-reproduction of large molecules and cells.

Life on Earth

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Biosphere Diversity

• The biosphere supports an estimated 3 to 30 million species of plants, animals, fungi, single-celled prokaryotes (bacteria), and single-celled eukaryotes (protozoans).
• Only about 1.4 million species have been named.
• Less than 1% have been studied for their ecological roles and relationships.

Energy Flow in the Biosphere

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The Energy Pyramid

• Energy is transferred through an ecosystem.
• Approximately 10% of energy is transferred to the next level.

Environmental Principles

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