Earth's Subsystems Quiz

Earth’s Subsystems

• Lithosphere: Solid outer layer of Earth, comprising the crust and upper mantle; divided into tectonic plates on the asthenosphere.
• Continental Drift Theory: Proposed by Alfred Wegener, suggests all continents were once part of a supercontinent called Pangaea; supported by identical rocks across the Atlantic, similar landforms, and ancient fossils.
• Plate Tectonics Theory: Explains the movement of tectonic plates with three boundary types:
  • Divergent: Plates move apart, creating rifts, volcanoes, and underwater mountains.
  • Convergent: Plates collide, forming trenches, earthquakes, and volcanoes; destroys ocean floor.
  • Transform: Plates slide past one another, causing earthquakes.

Atmosphere

• Consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% trace gases; reflects 30% of solar radiation.
• Troposphere: Closest layer with the highest air pressure; contains water vapor, carbon dioxide, and weather phenomena.
• Stratosphere: Houses the ozone layer; cold initially but warms at the ozone level; used for weather balloons.
• Mesosphere: Coldest layer where meteors burn up.
• Thermosphere: Hottest layer, presence of auroras, low air pressure.
• Exosphere: Outermost layer where satellites orbit; blends into outer space.

Hydrosphere

• Contains all of Earth’s water, including ice and vapor; nearly three-quarters of Earth’s surface.
• Ocean Zones:
  • Coastal Zone: Exposed during low tide.
  • Pelagic Zone: Open water away from shores, generally nutrient poor.
• Vertical Ocean Zones:
  • Epipelagic: Sunlit layer, home to 90% of marine life.
  • Mesopelagic: Twilight zone with limited sunlight.
  • Bathypelagic: No sunlight; very few organisms.
  • Abyssopelagic: High pressure, low temperature, minimal life.
  • Hadalpelagic: Deepest zone, approximately 400 known species.

Biosphere

• The zone of life on Earth; encompasses all ecosystems and living beings.

Relative Dating Principles

• Original Horizontality: Sedimentary rocks are originally deposited in horizontal layers.
• Superposition: In layered rocks, the oldest layers are at the bottom, younger on top.
• Cross-cutting Relationships: Features that cut through others are younger than what they cut.
• Inclusion: A rock containing another rock is younger than the rock it contains.

Absolute Dating

• Involves measuring physical properties to determine age; radiocarbon dating uses radioactive decay.

Fossils

• Preserved remains of organisms provide evidence for evolution; types include molds, casts, trace fossils, and true form fossils.

Minerals

• Naturally occurring with specific chemical compositions; identified by their crystal structure, hardness, color, streak, transparency, luster, cleavage, fracture, and specific gravity.

Rocks Classification

• Igneous Rocks: Formed from cooled magma or lava; categorized as intrusive (below surface) or extrusive (on surface).
  • Crystal sizes depend on cooling speed (slow forms large crystals).
• Sedimentary Rocks: Formed from accumulated sediments through lithification; contain fossils and clues about past environments.
  • Includes detrital (formed from fragments) and chemical rocks (formed from precipitation of minerals).
• Metamorphic Rocks: Result from alteration of existing rocks due to heat, pressure, and chemical processes.

Geological Processes and Hazards

• The Philippines is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, increasing the likelihood of earthquakes and volcanic activity.
• Earthquakes: Sudden energy releases create seismic waves; measured by magnitude and intensity.
• Volcanic Eruptions: Magma movement leads to eruptions driven by internal heat and pressure.
• Landslides: Movement of rock and soil down slopes due to gravity.
• Tsunamis: Large ocean waves caused by disturbances like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Hydrometeorological Processes

• Monsoons: Seasonal winds create heavy rains and dry periods; important for agriculture.
  • Habagat: Provides rain but can lead to flooding.
  • Amihan: Brings drier conditions.
• Cyclones, Typhoons, and Hurricanes: Storm systems categorized by their formation locations; affect millions through extreme weather.