Earth Systems and Interactions Lesson 1

L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions VOCABULARY Atmosphere Water Cycle Hydrosphere Transpiration Geosphere Evaporation Biosphere Condensation Troposphere...

L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions VOCABULARY Atmosphere Water Cycle Hydrosphere Transpiration Geosphere Evaporation Biosphere Condensation Troposphere Rock Cycle Stratosphere Weathering Mesosphere Erosion Ionosphere Carbon Cycle Thermosphere Greenhouse Gas Exosphere Phosphorous Cycle L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions What makes up the Earth System? 1. Atmosphere 2. Hydrosphere 3. Geosphere 4. Biosphere L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions What makes up the Earth System? 1. Atmosphere Thin layer of gases and particles of matter surrounding Earth Hundreds of miles high Insulation on a house Regulates temps Protects us from Sun 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% Other L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions What makes up the Earth System? 2. Hydrosphere Below the atmosphere Contains all of Earth’s water Most of water is on Earth’s surface Weathering and Erosion L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions What makes up the Earth System? 3. Geosphere Below the hydrosphere Largest Earth System Solid Earth Thin layer of soil and rocks on surface and all underlying layers Materials move more slowly L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions What makes up the Earth System? 4. Biosphere All living things on Earth Within all of the other 3 systems Gases from Atmosphere Water from Hydrosphere Nutrients from soil and rocks L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions How do the systems interact? BIOSPHERE GEOSPHERE HYDROSPHERE ATMOSPHERE Ozone Layer Wind Water Cycle Photosynthesis Volcanoes Ice Caps HYDROSPHERE Need Water Erosion and Weathering Sea Levels Natural Disasters GEOSPHERE Nutrients Erosion and Weathering L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions Layers of the Atmosphere 1. Troposphere 2. Stratosphere 3. Mesosphere Ionosphere 4. Thermosphere 5. Exosphere L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions Layers of the Atmosphere 1. Troposphere Closest to Earth’s surface 8-15 km above surface Temperature Goes down as you move away from Earth Warmest part near surface L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions Layers of the Atmosphere 2. Stratosphere Directly above troposphere 15-50 km above surface Lower Half = Ozone Gas Ozone Layer = area with high concentration of ozone Ozone molecules protect Earth from Sun’s ultraviolet rays L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions Layers of the Atmosphere 3. Mesosphere Directly above stratosphere 50-85 km above surface Contains Ionosphere Protect Earth from meteors L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions Layers of the Atmosphere 4. Thermosphere Directly above mesosphere 85-500 km above surface Highest Temperatures Location of most satellites L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions Layers of the Atmosphere 5. Exosphere Directly above thermosphere Farthest layer from Earth’s surface No definite edge Molecules move very fast after absorbing Sun’s radiation and can escape gravity and be pulled into space L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions Layers of the Atmosphere: BONUS LAYER Ionosphere Between mesosphere and thermosphere Contains ions 60-500 km above surface Reflects AM radio waves that can travel long distances, especially at night Auroras Displays of colored lights Ions from Sun strike air molecules L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions 4 Interactions Among Earth Systems 1. Water Cycle 2. Rock Cycle 3. Carbon Cycle 4. Phosphorous Cycle L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE WATER CYCLE 1. Water Cycle Continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth’s surface Can be liquid, solid ice, gas vapor As it flows or changes form, it moves thermal energy within the water cycle and among Earth systems L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE WATER CYCLE 1. Transpiration Process of water vapor being released from plants and soil 2. Evaporation Vaporization that occurs at the surface of a liquid 3. Condensation Process changing state from a gas to a liquid L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE ROCK CYCLE 2. Rock Cycle Series of processes that change rocks from one form to another Can be deep within Earth or On or near Earth’s surface Weathering = Breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on Earth’s surface (Ex. rain weathers rocks into sediments) Erosion = Once a rock has been broken down, it transports the bits of rock and minerals away (Ex. Wind and flowing water can erode rocks) L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE CARBON CYCLE 3. Carbon Cycle Series of processes that continually move carbon among Earth systems Processes of the Carbon Cycle Volcano erupts and carbon enters atmosphere as carbon dioxide How to remove gas from atmosphere? Photosynthesis Weathering of rocks Carbon and the biosphere Cellular respiration returns carbon dioxide to atmosphere L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE CARBON CYCLE Carbon Reservoirs After water, carbon is most common substance in living organisms Most of it is combined with other elements in compounds Present in all 4 of Earth’s systems Biosphere = stored in organisms (ex. cells and tissues) Atmosphere/Hydrosphere = exists as gaseous carbon dioxide Geosphere = storehouse for most of Earth’s carbon L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE CARBON CYCLE Humans and the Carbon Cycle Can cause unnatural changes in amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere Burn fossil fuels for power Released directly into atmosphere Cutting down forests can indirectly increase levels L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE CARBON CYCLE Global Warming and the Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gas = gas in atmosphere that absorbs and reradiates thermal energy from the Sun When levels of atmospheric CO2 increase, more thermal energy is absorbed and reradiated… Earth’s average surface temp increases… Causes Global Warming L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE 4. Phosphorus Cycle Series of processes that move phosphorus among Earth systems Phosphorus is an element that does NOT exist in the atmosphere It originates in the Geosphere Forms phosphate compounds with oxygen (PO4) Diagram, p. 15 L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE Humans can disturb the phosphorus cycle in the rain forests Most of phosphorus is stored in plants As plants die, new plants use the phosphorus Clearing the trees in a rain forest disturbs the phosphorus cycle Lack of phosphorus can also make the soil unproductive for future crops L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE Geosphere: phosphorus exists in minerals such as apatite and turquoise Hydrosphere: Phosphorous exists as a dissolved substance in liquid water This cycling of phosphorus takes a long time, up to a million years Biosphere: phosphorus stored in organisms; it is a necessary element for all organisms This cycling is relatively quick L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions