Fundamentals of Earth and Its Processes PDF

Lesson 1 **Fundamentals of the Earth and its Processes** **The EARTH** - Life is definitely the most unique characteristic of the Earth. - Among the eight planets of the Solar System, it is the only place where life exists as of today. - It belongs to the terrestrial type of planets o...

Lesson 1 **Fundamentals of the Earth and its Processes** **The EARTH** - Life is definitely the most unique characteristic of the Earth. - Among the eight planets of the Solar System, it is the only place where life exists as of today. - It belongs to the terrestrial type of planets or inner planets where planets are commonly made up of rocks. - Third planet from the sun. - The only planet known to have an atmosphere containing free oxygen, oceans of liquid water on its surface, and life. - Has a diameter of roughly 8,000 miles (13,000 km) Round because the gravity pulls matter into a ball. - Roughly 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, most of it in the oceans. **Earth's History is divided into four (4) EONS** **HADEAN (4,540-4,000 Million Years Ago)** - Earth is formed out of debris in space. - There is no life and the temperature is really hot and a frequent volcanic eruptions. - The atmosphere is nebular. **ARCHEAN (4,000-2,500 Million Years Ago)** - The first form of life is Prokaryote -- a unicellular organism. - Some continents exists - The atmosphere is composed of greenhouse gases **PROTEROZOIC (2500-541 Million Years Ago)** - Proterozoic means "early life". - Existence of Eukaryotes life form or the multicellular organisms. - The early and late phases of this Eon may have undergone "Snow Ball Earth" period -- where the earth reaches below-zero temperature. **PHANEROZOIC (541 - Present)** - Complex life forms - Earth's water (oceans) existed - Modern plants, animals, and humans evolve. - Pangaea forms and later dissolves in Laurasia and Gondwanaland, which turns to the current continents **PANGAEA** - Supercontinent - Incorporated almost all the landmasses of the earth. **LAURASIA** - Large continent - Modern-day countries: North America, Europe, Asia **GONDWANALAND** - Africa, South America, Australia, Antartica and Indian subcontinent **7 Continents** ASIAAFRICANORTH AMERICASOUTH AMERICAANTARTICAEUROPEAUSTRALIA **Geology** is the study of Earth **Geologist** Scientist who study the earth **The Layers of the Earth** 1. **THE CRUST -** This layer of the Earth is made up of solid rocks and minerals. 2. **MANTLE -** This layer is mostly solid-bulk of the Earth's interior. **Five (5) Parts of the Mantle:** a. Lithosphere b. Asthenospherec. Transition Zoned. Lower Mantlee. D" (D Prime) 3. **THE CORE -** The very hot and dense center of the Earth **Hydrosphere** is the combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet, minor planet or natural satellite. The **water cycle**, also known as the **hydrologic cycle** or the hydrological cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. I. **EVAPORATION -** It is the process by which water **changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor.** II. **CONDENSATION -** It is a process in which water vapour (gaseous form) in the **air changes into liquid** III. **PRECIPITATION** - These are any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and **falls back to the Earth.** IV. **INFILTRATION** - is the process of **water being absorbed into the ground.** V. **RUNOFF -** is precipitation that does not soak into the soil but instead moves on the Earth\'s surface toward streams. **LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE** I. Troposphere II. Stratosphere III. Mesosphere IV. Thermosphere V. Exosphere **ECOLOGY** - is not synonymous with environment, environmentalism, or environmental science. - It deals with interaction between living organisms with each other and their non-surroundings. - Ecology was derived from the Greek '**oikos'** meaning **household and 'logos'** meaning science or the "**study of the household of nature."** **Ecologist-** are scientist who study environments all over the world both water and land. **BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC COMPONENTS** **Biotic** - is any **living component** that affects the population of another organism, or the environment (example: plants, animals, and bacteria) **Abiotic** - **non-living** chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems (example: sunlight, soil, and temperature) BIOTIC - Organic matter - Living things - Oysters - Blue Crabs - Zooplankton - Phytoplankton - Jellyfish ABIOTIC - Climate - Nonliving things - Sunlight - Temperature - Nutrient Enrichment - Humidity - Soil **LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION IN ECOLOGY** I. **Organism** - Is the simplest level of organization, an individual living thing. - Single living individual. II. **Population -** is the group of members of the same species living in the same geographic area. III. **Community -** includes all populations, representing multiple species, in the same region. IV. **Ecosystem** - is the biotic, or living, community plus the abiotic, or nonliving, environment. V. **Biosphere** - is the broadest level of organization. - Contains all ecosystems, thin volume of Earth, and its atmosphere that supports life. **Habitat** is the physical location where members of the population live while a **Niche** includes all of the resources required for survival, growth, and reproduction. **INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTION** - Interactions between different species in a community are called interspecific interactions---inter- means \"between." I. **COMPETITION** - Animals compete for food, water and space to live. Plants compete for light, water, minerals and root space. II. **PREDATION** - one organism kills and consumes another - **PREDATOR**- does the killing - **PREY**- the victim, hunted and eaten by predators III. **SYMBIOSIS**- describes close, long-term interactions between individuals of two different species. Types of symbiosis include mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism**.** **Mutualism -** association between organisms of two different species in which each benefits. **Commensalism -** is a symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits while the other is neither harmed nor helped.  **Parasitism** - is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm Lesson 2 **ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM** - The ultimate source of energy in the biosphere is the sun. - Plants use light in photosynthesis while heat causes movement of molecules. **MAJOR ROLES OF ORGANISMS IN ECOSYSTEM** **PRODUCERS-** Converts simple inorganic molecules into organic molecules by the process of photosynthesis. - Are plants that use sun's energy in making food (Example**: trees, flowers, grasses, ferns, mosses, algae)** **AUTOTHROP (Producers)** - Produce their own food for energy. Use photosynthesis or chemosynthesis **HETEROTHROP (Conusmers)** - Eat other organism to get proteins and energy **PLANTS Trivia**During **DAY**Take in: Carbon DioxideReleases: Oxygen During **NIGHT**Take in: OxygenReleases: Carbon Dioxide 1. **PRODUCERS-** Converts simple inorganic molecules into organic molecules by the process of photosynthesis. 2. **CONSUMERS**- Eat plants or other animals. Consumers include herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and scavengers. 3. **SCAVENGER**is an organism that consumes mostly decaying biomass, such as meat or rotting plant matter. 4. **DECOMPOSERS** digest the waste and remains of dead plants and animals. **FOOD CHAIN** - The sequence of organisms feeding on each other. - Food chain is a simplified illustration of the path of energy and nutrient transfer the ecosystem. **FOOD WEB** a complex network of interconnecting and overlapping food chains showing feeding relationships within a community. **ENERGY PYRAMID**- The energy pyramid depicts the production, use and transfer of energy from one trophic level or another. It shows that as you go higher the trophic levels, the amount of energy decreases.