The Earth and Its Systems

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Geology

the scientific study of Earth

Physical geology

The study of Earth’s materials, changes of the surface and interior of the Earth, and the forces that cause those changes.

Volcanoes

Eruptions of lava and ash can overwhelm populated areas and disrupt air traffic.

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System

Any portion of the universe that can be isolated from the rest of the universe for the purpose of observing and measuring changes

Closed System

A self-contained system (in which the boundary permits the exchange of energy, but not matter, with the surroundings).

OPEN SYSTEM

Energy and matter flow in and out of the system

Closed System

What kind of system is the earth?

Atmosphere

The gas that envelops the Earth and is one of the reasons that it can support life

Relatively shallow compared to the Earth’s Geosphere

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Hydrosphere

A dynamic mass of water that is continually on the move, evaporating from the oceans to the atmosphere, precipitating to the land, and running back to the ocean again.

Includes all of water in and on the Earth

Biosphere

The sphere that includes all life on earth and a key part of the Carbon Cycle

Geosphere

The Earth after its formation, differentiated into the Crust, Mantle, and Core.

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Troposphere

The base is warmer than the uppermost portion because the base is heated by the Earth’s surface that absorbs heat.

STRATOSPHERE

Beyond the tropopause

This is where airplanes travel

The site of the ozone layer that absorbs the sun’s UV rays

Tropopause

The outer boundary of the troposphere

Mesosphere

Extends upward from the stratopause

The coldest temperatures anywhere in the atmosphere occur at the mesopause.

One of the least explored regions of the atmosphere

Thermosphere

Above the mesosphere but has no well-defined upper limit

Highest part of the atmosphere

Temperatures increase due to the absorption of very short-wave, high-energy solar radiation by nitrogen and oxygen atoms

The International Space Station orbits the Earth within the middle of the thermosphere, between 330 and 435 kilometres (205 and 270 mi)

Northern Hemisphere

known as the land hemisphere of the hydrosphere

Southern Hemisphere

Known as the water hemisphere of the hydrosphere

Pacific Ocean

Largest and deepest ocean

Indian Ocean

the third largest ocean in the world

Atlantic Ocean

Second largest Ocean

Artic Ocean

The smallest and shallowest of the world’s oceans

Antarctic Convergence

The meeting of currents near Antarctica

Planetary Differentiation

The process that created the Earth’s layered structure

• The denser material sinks to the center (forming the core)

• The less dense materials floated to the top forming the crust

Physical Properties

The geosphere classified by ________

* Lithosphere
* Asthenosphere
* Mesosphere
* Outer core
* Inner core

Chemical Properties

The geosphere classified by ___________

* Crust
* Mantle
* Core

Oceanic Crust

Composed of basaltic rocks

The denser and thinner crust

Younger

Continental Crust

It is composed of granitic rocks

Thicker and less dense crust

It is older than the other crust

Mantle

The thickest layer of the geosphere (83% of the earth’s volume)

Mohorovicic Discontinuity

The boundary between the Crust and Mantle

Andrija Mohorovicic

The boundary between the crust and mantle IS NAMED AFTER this seismologist

Core

Is mostly made of iron and nickel

16% of the earth’s volume

Hottest part of the geosphere (by chemical property)

* also the densest part of the earth

Crust

Above the mantle

Gutenberg Discontinuity

The boundary between the mantle and the core

Beno Gutenberg

The boundary between the mantle and the core is NAMED AFTER this seismologist

Primary wave

Passes through solid and liquid

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Shear wave

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does not pass through liquid

Lithosphere

contains the uppermost mantle and the crust

Is rigid and breaks due to stress and the site of most earthquakes

Lithospheric plates

large fragments of the lithosphere

Asthenosphere

“Weak” (Asthenos)

The lithosphere “floats” on top of this layer

Convection is also thought to occur here

Mesosphere

the lower portion of the mantle

Outer core

Is considered a “liquid layer”

Shear waves do not travel through it

It circulates via convection, which generates the Earth’s magnetic field

Lehmann Discontinuity

The boundary between the inner and outer core.

Discovered by Inge Lehmann

Inner core

Is the solid part of the core

Positive feedback

Enhances or drives changes

Negative feedback

* resists change
* stabilizes or maintains the system