BIOL 1102 - Lec 1 Solar System/biosphere/time

Biology

the study of living organisms

big bang

13-14 billion years ago

5 billion years

How old is the sun?

turning hydrogen into helium through nuclear fusion

where does the sun get its energy

between 4.6-4.0 billion years old.

How old is the moon

the Theia impact mars-sized proto-planet slammed into earth

how did the moon form

General characteristics of the moon

• no atmosphere or magnetic field

• cold interior

• same side always faces earth

• some ice at poles

creates the tides and stabilizes Earth’s rotation on its axis, which stabilizes climate.

The moon’s main influences on the Earth:

General characteristics of Earth

• hot interior

• atmosphere

• liquid water, ice, and water vapor

• magnetic field

by deflecting charged particles (solar wind) coming from the sun

How does the magnetic field protect Earth?

From radioactive decay of elements in Earth’s mantle.

Where does Earth get its interior heat?

about 75%

How much of Earth’s surface is covered by water?

Biosphere

part of the Earth inhabited by living organisms

Latitude

horizontal lines across Earth’s surface

Longitude

vertical lines across Earth’s surface

Altitude

height an object is above earth’s surface

Elevation

the height of something above sea level.

weather

daily state of the atmosphere (the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, visibility and wind).

Climate

typical weather of a location averaged overtime, often many years

The distribution of life on earth is largely determined by:

• amount and timing of solar radiation reaching different parts of the Earth

• air circulation patterns/distribution of precipitation

Solar radiation

the earth is titled on its axis 23.5 degrees. This causes parts of the earth to lean toward or away from the sun at certain times of the year, which creates temperate zone seasons.

23.5 degrees

How many degrees is the earth tilted on its axis

Temperate zone seasons

What does the tilt of the Earth axis create?

gases released when the Earth’s mantle was compressed by gravity.

Where does Earth’s atmosphere come from?

Global patterns of Atmospheric Circulation

Hot air rises because the hot air more, and is less dense than cool air. at the equator, air heated by solar radiation, rises high into atmosphere and flows away from the equator at high altitude. Cool air flows toward the equator in both hemipsheres along the Earth’s surface to replace it.

Coriolis effect

The exact patterns of wind movements are also affected by the Earth rotating beneath the atmosphere, which creates a curved pattern of winds across the Earth’s surface,

Jet Stream

A narrow band of strong, predominantly westerly air currents several miles above the earth. form between air masses of different temperature. Typically, two or three jet streams in each hemisphere.

How the Ozone is formed

oxygen gas (O2) joins with three oxygen (o) to produce O3

Ultraviolet radiation

What does the ozone protect the earth against?

Ozone depletion

the primary cause is the addition of CFCs to the atmosphere. These were used as refrigerants and release chlorine atoms into the atmosphere, which cause the breakdown of ozone back to O2 and chlorine monoxide.

winds acorss the surface of the earth and thermohaline circulation

What ocean currents are driven by

thermohaline circulation

deep water circulation. cold, salty water is dense and sinks.

upwelling regions

places where nutrient rich deep water is drawn down to the surface. Ex: coasts of Ecuador

Estuaries

highly productive nurseries and feeding habitats for migratory birds, fish, and other organisms. Here, fresh water and saltwater mix. include intertidal marshes, swamps and rivers.

Brackish

mix of fresh water and salt water.

microclimate’s effect on biosphere

light, water, and temperature can vary on very small spatial scales

elevation’s effect on biosphere

air temperature drops about 3-5 degrees F for every 1000-meter increase in elevation

Rain shadow

desert region created because a mountain range blocks rain-clouds from reaching an area.

Fresh water salinization syndrome

when coal is burned, sulfur, nitrogen and mercury are released. these react with air and water vapor in atmosphere to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid that are picked up by falling rain or snow; this is Acid rain.

birth defects

What does mercury cause?

Monsoons in Asia

Asia is so big that heating and cooling of its massive land surfaces causes major shifts in wind patterns. Air blows onto land from the ocean in the summer, and reverses direction in the winter.

Monsoon climate

dry winters and wet summers

El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

every 2-7 years on an irregular basis, the water along the western coastline of South America becomes too warm causing fish and marine mammal populations to crash.

weakening of the east-west trade winds

What is ENSO caused by?

about 3.5 billion years ago

origin of life on earth (bacteria, Archaea)

about 1.5 billion years ago

origin of eukaryotic cells

about 2.5 billion years ago

origin of oxygen-releasing photosynthesis

about 250 million years ago

Evolution of Mammals

about 450 million years ago

first land plants and animals

about 200-300 thousand years ago

Homo sapiens