Earth Life Term Test

cycle

What makes earth DYNAMIC?

__**GEOSPHERE**__

refers to the solid parts of the Earth

CRUST

* __outermost__ layer & __thinnest__ layer (5-70 km thick); where we live
* Surface temperature
* __1%__ of Earth’s mass
* where __lithosphere__ is located

loose rocks and soil

composition of the crust

Continental Crust

One of the types of crust

\
dry land, granite, thicker, less dense

Oceanic Crust

One of the types of crust

\
* ocean floor, basalt, thinner, more dense

UPPER MANTLE

* thickest layer (2900 km thick); 66% of earth’s mass
* 1600-4000 F

Flowing molten rock

**Composition of upper mantle**

UPPER MANTLE

Where lithosphere and asthenosphere is located

**LITHOSPHERE**

* __solid__ outer section of Earth; where the plates; tectonic plates; rigid
* entire earth’s crust and the rigid upper mantle
* it is divided into a number of huge tectonic plates that move in relation to one another

**ASTHENOSPHERE**

* jelly (cuz its hot) = mantle is unstable
* composed of solid __flowing__ rock
* layer on which pieces of lithosphere move on top (solid rock that flows

BOTTOM MANTLE

* strong, lower part of the mantle
* layer between asthenosphere and core

CORE

* HOT! 4000-8000F
* Very dense (solid); high pressure
* 33% of Earth’s mass

 Iron and Nickel

composition of core

Outer core

Part of core

\
liquid iron and nickel that’s spinning

Inner core

Part of core

\
* solid iron and nickel
* solid because of all the pressure of the rest of the Earth surrounding it.
* where gravitational and magnetic force comes from

increases

As you get __deeper__ inside the Earth, temperature and pressure ___

seismic waves

* when an earthquake happens, vibrations called ___ travel through the earth at different speeds as the waves hit different layers

seismograph

measured seismic waves

**p-wave**

type of wave (side to side; horizontal)

**s-wave**

type of wave (up and down; vertical; makes a sound)

**PLATE TECTONICS**

* a theory explaining the structure of the earth's crust and many associated phenomena (volcanic eruption, earthquake, tsunamis) as resulting from the __interaction__ of rigid **lithospheric** plates that __move__ slowly over the underlying mantle.

**PLATE TECTONICS**

* NO TECTONIC PLATES = explosion


* PLATES are continually moving, colliding, or pulling apart relative to each other.
* Continents are in the continental plates and oceanic plates make up much of the sea floor.

**CONVECTION CURRENT**

rotation of magma around the core, asthenosphere

**PLATE TECTONIC THEORY**

proposes that the lithosphere is divided into major plates and smaller plates resting upon the lower soft layer called asthenosphere

Convergent

* __against__; forms mountains, volcanoes, mountain ranges)
* is a boundary where two tectonic plates are moving toward each other another

Divergent

* __away__; forms oceans
* is a boundary where two tectonic plates are moving away from one another.

Transform

* __slides__; forms plains
* is a boundary where two tectonic plates are sliding with one another.

__**BOUNDARY**__

* The border between tectonic plates ; space

__**FAULT**__

 rocks itself

CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

* Alfred Wegener
* Pangaea → Laurasia and Gondwana → Modern World
* Earth consists of 71% water and 29% land
* EVIDENCES: continents fitting together like a puzzle, scattering ancient fossils, rocks, mountain ranges, and the old climatic zones' locations.

__**ATMOSPHERE**__

78% nitrogen (from fossils), 21% oxygen, 1% other gasses

**TROPOSPHERE**

* lightning, and thunderstorm (cuz of the temperature difference); COLD
* Contains about 80% of the total mass of atmosphere
* All weather-associated cloud types are found in this layer

**STRATOSPHERE**

* where the ozone layer is located (HOT); where airplanes fly


* It protects life on Earth by __absorbing__ the ultraviolet radiation (O3) ozone
* Layer where jet planes fly

**MESOSPHERE**

* meteoroids
* The __coldest__ region in the atmosphere
* This layer protects Earth from meteoroids (they burn in this layer)

**IONOSPHERE**

* portion of the thermosphere between 80 and 550 km above the Earth.
* Layer consisting of __highly-ionized__ gas.
* Used in sending __radio waves__ to great distances
* Kennelly- Heaviside layer
* layer of ionosphere that reflects radio waves

**THERMOSPHERE**

* **where satellites are found** (following the movement of the earth); Diwata 2 - PH satellite

AURORAS

* The bright dancing lights of the __ are actually collisions between __electrically charged particles__ from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere.

**Aurora borealis**

The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern hemispheres.

**Aurora australis**

The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the southern hemispheres.

EXOSPHERE

* outside, near the moon; rockets
* Orbiting satellites
* Low density elements (H and He)

__**HYDROSPHERE**__

includes water that is on the surface of the planet, underground, and in the air.

**OCEAN**

* bigger, no land forms
* body of saltwater with almost no boundaries and limitless volume

**SEA**

part of the ocean that is partially surrounding a landform

**ISLAND SEA**

* smallest
* totally surrounds a landform
* EX. Tingloy

3\.5

Saltwater or seawater has an average salinity of

__**SALINITY**__

refers to the proportion of dissolved salts to pure water, expressed in parts per thousands.

sulfate and rocks

* WHERE DOES THE SALT COME FROM?

VOLCANIC OUTGASSING

* During volcanic eruptions, large quantities of water and gasses are emitted to Earth’s surface. 

3

Only _% of water on the surface is **fresh**

* FRESHWATER: 69% resides in glaciers, 30% underground, and less than 1% is located in lakes, rivers, and swamps (rotating water)
* islands in the PH increased cuz of earthquakes (7640 islands)
* imbalance → climate change

97

* The remaining _% resides in the **ocean**.

Coastal zone

region where the sea bottom is exposed during the low tide and is covered during high tide.

Pelagic zone

* located the seaward of the coastal zone’s low tide mark. This is always covered with water.
* sudden shift of depth

Oceanic zone

* lies above the continental shelf.
* Many sea animals are found in this zone.

Neritic zone

* zero visibility, edge
* trenches

Epipelagic zone

* sunlight zone; light can still penetrate until sea bed

Mesopelagic zone

* twilight zone; dimlight; refraction

Bathypelagic zone

does not receive any sunlight

Hadalpelagic zone

trenches deepest of the ocean

Abyssopelagic zone

deep sea

71

_% of the Earth’s surface is water

__**BIOSPHERE**__

* Contains the entirety of Earth’s __living things__.
* “zone of life”
* integrating all living things and their relationships
* global ecological system

Edward Suess

term “biosphere” was coined by __ in 1875

AQUATIC

* freshwater (ponds, lakes, rivers) and marine biomes (ocean, estuaries (boundary between salt and freshwater, where eggs are laid, diverse animals))

FOREST

* includes tropical, temperate and boreal forests, taiga. (vegetation includes grasses to shrubs and trees)

DESERT

* Sand; low rainfall, specialized vegetation

TUNDRA

Ice; oldest of all biomes. Low biotic diversity and have simple vegetation structure.

NITROGEN CYCLE

* decomposition, food webs, bacteria in freshwater
* a biogeochemical process which transforms the **inert nitrogen** present in the atmosphere to a more **usable** form for living organisms.
* bacteria needs nitrogen

Nitrogen Fixation

* the initial step of the nitrogen cycle.

Here, Atmospheric nitrogen (N2) which is primarily available in an **inert form**, is converted into the usable form - __ammonia__ (NH3) - used for fertilizer for plants

Nitrification

* In this process, the __ammonia__ is converted into __nitrate__ by the presence of **bacteria** in the soil.
* Nitrites are formed by the oxidation of Ammonia with the help of ***Nitrosomonas bacterium*** species. (nitrifies the bacteria)
* Later, the produced nitrites are converted into nitrates by Nitrobacter.
* This conversion is very important as ammonia gas is toxic for plants.
* there should be a cycle; nitrogen → nitrate → ammonia;

Assimilation

* Primary producers – plants take in the nitrogen compounds from the soil with the help of their roots
* which are available in the form of ammonia, nitrite ions, nitrate ions or ammonium ions and are used in the formation of the plant and animal proteins.
* ammonia only = toxic
* This way, it enters the food web when the primary consumers eat the plants.

Ammonification

* When plants or animals die, the nitrogen present in the organic matter is released back into the soil.
* The decomposers, namely bacteria or fungi present in the soil, convert the organic matter back into **ammonium**.

This process of decomposition produces **ammonia**, which is further used for other biological processes.

Denitrification

* the process in which the nitrogen compounds makes their way back into the atmosphere by converting __nitrate__ (NO3-)  into gaseous __nitrogen__ (N).
* This process of the nitrogen cycle is the final stage and occurs in the absence of oxygen.

is carried out by the denitrifying bacterial species- **Clostridium** and **Pseudomonas**, which will process nitrate to gain oxygen and gives out free nitrogen gas as a byproduct. (giving only nitrogen; filters the harmful gasses)

OXYGEN CYCLE

CO2 + H2O → O2 + C6H12O6 (photosynthesis)

CARBON CYCLE

* O2 + C6H12O → CO2 + H2O (cellular respiration); mitochondria

WATER CYCLE

* Evaporation (liquid to gas) → Condensation (formation of clouds; water in aqueous solution) → Precipitation (clouds to rain)
* Run off (high to low elevation)

PHOSPHORUS CYCLE

* is a biogeochemical process that involves the movement of __phosphorus__ through the lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere (living organisms)
* Absorption → Decomposition → Plants will absorbed thru the roots → eaten by animals or go to water carried by water cycle

Energy Flow

the amount of energy that moves along the food chain.

First law of thermodynamics

 states that energy can **neither** be created nor destroyed, it can only **change** from one form to another.

Second law of thermodynamics

* that states that as energy is transferred more and more of it is **wasted**

__10 percent law of energy flow__

* states that when the energy is passed on from one trophic level to another, only **10 percent** of the energy is passed on to the next trophic level.

Photosynthetically Active Radiation

* Most of the sun’s radiation that falls on the earth is usually reflected back into space by the earth’s atmosphere. 

**EXOGENIC PROCESSES**

* These are external processes that occur **at** or **near** the surface of the Earth (geosphere)
* These processes are part of the **rock** cycle.
* They are responsible for transforming rock into sediment.

**WEATHERING**

* due to the weather
* The __disintegration__ and __decomposition__ of rock at or near the Earth’s surface.
* The physical breakdown and/or chemical alteration of rocks.

MECHANICAL WEATHERING/ DISINTEGRATION

* is breaking up large rocks into smaller fragments __without__ changing the rocks mineral **composition**.
* Frost Wedging
* water → ice (Expands)
* Insolation weathering/Thermal stress
* Unloading or Pressure release

CHEMICAL WEATHERING

decomposes rocks through chemical change

OXIDATION-REDUCTION REACTIONS

* transfer of electrons
* Species that loses = oxidized; gains = reduced

Hydrolysis

* breaking down substances thru water; Biological Action
* a chemical reaction of the interaction of chemicals with __water__, leading to the __decomposition__ of both the substance and water. 
* Reactions of hydrolysis are possible with salts, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc.

**MASS WASTING**

* The __downslope__ movement of rock, regolith, and soil under the direct influence of gravity.
* EXAMPLES: Rock and Debris Falls, Landslides, Flows

HUMAN MASS WASTING

Human activities may induce mass movement. It includes removal of vegetation through logging and urban development.

**TRANSPORTATION**

solution, suspension, traction, saltation (moving salt), rolling

**EROSION**

displacement of solids as a result of weathering

**DEPOSITION**

* **The aggradation or accumulation of weathered sediments to create different landforms.**
* **moving the deposits; ocean area will be bigger or land will be bigger**

**ENDOOGENIC PROCESSES**

* are interval processes that occur within the Earth.


* These result in reshaping the Earth’s landforms.
*  include __tectonic processes__ and __volcanism__.

Panthalassa

superocean

Pangaea

supercontinent

Alfred Wegener

proposed Continental drift theory

**TYPHOON**

Tropical Cyclones that develop in the north-western part of the __Pacific Ocean__ between 180° and 100°E.

**TROPICAL CYCLONE**

* the generic term for a non-frontal synoptic scale low-pressure system over tropical or sub-tropical waters with organized convection (i.e. thunderstorm activity) and definite cyclonic surface wind circulation

**HURRICANE**

Tropical Cyclone found in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)