Spheres of the Earth

Atmosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

Weather Dynamics Unit Science 10

http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Hydr osphere.html

Video of Atlantic Ocean http://www.youtube.co

m/watch?v=vwf2a4wp S-8

Hydrosphere

    All of the water on planet Earth “71% of the earth is covered by water and only 29% is terra firma” (University of Florida).

“Blue Planet” – water is not found on any other planets in our solar system.

“It is because the Earth has just the right mass, the right chemical composition, the right atmosphere, and is the right distance from the Sun (the "Goldilocks" principle) that permits water to exist mainly as a liquid” (U of F).

Environment Canada: Satellite Images of North America and the Pacific http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/data/satellite/goes_gwdisk11_visible_100.jp

g  The great variety of surface temperatures and pressures allows water to exist in all three states.

– Solid = Ice – Liquid = Water – Gas = Water Vapour  The oceans contain most of the water (approx. 1.35 million cubic kilometres)

Weather Central: http://www.weathercentral.com/weather/satellite/alaska_wv .html

Columbia Icefields: http://www.accd.edu/sac/astronom/astr 1370/glacial.htm

 Water Vapour   Ice Refer to website: http://www.accd.e

du/sac/astrono m/astr1370/gla cial.htm

http://my.opera.com/Mathilda/albums/showpic.dml?al

bum=42812&picture=516117    The high heat capacity of water and the large volumes of water “buffers the Earth surface from large temperature changes such as those observed on the moon” (U of F Hydrosphere). “Water is the universal solvent and the basis of all life on our Planet” (U of F Hydrosphere). “Benjamin Franklin to comment[ed] "When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.“” (U of F Hydrosphere).

 Source: University of Florida Hydrosphere

Hydrosphere Cont’d

 Water in the ocean: – Equator = warm water (like a warm bath) – Near Poles = cold (can freeze into icebergs)  ETE – Hydrosphere http://www.bigelow.org/ shipmates/temperature.

html

Ocean Temperatures Updated Daily: http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/

Antarctic Water Temperatures: http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/

Hurricanes from Space

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDGnoEn KxkQ  Hurricane Luis: – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5725Etc4bI &feature=related

Ernest Shackleton’s Voyage

  “Already a celebrated polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton coordinated the British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition with the goal of accomplishing the first crossing of the Antarctic continent, a feat he considered to be the last great polar journey of the "Heroic Age of Exploration.“” (Nova Website http://main.wgbh.org/imax/shackleton/sirern est.html

Atmosphere

 Contains Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon  dioxide and water vapour Extend 500 km above the surface of the Earth  Climate is determined by the interactions occurring here  Ozone protects from UV rays  Source: University of Florida Atmosphere Image from: http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/space/atmosphere .html

  “Since the Industrial Revolution, man has been altering the composition of the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels” (U of F Atmosphere).

Greenhouse Gases include:

(concerns include the rising levels of greenhouse gases) – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chloroflurocarbons – “these "greenhouse" gases trap heat energy emitted from the earth surface and increase global temperatures (global warming)” (U of F Atmosphere).

– “In addition, chloroflurocarbons are effective at depleting the Earth's ozone shield that protects the earth surface from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation” (U of F Atmosphere).  Source: University of Florida Atmosphere

 Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases: http://www.agu.org/e os_elec/99148e.ht

ml

Atmosphere Review Diagram

 Earthguide Diagrams: – Atmosphere Animated  http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/atmo sphere/index.html

Lithosphere (Geosphere)

http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Geosphere.html

Plates of the Earth:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe dia/commons/d/dc/Tectonic_plate s.png

     Greek for rocky sphere Solid outermost shell of the planet including the crust and upper layers of the mantle.

 Wikipedia Lithosphere Solid earth – Oceanic crust – Continental crust – Interior of the earth “Ninety-four percent of the earth is composed of the elements oxygen, iron, silica, and magnesium” (U of F Geosphere).

Is always changing (Plate Tectonics/ Continental Drift)  Source: University of Florida Geosphere

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tectonic_plates.png

Asthenosphere

   The fluid layer under the lithosphere.

Plastic like layer (fluid rock movement) 100-200 km deep into the Earth (or up to 400 km)  The ridged lithosphere floats on this layer, which conducts heat up to the plates.

 Fault lines and breaks occur in the lithosphere because it is brittle.

 Source: Wikipedia Asthenosphere

Plate Tectonics

 Dr. Art’s Guide to Planet Earth – Earth’s Solid Stuff (animation)  http://www.planetguide.net/book/chapter_2/earth_soli d.html

Cryosphere

    All of the snow and ice on earth Majority of ice is found at the poles – Icebergs – Glaciers – Giant icecaps in Antarctica and Greenland 12 000 years ago = colder climate = huge ice sheets covered the surface of the earth – Most of North America and Europe were covered During the age of the dinosaurs the climate was warm and much of the ice had melted and disappeared.

 Earth Floor Cryosphere

Antarctic Ice: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Antarctica_satellite_orthographic.jpg

Biosphere

    The “life zone” of earth.

Includes all living organisms (all organic matter that has not decomposed.) Food chains govern the transfer of energy – Producers  Consumers  Secondary Consumers  Tertiary Consumers  U Of F – Biosphere By looking at the surface of the earth you can readily distinguish the different areas – i.e. deserts, forests – These areas are called Biomes.

 Earth Floor Biosphere

Surface of the Earth from Space - Notice the different colors, which indicated different biomes.

Can you identify the desert? Forests?

http://www.novaspace.com/POSTERS/PHOTO/FOTE.jpeg

To Do:

 Read over Section 13.8 Hydrosphere – Draw a simplified diagram of the water cycle (be sure to include all of the important terms.

 Define any of the terms that you use in your diagram – Complete questions:  Page 524 #s  2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

Sources

 University of Florida Earth System Science Program – http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/00 Introduction.html

– Hydrosphere:  http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Hydrosphere.html

– Geosphere:  http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Geosphere.html

– Biosphere  http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Biosphere.html

Sources Continued . . .

 Wikipedia – Lithosphere   http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/spheres.html

– Asthenosphere http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asthenosphere  Exploring the Environment     http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/spheres.html

– Earth Floor Hydrosphere http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/hydrosphere.html

– Earth Floor Cryosphere http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/biosphere.html

– Earth Floor Biosphere http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/biosphere.html