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A Layered Planet
A. Core
1. Inner Core
˜ Solid & Super hot
˜ 4, 000 miles below the Earth’s surface
˜ Made of iron and nickel under great
pressure.
2.. Outer Core
˜ Surrounds the inner core
˜ Liquid melted iron and nickel at about
8,500ºF
˜ 1,800 miles below the Earth’s surface;
1,400 miles thick
B. Mantle
1. Surrounds the core
2. Thick layer of hot, dense rock
C. Crust
1. Outer layer
2.
Rocky shell
Spheres of the Earth Diagram
Atmosphere – realm of the earth made up of
the gases (air that we breathe) that extends
about 1,000 miles above the surface of the
earth; composed mostly of 78% nitrogen,
21% oxygen, and trace amounts of argon and
other gases
Biosphere – realm of the earth that
supports life (plants, animals, & humans);
life can only exist outside the biosphere
with mechanical life support
Lithosphere – realm of the earth made up of
land, including ocean basins; covers about
30% of the earth’s surface
Hydrosphere – realm of the earth made up of
water (oceans, lakes, rivers, & other water
bodies; covers about 70% of the earth’s
surface; of all the water contained within
the hydrosphere about 97% is salt water,
+2% is frozen in polar ice caps, and -1% is
fresh, usable water
The Earth is:
29% Land
71% Water
Landforms
There a four main types of landforms.
Mountains
Hills
Plains
Plateaus
Landforms
The four main landforms are: mountains, hills, plains, and plateaus.
You can use this diagram to help you remember other types of
landforms as well. Does this picture look familiar? Turn to pages 34 &
35 of your textbook.
Less than 1% of
the Earth’s
water supply is
fresh (usable)
water!
Phase 1: Evaporation – the changing of the
water supply in water bodies (lakes, oceans,
etc) from a liquid to a gas as it is heated
Phase 2: Condensation – the changing of
water vapor in the atmosphere changing to
a liquid as it cools
Phase 3: Precipitation – liquid in the
atmosphere forms clouds when they
become too full moisture falls back to the
earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail
Phase 4: Infiltration – precipitation is
absorbed into the ground and becomes part
of the groundwater supply
Hydrologic/Water Cycle – the constant
movement of the earth’s water supply
between the bodies of water, the
atmosphere and the earth itself
Phase 5: Runoff – water that is not
absorbed but runs off of the surface back
into rivers, lakes and oceans