Download Oceanic - continental

Earth’s system spheres
• Interacting series of spheres or layers
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Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Geosphere
Biosphere
Atmosphere
• Relatively thin
gas layer
• Nitrogen
(78%); oxygen
(21%); minor
gases incl. Ar,
CO2, water
vapor
• Gravity holds
it in place
• 99% below 30
km altitude
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
•Contains all life forms
on Earth
•Overlaps with uppermost geosphere
•Contains all of the
hydrosphere and small
amount of lower
asthenosphere
Geosphere
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Extends from Earth’s
surface to center of the
Earth
Layered feature
Lithosphere – solid rock
Asthenosphere – weak
material
Crust is very thin
Denser toward center of
Earth
• Note the various layers
(spheres) present in the
diagram
• Note how the
continental material
depresses the weaker
underlying layers
• Note relative thickness
of oceanic vs
continental crust
Earth’s outer layers
Key elements in Earth’s crust
Layers of the geosphere
• Crust
– Continental
– Oceanic
• Mantle (gradational)
• Outer core (liquid)
• Inner core (solid)
Processes forming Earth
• Major role players in generating natural
hazards; all are interrelated
– Tectonic cycle
– Rock cycle
– Hydrologic cycle
– Biochemical cycle
Tectonic cycle
• Cratonic material (solid center of continents);
passive area; away from edges
• Active and passive plate margins
• Large-scale processes deform Earth’s crust;
earthquakes and volcanoes are generated
Heat transfer methods
Lithospheric plates
• Note continental vs. oceanic plates
Types of plate boundaries
• Divergent
• Convergent
– Oceanic – oceanic
– Oceanic – continental
• Transform
Relationship of plate boundaries
Example of divergent boundary
• Note direction of movement
Types of plate convergence
Oceanic - continental
• What features are formed?
Continental – continental
• How does this differ from
the figure to the left?
Oceanic-oceanic convergence forms island arcs
Continent – continent convergence
• How does this differ from previous collisions?
Example of continent-continent
collision
Transform faults
• What is different here?
Example of transform faulting
• What is missing from
other faulting situations
we have seen?
Rock cycle
Hydrologic cycle
• The water balance on Earth
Biogeochemical cycle
• Carbon and nitrogen are cycled through the
hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere
– Respiration
– Photosynthesis
– Decomposition
Carbon cycle
• C is in all organic substances; also in all
spheres