Download Planet Earth

PLANET EARTH
EDITED BY MR. BARKHAU
WRITTEN BY: NOT MR. BARKHAU
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
• Earth is part of a large physical system
containing countless objects, all of which revolve
around the sun.
• Eight spheres, called planets, are the largest
objects in the solar system.
THE 4 SPHERES
• Earth is made of four spheres:
• atmosphere
• hydrosphere
• lithosphere
• biosphere
HYDROSPHERE
• Includes the liquid and frozen surface water
• Groundwater
• Water vapor in and around oceans, lakes, and
rivers on Earth
• 70% of earth’s surface
LITHOSPHERE
• Land or surface areas on Earth
• Including the continents, islands, and
ocean basins
• 30% of earth’s surface
ATMOSPHERE
• The layer of gasses
surrounding the
earth:
• protects Earth from
radiation, space debris
• 78% nitrogen, 21%
oxygen
BIOSPHERE
• The part of Earth that
supports life for all:
• People
• Animals
• Plants
• Contains: atmosphere,
lithosphere, and
hydrosphere
OCEANIC LANDFORMS
• The Continental Shelf is
sea floor from
continent’s edge to
deep ocean
• Sea floor has ridges,
valleys, canyons, plains,
mountain ranges
• Mt. Everest- 29, 028 ft
• Dead Sea- 1,312 ft below
sea level
EARTH’S STRUCTURE
• For millions of years, the
surface of the Earth has
been moving.
• The Earth is composed of
three layers
• core at Earth’s center
• mantle layer of dense
rock on the outer core
• crust forming Earth’s
surface.
EARTH’S STRUCTURE
• Many scientists believe Earth was once a single
land mass called Pangaea, but…
• Continental Drift slowly spread the continents
apart.
EARTH’S STRUCTURE
• Plate tectonics describes the activities of
continental drift and magma flow
• Referring to the physical processes that create
and shape:
• Continents
• Islands
• Oceans
• Mountain Ranges
INTERNAL FORCES OF CHANGE
• Mountains are formed when Earth’s giant
continental and oceanic plates collide.
INTERNAL FORCES OF CHANGE
• Moving plates
sometimes cause
Earth’s surface to
buckle forming folds
• Moving plates form
cracks called faults.
INTERNAL FORCES OF CHANGE
• Violent movements of Earth’s crust along fault
lines are called earthquakes, which dramatically
change the surface of the land and the floor of
the ocean.
INTERNAL FORCES OF CHANGE
• Volcanoes are mountains formed by lava or
magma that breaks Earth’s surface.
EXTERNAL FORCES OF CHANGE
• Wind and water break down the Earth’s surface
through weathering and erosion.
EXTERNAL FORCES OF CHANGE
• Physical weathering happens when large masses of rock
are broken down into smaller pieces.
EXTERNAL FORCES OF CHANGE
• Glaciers are large bodies of ice that move across
the Earth’s surface, changing the landscape as
they flow.
MR. BARKHAU HIKED ACROSS PART OF
VATNAJÖKULL GLACIER IN 2013
EXTERNAL FORCES OF CHANGE
• Soil building takes thousands of years of
weathering, erosion, and biological activity
• Influenced by five factors:
• Climate, topography, geology, biology and time
WATER
THE WATER CYCLE
• Almost all of the hydrosphere is saltwater found in oceans, seas,
and some lakes.
THE WATER CYCLE
• The amount of water on Earth never changes, but
it is constantly moving through the processes of
evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
THE WATER CYCLE
• Evaporation is when the sun's energy causes
water to change into vapor or gas.
THE WATER CYCLE
• Condensation is an excess of water vapor that
changes into liquid water after warm air cools.
THE WATER CYCLE
• Condensation is an excess of water vapor that
changes into liquid water after warm air cools.
THE WATER CYCLE
• Precipitation is the release of moisture through
rain, snow, or sleet.
BODIES OF SALT WATER
• Seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is water,
primarily salt water.
• Salt water cannot be used for drinking, farming, or
manufacturing.
BODIES OF SALT WATER
• Due to a growing population and the need for
more freshwater, some countries are focusing on
the desalination process, which removes the salt
from seawater.
BODIES OF SALT WATER
• Desalination is expensive and is also
controversial; critics believe the process has
negative environmental and economic impacts.
BODIES OF FRESH WATER
• Less than one-third of a percent of freshwater is
found in lakes, rivers, and streams and their
tributaries.
BODIES OF FRESH WATER
• Aquifers and groundwater are important
sources of freshwater found underground within
the Earth.
EARTH –SUN
RELATIONSHIPS
AKA WEATHER
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
• Weather is the
condition of the
atmosphere at a specific
time.
• What Causes the
Weather?
• Sun: solar energy
• Water vapor: whether or
not there will be
precipitation (snow, sleet,
hail)
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
• Climate refers to the
average weather
conditions over many
years
• Earth's tilt on its axis in
relation to the sun
affects temperatures
from day to night
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
• Seasons and weather
occur because of the
changing position of the
earth in relation to the
sun.
• Weather extremes are
related to location on
earth.
SEASONS AND WEATHER
• The solstice marks the beginning of summer and
winter
• The equinox marks the beginning of spring and
autumn
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
• The greenhouse effect allows
trapped atmospheric gases to
radiate heat that warms Earth.
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
• Under normal conditions, the
atmosphere naturally provides enough
insulation to promote life on Earth.
• The radiation Earth receives from the
sun must equally balance with the heat
radiated back into space to avoid
temperature extremes in order to
support life.
• If not, you get global warming
FACTORS AFFECTING
CLIMATE
LATITUDE – ELEVATION – WIND – WATER
LATITUDE, CLIMATE, AND ELEVATION
• Earth's rotation around the sun creates
predictable climate patterns that
correspond with latitude zones.
LATITUDE, CLIMATE, AND ELEVATION
• The low latitudes include the area between the
Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, including the
Equator
• All receive nearly direct sunlight and have
warm to hot climates
LATITUDE, ELEVATION, AND CLIMATE
•The high latitudes include the polar zones,
which generally have very cold climates.
LATITUDE, ELEVATION, AND CLIMATE
•The mid-latitude
zones between 30°
and 60° experience
variable weather with
generally temperate
climates.
•Elevation influences
climate at all latitudes
WIND
• Winds occur
when sunlight
heats Earth's
atmosphere and
surface unevenly
• Wind movement
is critical for
distributing the
sun's energy
around the
planet
OCEAN CURRENTS
• Ocean currents also distribute energy
WIND AND WATER
• Wind and water work together to affect
weather, creating precipitation that both
affects and is affected by temperature.
LANDFORMS AND CLIMATE
• Climates are affected by the presence or
absence of certain physical features, such
as mountains or large bodies of water.
LANDFORMS AND CLIMATE
• Large bodies of water are slower to heat
and cool, so they help keep temperatures
around them moderate.
• Mountain ranges push air upward on the
windward side, which cools and releases
precipitation. The leeward side of a
mountain range is usually hotter and drier.
CLIMATE REGIONS AND BIOMES
• Four climate zones:
•
•
•
•
Tropical
Dry
Mid-latitude
High-latitude
CLIMATE REGIONS AND BIOMES
• Biome: ecological community defined by
distinctive plant and animal groups.
CLIMATE REGIONS
• Tropical climates are found in or near the
low latitudes.
CLIMATE REGIONS
• Dry climates are semi-arid (steppe) or arid
(desert).
CLIMATE REGIONS
• Mid-latitude climates have
variable weather patterns.
CLIMATE REGIONS
• High-latitude climates have freezing
temperatures all year.
CLIMATE CHANGE
• Climate change: major changes in the
climate over an extended period of time.
CLIMATE CHANGE
• Indicators include:
•
•
•
•
Rising global temperatures
Major weather changes
Heat waves
Severe weather events