Download Also assesses SC.6.E.7.2, SC.6.E.7.3, SC.6.E.7.6, and SC.6.E.7.9.

FCAT Review – Earth Systems
Spheres of the Earth
Geosphere - is associated with solid
portions of the Earth. It includes rocks,
sediments and soils, surface landforms
and the processes that shape the surface.
Features are:
• Valley networks, river channels/canyons,
deltas,
• Sand dunes, wind streaks
• Folds, faults, mountains
• Volcanoes
Spheres of the Earth
• Hydrosphere is the liquid water
component of the Earth. The
hydrosphere covers about 70% of the
surface of the Earth and is the home for
many plants and animals. The
hydrosphere, like the atmosphere, is
always in motion.
• Features include:
-oceans, seas, lakes, ponds, rivers and
streams.
Spheres of the Earth
• Cryosphere ("icy cold water sphere") is the
frozen part of Earth: the glaciers, icebergs at
sea, and the huge icecaps in Greenland and
Antarctica.
• The cryosphere is the term which collectively
describes the portions of the Earth’s surface
where water is in solid form.
Features include:
• sea ice, lake ice, river ice, snow cover, glaciers,
ice caps and ice sheets, and frozen ground
Spheres of the Earth
• Atmosphere - relates to meteorological
features and phenomena such as weather,
clouds, or aerosols (particles in the air). It
includes an ever‐changing mixture of gas
and small particles located above and
surrounding the Earth’s surface.
Features include:
• ‐Clouds ‐Hurricanes and Cyclones ‐Aurora
‐Air Pollution/Aerosols ‐Dust and Sand
Storms
Spheres of the Earth
• Biosphere is associated with living systems
such as biomes or ecosystems. This includes
life on land, in the oceans and rivers, and
even life we cannot see with the naked eye.
Features include:
‐Coastal Biomes ‐Forests ‐Deserts ‐Grasslands
‐Urban/Agricultural Ecosystems
Spheres of the Earth
Four major parts of Earth work
together as a complex system:
rocks, water, air, and life. On a
global scale, each part can be
thought of as a sphere, roughly the
same size and shape as the planet.
The Atmosphere
We Call it
“Air”
What is it?
It is:
*The layer of gases that surrounds
the Earth
*This is where the weather happens
*Weather – changes in
the condition of the
atmosphere (cloudy, cold,
rainy, clear and sunny)
330 miles
& above
48 – 330 miles
30 – 48 miles
7 – 30 miles
0 – 7 miles
Layer
Troposphere
Description
0 – 7 miles above the Earth
The weather happens here
Energy from the Sun
How does the sun’s
energy get to the
Earth?
Radiation – energy from the sun that
travels through space to the Earth
(the sun’s rays)
Infrared –
sun’s heat
energy
Visible Light Energy from the
sun we can see
and plants use
for food
Ultraviolet (U.V.) Radiation – energy that
affects our skin
*vitamin D for skin cell growth (good)
*sunburns (too much UV)
*cancer (too much UV)
Radiation
1- some energy is
absorbed in the
ozone layer of the
atmosphere (mostly
UV rays)
Radiation
2 – some energy
reflects off clouds
and other particles
in the atmosphere
and back towards
space
Radiation
3 – some energy
reflects off the
Earth’s surface
(water or land)
and back up to
the atmosphere
Radiation
4 – some energy is
absorbed into
Earth’s surface
(water or land)
How Heat Moves
Radiation - Heat moves through the air
from a warmer object to a cooler object
(sun, fire, stove or oven)
Conduction - Heat moves from a warmer
object by touching a cooler object
Convection - Heat moves by a fluid (liquid
or gas) from a warmer object to a cooler
object
Example –
running hot
water,
steam,
heater, or
hair dryer
What is a wind?
Wind – the air moving horizontally from an area
of high pressure to an area of low pressure
Winds – As warm air rises, cooler air moves
in underneath
Types of Global Winds
Jet streams
high speed winds about 6
miles above the earth
(120 to 240 mph)
*these winds can carry or
push cold polar air down
into the U.S.
What’s the
difference between
weather and
climate?
*Weather – changes in the condition of
the atmosphere (cloudy, cold, rainy,
clear and sunny)
What is a Storm?
Storm – a violent
change in the
atmosphere
*Thunderstorm
*Tornado
*Hurricane
Climate - the typical weather conditions
in an area over a long period.