Download Atmosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

Spheres of the
Earth
Atmosphere Hydrosphere
Lithosphere
Weather Dynamics Unit
Science 10
Hydrosphere
http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Hydr
osphere.html
Video of Atlantic
Ocean
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=vwf2a4wp
S-8
 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).
 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)
Environment Canada: Satellite Images
of North America and the Pacific
http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/data/satellite/goes_gwdisk11_visible_100.jp
g
 Water Vapour
 Ice
 Refer to
website:
http://www.accd.e
du/sac/astrono
m/astr1370/gla
cial.htm
Weather Central:
http://www.weathercentral.com/weather/satellite/alaska_wv
.html
Columbia Icefields:
http://www.accd.edu/sac/astronom/astr
1370/glacial.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)
 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
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
 “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/00Introduction.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