PHYSICAL

ENVIRONMENT HYDROSPERE ||ATMOSPHERE || GEOSPHERE

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
BASIC ARTS AND SCIENCES

For instructional purposes only

How was Earth formed?
Big Bang Theory
n 13.7 billion years ago
n Creation of all matter
n Hydrogen and Helium the first
n More complex elements evolved through
time
The Expanding Universe

u The Doppler effect is used to document the expanding universe

Red shift
Hubble’s Law

u Red shift is related to distance

u The farther galaxies are moving faster than the closer galaxies
The Nebula Hypotheses
The Nebular Hypothesis

u The solar system formed from a collapsed

nebula
u 1734 by Emanuel Swedenborg
u Observations support this idea
Segregation of elements: gravitational
force
Compositionally distinct
layers Physically distinct layers

Remember: the liquid outer

core with the Earth’s rotation
produces the magnetic field.
The Earth System

u “Earthis a complex
system of interacting
physical, chemical and
biological processes, and
provides a natural
laboratory whose
experiments have been
running since the
beginning of time.”
NASA
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 Earth As A Closed System

Closed system: exchange of energy but negligible

exchange of mass with surroundings
 Earth System Science

u Earth is a dynamic body

with many separate, but
highly interacting parts or
spheres.
u Earth system science
studies Earth as a system
composed of numerous
parts, or subsystems.
The Earth System M. Ruzek, 1999
The Earth’s Four Spheres
Earth’s Four Spheres
The Earth is a system consisting of four major interacting
components:
Geosphere: comprises the solid Earth and includes both
Earth’s surface and the various layers of the Earth's
interior.
Atmosphere: gaseous envelope that surrounds the
Earth and constitutes the transition between its and
the vacuum of space
Hydrosphere: includes all water on Earth (including
surface water and groundwater)
Biosphere: the life zone of the Earth and includes all
living organisms, and all organic matter that has not
yet decomposed.
Overlapping Cycles in the Earth System

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The Geosphere
Geosphere

The geosphere is the solid

Earth that includes the continental
and ocean crust as well the various
layers of Earth’s interior.
• 94% of the Earth is composed of
the elements oxygen, silicon, and
magnesium.
• The geopsphere is not static
(unchanging), but its surface
(crust) is in a constant state of
motion.
• Mineral resources are mined
from the geosphere.
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Changes occur on the Earth
constantly:

u Molten rock flows from volcanoes

u Hurricanes batter beaches and change

coastline

u Earthquakes shake the ground

The Earth is a system that consists of
air, water, rock and living things

All of the ‘parts’ interact with each other

Most of the geosphere is located in
the Earth’s interior

The average diameter of the Earth is 12,756km

 Discovering the Earth’s Interior
The earth is like an onion

Its made of layers

 The information we have concerning the
interior of the Earth comes to us from
studying seismic waves

Seismic waves travel through different material at

different rates. When seismic waves change direction
or speed, it means they have moved through different
layers
Scientists divide the Earth into three
layers based on composition

u Crust – the thinnest layer of the Earth (5-20km thick)

made entirely of light elements

u Mantle – makes up 64% of the earth’s mass, (2900km

thick) made of rocks of medium density

u Core – has a radius of 3400km and composed of the

densest elements
The Earth can also be divided into 5
layers based on physical properties
u Lithosphere

u Asthenosphere

u Mesosphere (mantle)

u Outer core

u Inner core
 The lithosphere is the Earth’s outer layer

It contains the crust and uppermost part of the mantle and is

divided into moving sections called Tectonic Plates
 The asthenosphere is the layer
beneath the lithosphere

The asthenosphere is the ‘plastic’ solid layer of the

Earth that the plates move on top of
The mesosphere consists of the lower
mantle between the asthenosphere and
outer core

The mesosphere contains molten rock which is

called ‘magma’
The outer core is 2200km thick
and made of nickel and iron

The outer core is mostly liquid

 The inner core is a solid sphere of
iron, nickel and cobalt (radioactive)

The temperature of the inner core is thought to be

between 4000 and 5000 degrees Celsius
 Scientists believe that cobalt in the
core decays producing heat

The heat from the core produces energy that

makes the magma move producing earthquakes,
volcanoes and plate movement
 Earth’s Layers: Composition and Mechanical Characteristics
Composition Physical Characteristics
crust Primarily silica
lithosphere brittle solid
plus light solid (but
asthenosphere
metallic nearly
elements liquid)

mantle
mesosphere solid
Primarily
silica plus
iron and
magnesium

outer core liquid

Primarily iron
core and nickel
inner core
solid

Note: Lithosphere contains both crust and uppermost (brittle) layer of mantle
Geosphere: Interactions with other Earth System components

Atmosphere: volcanism spews significant amounts of gases

into the atmosphere. For example, volcanoes inject large
amounts of sulphur dioxide to the upper atmosphere, resulting
in global cooling.

Hydrosphere: The formation of many minerals involve

incorporation or release of water. Also, water speeds up
chemical reactions that produce or destroy minerals, and aids
in the melting of rock.

Biosphere: Nutrients released from rocks during their

breakdown are dissolved in water (to be used by aquatic
plants).
 System Interactions
Volcanoes (geosphere) erupt, sending ash and
gases into the air (atmosphere) and sending lava
and ash down onto surrounding forests (biosphere)
and human habitations (biosphere).

Geosphere

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Atmosphere Biosphere cha.eruption.htm
 System Interactions
Earthquakes (geosphere) can damage buildings which may kill people
(biosphere), as well as cause fires which release gases into the air
(atmosphere). Earthquakes in the ocean may cause a tsunami
(hydrosphere) which can eventually hit land and kill both animals and
people (biosphere).
Biosphere

Geosphere Atmosphere

Hydrosphere
What is the hydrosphere?
Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere contains all the water
found on our planet.
• Water found on the surface of our planet
includes the ocean as well as water from lakes
and rivers, streams, and creeks.
• Water found under the surface of our planet
includes water trapped in the soil and
groundwater.
• Water found in our atmosphere includes
water vapor.
• Frozen water on our planet includes ice caps
and glaciers.
• Only about 3% of the water on Earth is http://water.tamu.edu/watercycle.html

“fresh” water, and about 70% of the fresh

water is frozen in the form of glacial ice.
The Hydrosphere
u The hydrosphere includes all water
on or near the Earth’s surface
u This includes water in the oceans,
lakes, rivers, wetlands, polar ice
caps, soil, rock layers beneath
Earth’s surface, and clouds
u 70% of the Earth’s surface is
covered in water
The Earth’s Water
u 97.2% of all of the water on Earth is found in the oceans
u Due to the salt content of ocean water, we are unable to
use it
u Salt water can be cleaned by a process known as desalination
u This leaves only 2.8% of the Earth’s water as freshwater
u Only 0.8% of which is drinkable
Freshwater Distribution
u The 2.8% of freshwater
is divided into:
uGlaciers and Ice Caps =
2.15%
uGroundwater = 0.62%
uSurface Water = 0.03%
Surface Water Distribution
u The 0.03% of surface water is divided into:
u Lakes = 0.017%
u Soil = 0.005%
u Atmosphere = 0.001%
u This refers to water vapor in the air
u Streams = 0.0001%
u Theprevious percentages referred to all the
world’s water but it can be adjusted to reflect
percentages based on a 100% scale
The Water Cycle
u Water constantly moves
among the oceans, the
atmosphere, the solid
Earth, and the
biosphere. This unending
circulation of Earth’s
water supply is the water
cycle
Steps of the Water Cycle
u
Accumulation
_____________________ – the process in which water pools in large
bodies (like oceans, seas and lakes)
u
Condensation
_____________________ – the process in which water vapor (a gas) in
the air turns into liquid water
u Process by which water forms clouds in the sky
u Process by which water drops form on the outside of a glass of icy water on
a hot day
u Evaporation
_____________________ – the process in which liquid water becomes
water vapor (a gas)
u Water vaporizes from the surfaces of oceans and lakes, from the surface of
the land, and from melts in snow fields
 Steps of the Water Cycle

u Precipitation
_____________________ – the process in which water (in the
form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail) falls from clouds in the sky
u
Runoff
_____________________ – the draining away of water (or
substances carried in it) from the surface of an area
u Transpiration
_____________________ – the process in which some water
within plants evaporates into the atmosphere
u Water is first absorbed by the plant's roots, then later exits by evaporating
through pores in the plant.
Condensation Condensation
Precipitation

Transpiration
Runoff Evaporation

Accumulation
Subcomponents of hydrosphere are
connected via the hydrologic cycle
Hydrosphere: Interactions with other Earth System components

Atmosphere: Water is transferred between the hydrosphere

and biosphere by evaporation and precipitation. Energy is
also exchanged in this process.

Biosphere: Water is necessary for the transport of nutrients

and waste products in organisms.

Geosphere: Water is the primary agent for the chemical and

mechanical breakdown of rock (weathering), to form loose
rock fragments and soil, and sculpts the surface of the
Earth.
Earth’s
Atmosphere
 How our atmosphere evolved

I. The early atmosphere did not support life. It

contained deadly gases such as Methane and
Ammonia. There was very little Oxygen.
II. Over time, gases were added to the atmosphere
by volcanic eruptions, and as a result of
chemical reactions due to sunlight.
 How our atmosphere evolved
III. The OZONE LAYER formed as a result of the
chemical reactions. Ozone is made of three oxygen
atoms bonded together. It blocks out ultraviolet
radiation from the sun.

IV. The formation of the ozone layer allowed

MICRO-ORGANISMS such as Blue-Green Algae
to appear on earth. They take in carbon dioxide
and release oxygen, so the amount of OXYGEN
in the atmosphere steadily increased.
 How our atmosphere evolved
V. Stromatolites were some of the early organisms
that used Photosynthesis to convert CO2 into
Oxygen. They still exist today and have survived 5
mass extinctions!
Today’s atmosphere
Layers of the Atmosphere
Basis for Layers
u Layers are based on TEMPERATURE CHANGE
within the layer.
u As you move up through the troposphere,
temperature decreases.
u As you move up through stratosphere, temperature
increases.
u As you move up through the mesosphere,
temperature decreases
u As you move up through the thermosphere,
temperature increases.
 Characteristics of layers
u Troposphere: Contains Convection Currents
created by the sun’s heat which cause most of
our weather
u Stratosphere: Contains the Ozone Layer.
u prevents some ultraviolet radiation UV light from reaching
Earth’s surface, also where airplanes fly.
u Mesosphere: Meteors burn up when they hit this
layer.
u Thermosphere: Divided into Ionosphere and
Exosphere. Satellites & Radio waves travel in
this layer. This is the hottest layer
 Thermosphere has 2 parts:
u Ionosphere: Lower Thermosphere. Contains
electrically charged particles due to absorption of
ultraviolet radiation and X-rays that are given off by
the sun. Aurora Borealis can be seen in this layer.
Radio waves travel easily in this layer.

u Exosphere: Upper thermosphere. Air is extremely

thin. Satellites travel here because there is very
little friction with air.
Aurora Borealis à A glow in the night sky
produced in the upper atmosphere by ionized
particles from the solar wind interacting with
Earth’s magnetic field.
Transfer of Heat
Heat can move in three ways:
u 1- Conduction: Heat is transferred through direct contact.

u 2- Convection: Heat is transferred by a hot fluid (gas or

liquid) circulating or moving.

u 3- Radiation: Heat is transferred by electromagnetic

waves.
If a metal cooking fork is left in
the fire long enough, eventually
the end we are holding will
become too hot for us to handle.
Heat was transferred from the
flames in the campfire to the
metal fork, and then from
.
molecule to molecule in the fork
until it reaches our fingers via
conduction.
 What is Convection?
à Density differences in temperatures cause
heat to rise and cool to sink, this applies to
gasses and liquids
Examples:
Heated water becomes less dense and rises, Boiling water
Hot air expands and is less dense hot air balloon
Imagine standing in front of a
camp fire and holding out your
hands in front of you…what do
you feel?
Warmth as your hands
absorb the radiation
coming from the fire.
Heat moves into our atmosphere through
SOLAR RADIATION (Insolation)
Heat moves throughout (within) our
atmosphere in CONVECTION CURRENTS
Heat Transfer Quiz: Identify the type of Heat
Transfer

A = Radiation B = Convection C = Conduction

The Atmosphere
The Earth is surrounded by a blanket of
air, which we call the atmosphere.
• The atmosphere consists of four
unique layers (the troposphere, the
stratosphere, the mesosphere, and the
thermosphere).
• The atmosphere reaches over 560
kilometers (348 miles) up from the
surface of the Earth.
• The atmosphere is primarily
composed of nitrogen (about 78%) and
oxygen (about 21%). Other
components exist in small quantities.

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 Atmosphere
• consists of a mixture of gases composed primarily of
nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour
•The mesosphere,
thermosphere, and
exosphere are zones of
diffuse atmospheric
components in the far
reaches of the
atmosphere.

The stratosphere
(10 to 50 km),
•The troposphere (0-10 contains ozone that
km) constitutes the protects life on the
climate system that planet by filtering
maintains the conditions harmful ultraviolet
suitable for life on the radiation from the
planet's surface. Sun.
Atmosphere: Interactions with other Earth System components

Hydrosphere: The gases of the atmosphere readily exchange

with those dissolved in water bodies (e.g. oceans, lakes, etc.)

Biosphere: The atmosphere supplies oxygen and carbon

dioxide that form the basis of life processes (photosynthesis
and respiration).

Geosphere: Gases in the atmosphere react with water to

produce weak acids that aid in the breakdown of rock.
System Interactions

Hurricanes (atmosphere) sweep

across the ocean (hydrosphere) and
onto the land (geosphere), damaging
the dwellings of people (biosphere)
who live along the coast.

Hydrosphere

Atmosphere Geosphere

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Biosphere