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Earth’s system spheres

Earth’s system spheres. Interacting series of spheres or layers 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.

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Earth’s system spheres

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  1. Earth’s system spheres • Interacting series of spheres or layers • Atmosphere • Hydrosphere • Geosphere • Biosphere

  2. 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

  3. Hydrosphere

  4. Biosphere Contains all life forms on Earth Overlaps with upper- most geosphere Contains all of the hydrosphere and smallamount of lower asthenosphere

  5. Geosphere 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

  6. 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

  7. Key elements in Earth’s crust

  8. Layers of the geosphere • Crust • Continental • Oceanic • Mantle (gradational) • Outer core (liquid) • Inner core (solid)

  9. Processes forming Earth • Major role players in generating natural hazards; all are interrelated • Tectonic cycle • Rock cycle • Hydrologic cycle • Biochemical cycle

  10. 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

  11. Heat transfer methods

  12. Lithospheric plates • Note continental vs. oceanic plates

  13. Types of plate boundaries • Divergent • Convergent • Oceanic – oceanic • Oceanic – continental • Transform

  14. Relationship of plate boundaries

  15. Example of divergent boundary • Note direction of movement

  16. Types of plate convergence Oceanic - continental Continental – continental How does this differ from the figure to the left? • What features are formed? Oceanic-oceanic convergence forms island arcs

  17. Continent – continent convergence • How does this differ from previous collisions?

  18. Example of continent-continent collision

  19. Transform faults • What is different here?

  20. Example of transform faulting • What is missing from other faulting situations we have seen?

  21. Rock cycle

  22. Hydrologic cycle • The water balance on Earth

  23. Biogeochemical cycle • Carbon and nitrogen are cycled through the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere • Respiration • Photosynthesis • Decomposition

  24. Carbon cycle • C is in all organic substances; also in all spheres

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