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Geoscience 001

Geoscience 001. http://www.geosc.psu.edu/~dbice/Geosc001/Geosc001.htm. Atmosphere Oceans Solid earth Life. Spatial/physical intersections of the 4 spheres of Earth. Atmosphere. Biosphere. Hydrosphere. Geosphere. Earth as an Interconnected System. Biosphere. Atmosphere. Geosphere.

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Geoscience 001

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  1. Geoscience 001 http://www.geosc.psu.edu/~dbice/Geosc001/Geosc001.htm Atmosphere Oceans Solid earth Life

  2. Spatial/physical intersections of the 4 spheres of Earth Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Geosphere

  3. Earth as an Interconnected System Biosphere Atmosphere Geosphere Hydrosphere

  4. What is a System? a coordinated or related sets of processes and reservoirs (places where things can reside or forms in which matter or energy exists) through which material or energy flows, characterized by continual change Example system: pot of boiling water Thermal energy Heat from burner Heat loss from steam Heat loss from radiation

  5. Profile of Atmosphere seen from Space Shuttle Ozone in Stratosphere Troposphere ~ 12km

  6. Clouds reflect sunlight; trap heat emitted from Earth’s surface. Atmosphere affects earth’s temperature; hydrosphere affects atmosphere composition and opacity

  7. Glaciers reflect sunlight, cool Earth. They erode mountains and crush up rock, reshaping the surface (hydrosphere affects geosphere).

  8. Rivers erode mountains, transfer sediment to the oceans, delivering nutrients for marine life. Sediment eroded is affected by vegetative cover and human activity

  9. Volcanoes add ash and gases (water and carbon dioxide and various sulfur gases) to atmosphere, affecting regional and global climate.

  10. Earthquakes affect humans (and hotels) -- 1999 Taiwan eq.

  11. Mountains affect regional weather patterns and lead to increased erosion and weathering that collectively can cool Earth’s climate (weathering of rocks consumes atmospheric carbon dioxide, weakening the greenhouse effect)

  12. Vegetative cover affects albedo, affects local temperatures and hydrology, and carbon storage; deforestation has affects that are not just cosmetic

  13. Smoke (and pollution) affect atmospheric chemistry and opacity, thus regional and global climate.

  14. So What? Why is this Interconnectedness Important? • Means that we have to be cautious as we change aspects of the Earth; we have to work very hard to try to anticipate cascading effects and feedbacks if we want to minimize damage. • Means that as a whole, the Earth System is more stable (even if very sensitive for short times), more adaptable

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