NATURE OF THE

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NATURE OF THE
ENVIRONMENTS
Felix Rizk
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ALL ENVIRONMENTS OVERLAP. MATERIALS ARE
CONSTANTLY RECYCLED BETWEEN ALL the MAJOR
ENVIRONMENTS.
Nature of The Environments

• MAJOR ENVIRONMENTS
• CONCENTRIC LAYERS EVOLVED
• LITHOSPHERE 4 b.y.
• ATMOSPHERE 3.8 b.y. PHYSICAL
• HYDROSPHERE 3.6 b.y.
• BIOSPHERE 3.5 b.y BIOLOGICAL

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EARTH LAYERED STRUCTURE
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LITHOSPHERE

• OUTER, SOLID LAYER COMPOSED OF ROCKS, 30 -125
  MILES THICK.
• BROKEN INTO 14 PIECES
• LATERALLY
• TECTONIC PLATES MOVE
• VERTICALLY

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Lithosphere

• Movement leads to Earthquakes and
  large features
• Mtn. Ranges
• Ocean Basins
• Island Chains

• Type of plate motion determines
• types of
• features formed
• Convergent ?
• Movement
• Divergent ?

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Relationship Between Divergent Convergent
Plates
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HYDROSPHERE WATER LAYER SANDWICHED BETWEEN
ATMOSPHERE AND
LITHOSPHERE ? 97 SALTY THE
HYDROSPHERE ? 3 FRESH

• LAYER IS RECYCLED TO ENSURE ALL WATER BODIES ARE
  INTERCONNECTED.
• HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

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The Hydrologic Cycle
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SUNS ENERGY, THROUGH CERTAIN PROCESSES, DRIVES
THE WATER CYCLE

• EVAPORATION
• TRANSPIRATION
• CONDENSATION
• PRECIPITATION
• RUNOFF
• INFILTRATION
• GROUNDWATER FLOW

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• ATMOSPHERE AIR LAYER THAT IS THE OUTERMOST
  LAYER OF EARTH, AND SURROUNDS HYDROSPHERE/LITHOSPH
  ERE.
• AIR CONSTANT VARIABLE COMPONENTS PRODUCED BY
  VOLCANIC OUTGASSING/ PHOTOSYNTHESIS.
• TEMPERATURE PATTERNS WITHIN ATMOSPHERE DETERMINES
  4 LAYERS

THERMOSPHERE MESOSPHERE STRATOSPHERE TROPOSPHERE
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Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposphere
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• HYDROSPHERE/ATMOSPHERE INTERACT INTIMATELY ? EL
  NIÑO.
• WIND (GLOBAL) SYSTEM/PRESSURE ZONES.
• WEATHER/CLIMATE.
• BIOSPHERE
• AREAS INCLUDING ORGANISMS.

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Vertical Directions of the Biosphere

• Limit of terrestrial animals
• Limit of higher plants
• Limit of human habitation
• Limit of cultivation

Zone of terrestrial limit
oceans
euphotic
aphotic
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QUIZ 1 Explain the following terms
from online Chapters -1/Introduction

• Biosphere
• Tectonic Plates
• Hydrological Cycle
• Troposphere
• Volcanic Outgassing

• Environmental Impact
• Throughput
• Sustainability
• Cornucopian
• Precautionist