Spheres of the Earth Atmosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

1
Spheres of the EarthAtmosphere Hydrosphere
Lithosphere

• Weather Dynamics Unit
• Science 10

2
Hydrosphere

• 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).

http//ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Hydros
phere.html
Video of Atlantic Ocean http//www.youtube.com/wa
tch?vvwf2a4wpS-8
3

• 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.jpg
4

• Water Vapour
• Ice
• Refer to website
• http//www.accd.edu/sac/astronom/astr1370/glacial.
  htm

Weather Central http//www.weathercentral.com/wea
ther/satellite/alaska_wv.html
Columbia Icefields http//www.accd.edu/sac/astron
om/astr1370/glacial.htm
5
http//my.opera.com/Mathilda/albums/showpic.dml?al
bum42812picture516117

• 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 commented "When the
  well's dry, we know the worth of water. (U of F
  Hydrosphere).
• Source University of Florida Hydrosphere

6
Hydrosphere Contd

• 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
7
Ocean Temperatures Updated Daily
http//www.wunderground.com/MAR/
8
Antarctic Water Temperatures http//www.wundergro
und.com/MAR/
9
Hurricanes from Space

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vPDGnoEnKxkQ
• Hurricane Luis
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vS5725Etc4bIfeature
  related

10
Ernest Shackletons 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/sirernest.htm
  l

11
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/s
pace/atmosphere.html
12

• 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

13

• Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases
• http//www.agu.org/eos_elec/99148e.html

14
Atmosphere Review Diagram

• Earthguide Diagrams
• Atmosphere Animated
• http//earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/atm
  osphere/index.html

15
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
• 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//ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Geosph
ere.html
Plates of the Earth http//upload.wikimedia.org/w
ikipedia/commons/d/dc/Tectonic_plates.png
16
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageTectonic_plates
.png
17
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

18
Plate Tectonics

• Dr. Arts Guide to Planet Earth
• Earths Solid Stuff (animation)
• http//www.planetguide.net/book/chapter_2/earth_so
  lid.html

19
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

20
Antarctic Ice http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped
ia/commons/9/98/Antarctica_satellite_orthographic.
jpg
21
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

22
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/FO
TE.jpeg
23
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

24
Sources

• University of Florida Earth System Science
  Program
• http//ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/00-Int
  roduction.html
• Hydrosphere
• http//ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Hydros
  phere.html
• Geosphere
• http//ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Geosph
  ere.html
• Biosphere
• http//ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Biosph
  ere.html

25
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