EARTH SCIENCE/EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE

First Semester, First Quarter

 Earth sciences are the fields of study concerned with the solid Earth, its waters, and the air that
envelops it. They include the geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric sciences with the broad
aim of understanding Earth’s present features and past evolution and using this knowledge to
benefit humankind.

UNIVERSE
• It is made of 4.6% baryonic matter (“ordinary” matter consisting of protons, electrons, and
neutrons: atoms, planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, and other bodies), 24% cold dark matter
(matter that has gravity but does not emit light), and 71.4% dark energy (a source of
antigravity)
• Hydrogen, helium, and lithium are the three most abundant elements.

PLANETS
The most recent definition of a planet was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 2006.
It says a planet must do these three things.
1. It must orbit a star (in our cosmic neighborhood, the SUN).
2. It must be big enough to have enough gravity to force it into a spherical shape
3. It must be big enough that its gravity cleared away any object of a similar size near its orbit
around the Sun.

PLANETS FEATURES
1. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It rotates slowly – about twice for every three
orbits it completes. Its cratered surface can experience temperatures upwards
of 800 degrees Fahrenheit (426.7 degrees Celsius) because of its proximity to
the sun. However, temperatures on the side facing away from the sun are cold
— about -279 F (-173 C). Slightly larger than Earth's moon, it is the smallest
planet in the solar system. It has no moons, no rings, and an atmosphere so
thin that scientists classify it as an exosphere.
2. Venus The second planet from the sun, Venus is slightly smaller than Earth. Because of
its relative proximity to Earth, it is the largest planet seen in the night sky.
Although the atmosphere is nowhere near as thick as that of any outer planet,
it's the thickest of the terrestrial planets, and it consists mostly of sulfuric acid
and carbon dioxide. The heat and pressure make the planet decidedly
inhospitable to life.
3. Earth Earth, the third planet from the sun and the largest terrestrial planet, is the only
planet known to host living beings and the only one known to have liquid
water on its surface. The atmosphere, made of mostly nitrogen, oxygen and
carbon dioxide, is crucial to Earth's ability to support life. Although the surface
of the earth is mostly water, the planet also has large landmasses which harbor
a stunning variety of ecosystems.
 4. Mars Stargazers from antiquity have called Mars, the fourth planet from the sun,
Mars, the Red Planet. The red color of the surface comes from iron oxide or rust
in the soil. The topography is characterized by large volcanoes and deep
valleys, and Mars experiences frequent planet-wide wind storms. Some of the
surface features of Mars, such as dry river beds, hint to the possibility that
water previously existed on the planet and may still flow under the surface.
5. Jupiter Further from the sun, past a ring of asteroids, lies the largest planet in our solar
system — Jupiter — the first of the gas giant planets. Its characteristic-colored
cloud patterns are caused by enormous, swirling storms in its atmosphere,
which consists of primarily of hydrogen, helium, methane ammonia and water
ice. The largest and most distinctive of the storms, the Great Red Spot, is larger
than Earth. Jupiter has 63 moons and a faint ring system.
6. Saturn Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, is also a gas giant, and it's most
impressive feature as seen from afar is an extensive and complex ring system.
The rings orbit the planet in a thin band about a mile thick. The interior of
Saturn, like Jupiter, is made of mostly hydrogen and helium. Nearing the core,
the intense pressure turns the gases into liquids and ultimately into a metallic
form that conducts electricity.
7. Uranus While most planets spin on their axis with a slight tilt, the ice giant Uranus spins
on an axis parallel to its orbit. With a diameter of 31,518 miles (50,723
kilometers), this cold planet is four times the size of Earth and is made of a
large atmosphere of methane with a dense core of frozen methane. Uranus has
a faint ring system and 27 moons in its orbit.
8. Pluto The blue planet Neptune is the farthest one from the sun and, like Uranus, is a
very cold place. Its surface temperature is a chilly -353 F (-214 C). Because of its
distance from the sun and its large orbit, one year on Neptune is 165 Earth
years. The atmosphere is mostly methane, which gives the planet its blue color.
The cold interior of the planet is mainly methane ice. Like all the outer planets,
Neptune, like Uranus, has a diameter roughly four times that of Earth. Thirteen
moons and a faint ring system orbit the planet.

STARS
• Stars are born within the clouds of dusts and scattered throughout most galaxies.
GALAXY
• A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems, all held
together by gravity.
NEBULAE
• Nebulae are made of dust and gases-mostly hydrogen and helium. The dust and gases in a
nebula are very spread out, but gravity can slowly begin to pull together clumps of dust and
gas.
 THEORIES EXPLAINING THE ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
1. NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS THEORY-
The sun and other celestial bodies orbiting around it where formed from a nebula- a spinning cloud
of gases. These clouds are gravitationally unstable, and matter coalesces within them to smaller
denser clumps, which then rotate, collapse and form the stars.
Proposed by Immanuel Kant and later refined by Pierre-Simon Laplace in the 18th century.
2. ACCRETION THEORY-
This says that a protosun passing through a cloud on interstellar materials pulled this material along
causing it to swirl around the protosun. As the protosun evolved into a sun, the material it accreted
gradually formed the planets and other revolving bodies.
Proposed by Otto Schmidt in 1944.

3. TIDAL THEORY-
When the sun is about to form (protosun), a large body passing around it may have drawn some
gaseous materials drawn from it. The mass of gaseous materials drawn did not completely escape
gravitational pull of the protosun. It continued to spin around it, eventually becoming more dense
and gradually formed into planetesimals. These planetesimals give rise to the planets and their
satellites.
Proposed by James Jeans and Harold Jeffreys in 1918.

EARTH
 Third planet from the sun at a distance of about 93 million miles (150 million km).
 Fifth largest planet in the solar system, it is the only world in our solar system with liquid water
on the surface
 Earth is a rocky planet with a solid and dynamic surface of mountains, canyons, plains and
more. Most of our planet is covered in water.
 Earth's atmosphere is 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and 1 percent other
ingredients—the perfect balance to breathe and live.
 Earth has one moon
 Earth has no rings
 The only place we know of so far that’s inhabited by living things. Terrestrial planet

EARTH’S CHARACTERISTICS TO SUPPORT LIFE

1. Distance of the Earth from the Sun
• Perfect reason for the life because it receives the perfect amount of heat and light to
allow life
• Regulates temperature of water bodies, weather patterns and provides energy to the
growth of plants
2. Importance of Earth’s Atmosphere
• Air content and favorable atmospheric pressure also supported life of most creatures
• Carbon dioxide, helps moderate the Earth’s temperature and is absorbed by plants
during photosynthesis

3. Importance of Ozone Layer

 • Protecting life on Earth from its potentially harmful effects of shorter wavelength and
highly hazardous ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun
4. Water
• It contains oxygen needed for life and allows life-providing molecules to move around
easily.
5. Force of attraction
• Earth’s gravitational pull
• It keeps our planet orbiting the Sun and the Earth firmly hold everything from
topography to all forms of life

SUBSYSTEMS OF THE EARTH

1. Atmosphere
 A very huge envelope of air that surrounds the Earth.
 it is the gaseous layer above the Earth’s surface, primarily composed of 78% nitrogen and 21%
oxygen. Other gases like argon, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and other inert gases
made the remaining 1%.
 The atmosphere supports life because animals and plants need both carbon dioxide and
oxygen. In addition, the atmosphere supports life indirectly by regulating climate. Air acts as
both a blanket and a filter, retaining heat at night and shielding from direct solar radiation
during the day.
2. Geosphere
 the solid Earth, consisting of the entire planet from the center of the core to the outer crust. It
includes the core, mantle, and crust of the Earth. Also the continents, ocean floor, rock surface
and sand in the deserts.
 All the rocks, mineral and ground that are found on and in Earth.
3. Hydrosphere
 the Earth has been called “Blue Planet” due to abundant water on it surface.
 the water part of the Earth which circulates among oceans, continents, glaciers, and
atmosphere. Oceans cover 71% of the Earth and contain 97.5% of its water
4. Biosphere
 the zone of Earth where all forms of life exist: in the sea, on land, and in water. It is sometimes
called as the large ecosystem. This is the zone that life inhabits.
 Biosphere is a very thin layer of the earth’s surface.