Lecture 5

The Earth
• About 4.5 billion years old
• Third planet orbiting around the
sun
• Only planet in our solar system
to have surface liquid water
• Home to the only known life in
the universe
• Very dynamic, both internally
and externally
Earth’s Four Spheres
Earth
• Solid = Lithosphere
• Liquid = Hydrosphere
• Gas = Atmosphere
Earth has 3 major connected systems of Biosphere
are:
a. Hydrosphere- all of Earth’s water, ice, water vapor

b. Atmosphere- the air blanketing Earth’s solid and

liquid surface

c. Lithosphere- features of Earth’s surface

(continents, rocks, sea floor, and everything below
Earth’s surface
 What Is the Biosphere?
The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems; integrating all
living beings and their relationships, including their interactions with
the elements of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
 Biosphere
• The sphere that includes all living organisms. Plants,
animals, and microbes are all part of the biosphere. It also
includes organic matter not yet decomposed.

• Most of Earth’s life is found from

about 3 metres below the ground to
30 meters above it and in the top
200 metres of the oceans and seas.
• But…life can thrive in the most
unlikely places, from hot springs to
ice caps.
Biosphere
 The Biosphere

The biosphere is the portion of the Earth that is inhabited

by life
Biosphere- part of Earth where life exists

a. Includes all living and non-

living parts
b. Biota- collection of just living
things in biosphere
 Characteristics of the Biosphere
• Ecology is the study of
organisms and their
interactions with the
environment. (eco-home)

• The biosphere is the life-

supporting region of the
earth. It includes all the
land, air and water in
which organisms live.
Some important roles of the biosphere:

1. Aids in weathering (e.g. formation of acids in

soil).

2. An important sink for certain elements

(especially carbon).

3. Mediates the formation of some minerals.

4. Photosynthesis maintains the oxygen content

of the atmosphere.
 Lithosphere
Lithosphere: The solid, inorganic Earth, including Earth’s
surface and layers of its interior.

The Earth is composed of

nested shells that are
classified according to their
chemical and mechanical
characteristics.
Earth’s Layers: Composition and Mechanical Characteristics

Composition Mechanical Characteristics

Primarily silica crust lithosphere brittle solid
plus light asthenosphere solid (but
metallic elements nearly
liquid)

Primarily mantle
silica plus iron mesosphere solid
and
magnesium

outer core liquid

Primarily iron core
and nickel inner core solid
 Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere is composed of all of the water in the Earth
system, including water in the oceans, rivers, lakes, air, and
below Earth’s surface.

• 97 percent of the earth's water is in the

oceans.

• The remaining 3 percent is fresh water

(mostly in ice sheets, but also in the
air as vapour, and below Earth’s
surface as groundwater).
Surface temperatures of
oceans • The presence of liquid surface water
(blue= coldest red= warmest)
makes our planet unique.
 Hydrosphere

Some important roles of the hydrosphere:

1. Moderates climate

2. Transfers heat

3. Organisms need water to transport nutrients and waste

4. Water is essential in many of Earth’s processes, from

mineral formation to the weathering and erosion of rock.
 Hydrosphere

all water at or near

the earth’s surface
founds as water
vapor, liquid water,
ice and frozen in
permafrost
97% of the earths
water is found in the
ocean (cover 71% of
earth’s surface)
Water moves - within between rocks, air, oceans, ice, life
(hydrologic cycle)
 Fresh Water
• Lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams are freshwater habitats.
So too are swamps, bogs, and marshes.

• It amounts to precious little water, less than half a percent

of the world's water supply.

• Yet it is essential to a wide variety of life on earth.

• The distribution of fresh water in uneven globally. Four

countries hold nearly 50% of all the fresh water on Earth.
Salt water

• The water of the seas

and oceans is salty
because of the vast
quantity of mineral
salts dissolved in it.
 Atmosphere
• The atmosphere is the body of gases that surrounds our planet.

• Most of our atmosphere is located

close to the earth's surface where it is
most dense.

• The air of our planet is 79% nitrogen

and just under 21% oxygen; the small
amount remaining is composed of
carbon dioxide and other gases.
 Thin layer of gases surrounding earths surface.
Layers of the atmosphere include:
Atmosphere Troposphere
• Altitude: 0 to about 8-15 km (5-9 miles) above sea level.
• Key Features: This is where we live, and it contains most
of the atmosphere's mass, including water vapor. It's
where weather events occur (clouds, storms, rain, etc.),
and the temperature decreases with altitude.
• Temperature: It generally decreases with height (about
6.5°C per kilometer).
• Boundary: The boundary at the top of the troposphere is
called the tropopause.
Stratosphere
• Altitude: 15 to about 50 km (9 to 31 miles) above sea level.
• Key Features: This layer contains the ozone layer,
which absorbs and scatters ultraviolet solar radiation. The
stratosphere is generally calm and stable.
• Temperature: In contrast to the troposphere, the
temperature increases with altitude in the stratosphere
due to the absorption of UV radiation by the ozone layer.
• Boundary: The boundary between the stratosphere and
the troposphere is the tropopause, while the boundary
between the stratosphere and the next layer is the
stratopause.
Mesosphere
• Altitude: 50 to about 85 km (31 to 53 miles) above sea level.
• Key Features: This is where most meteors burn up upon entering the atmosphere. It is
characterized by decreasing temperatures with altitude.
• Temperature: The temperature decreases with height, and this layer has the coldest temperatures
in the atmosphere.
• Boundary: The upper boundary, where the mesosphere transitions to the thermosphere, is called
the mesopause.

Thermosphere
• Altitude: 85 to about 600 km (53 to 373 miles) above sea level.
• Key Features: The thermosphere contains a small proportion of the atmosphere's overall mass.
Solar radiation causes ionization of gases, which is why this layer is so hot. It's where the auroras
(northern and southern lights) occur.
• Temperature: The temperature increases dramatically with altitude, reaching up to 2,500°C
(4,500°F) or more. However, it would feel cold to a human because the air density is so low.
• Boundary: The boundary between the thermosphere and the exosphere is known as the
thermopause.

Exosphere
• Altitude: 600 km to about 10,000 km (373 to 6,200 miles) above sea level.
• Key Features: This is the outermost layer, where atmospheric particles are so far apart that they
can travel hundreds of kilometers without colliding. This layer is considered the transitional zone
between Earth's atmosphere and space.
• Temperature: The temperature is extremely high in this layer, but the low density of particles means
heat is not transferred effectively.
Some important roles of the atmosphere:

1. Contains the gases that living things need for

survival (e.g., carbon dioxide for photosynthesis,
and oxygen for aerobic respiration).

2. Transfers heat.

3. Ozone in stratosphere protects living things from

excess ultraviolet radiation.

4. Plays a part in weathering and erosion.

 Relevance to Lithosphere

1. Heat from the fire causes rocks to crack (therefore

enhancing weathering).

2. Soil erosion is also enhanced by the removal of vegetation.

3. Ash particles from the fire alter the chemistry of the soil.
 Relevance to Atmosphere

1. Smoke and ash particles are carried by wind to other areas.

2. Increased precipitation elsewhere is enhanced due to the ash

particles acting as nucleation centres for water droplets.

3. Gaseous pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2) are produced

during the burning of the vegetation and carried into the air by the
wind.
 Relevance to Hydrosphere
• Heat from the fire further removes moisture from the air,
soil, and vegetation through the process of evaporation.

• Increased siltation of streams due to enhanced erosion

(particles are then deposited as sediment).
 Relevance to Biosphere

1. Immediate destruction of habitat in burn area.

2. Smoke in the air may have coats the lungs of animals,

including people, and affects their ability to breathe.

3. Ash particles in water clogs the gills of fish and other aquatic
organisms.
 Relevance to Biosphere

4. On the positive side, nutrients released from ash from the

fire can, on the long term, benefit future plant
communities.

5. Also, seeds of some plants may require that their outer shells
be burned before they can germinate (so the forest fire
benefits these plants).
END