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The Earth SystemConnections among the great spheres
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Our Home Planet
A closed system !
Has well-defined continents
and ocean basins
Only planet presently
known to support life
About 4.5 billion years old
Very dynamic, both
internally and
externally
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Earth As A Closed System
Closed system: exchange of energy but negligible
exchange of mass with surroundings
Mass conserved
within system
(no gain or loss)
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Four Spheres Within Closed System
Within this closed system are
four major, interlinked
components:
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Energy and matter are
exchanged between these
components.
In this course, our focus will be
on the biosphere.
So while we’re thinking about
it…
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…Why can Earth sustain life ?
• Not too close or far from Sun, thus preventing life from
freezing or frying
• Large enough to hold atmosphere
• Abundance of water
• Temperature range to allow water to exist in liquid (very
important) as well as gaseous, and solid forms.
• The interaction of the four components or “spheres” of the
Earth system.
The origin of life is a separate issue, which we will discuss
later.
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Earth’s Four Spheres
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Geosphere
Geosphere: 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.
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crust
mantle
core
lithosphereasthenosphere
mesosphere
outer core
inner core
Composition Mechanical Characteristics
liquid
solid
solid
brittle solidsolid (but
nearly
liquid)
Earth’s Layers: Composition and Mechanical Characteristics
Primarily iron
and nickel
Primarily
silica plus
iron and
magnesium
Primarily silica
plus light
metallic
elements
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Note: Lithosphere contains both crust and uppermost (brittle) layer of mantle
Geosphere: Chemical and Mechanical
Characteristics Combined
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Some important roles of the geosphere:
1. Contributor of particulate matter (e.g. volcanic ash) to
atmosphere.
2. Ultimate contributor of salts to the ocean (due to ions
being released from weathered rock).
3. Ultimate source of nutrients for all living things.
4. Important contributor of atmospheric gases (from
volcanoes)
5. Movement of plates produces barriers that aid in the
isolation of population of organisms (and therefore
influences evolution).
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The Dynamic Geosphere
Processes that occur beneath Earth’s surface are manifest
in earthquakes and volcanism.
These phenomena are linked to the movement of tectonic
plates that, in turn, is driven by internal Earth processes.
Earthquakes Plate BoundariesVolcanoes
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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).
The presence of liquid surface water
makes our planet unique.
Surface temperatures of
oceans
(blue= coldest red=
warmest)
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.
Hydrosphere
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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.
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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.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere is the body of gases that
surrounds our planet.
Atmosphere
Also has a layered structure (but we won’t get into this
right now)
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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.
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Biosphere
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.
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.
But…life can thrive in the most unlikely places, from hot
springs to ice caps.
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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.
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A Recent Addition to Biosphere: Human Activity
The presence of humans
and the extent of human
influence can be
appreciated by looking at
satellite photos.
Even at night, evidence
of human activity can be
seen.
White dots: major centres of human population
Yellow patches: fires from slash-and-burn farming
Red patches: natural gas burning in major oil fields
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Interconnectedness of Spheres
To appreciate how strongly interconnected the Earth’s
spheres really are, we need only to think about what
happens to substances within the system.
For example, the carbon cycle.
Note that at any
given point in
time, carbon
occurs in all of
the great
spheres.
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Other Circumstances: Earth’s Spin and Tilt
Earth is not just a static lump of rock !
As it spins on its tilted axis, it different areas of
Earth are exposed to different amounts/intensities of
the Sun’s energy.
This gives us seasons.
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Considering Interactions Between the Spheres
Identify some interactions that are represented in this picture
Example 1
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Example 2
What about this picture ?
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Example 3
…or this one ?
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Small-scale example: A forest fire
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Interactions Between Spheres: Cause and Effect
Initial Conditions
Geosphere: The ground could have been very
permeable, preventing moisture from being retained in
the upper part of the soil profile.
Hydrosphere: The area could have been prone to fire
due to lack of precipitation.
Atmosphere: The fire could have started due to a
lightning strike.
Biosphere: Dead wood, leaves and needles may have
enhanced the ability of the fire to start and spread.
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Relevance to Geosphere
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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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).
Relevance to Biosphere
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These types of interactions not only apply to local
scenarios, but also influence changes on global
scale.
Examples of events that may have something to do with
interactions between components of the Earth
system:
1. Initiation of ice ages
2. Mass extinctions
3. Global climate change
4. El Nino events.
We will look at some of these things in detail as the
course progresses.
Global Effects
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The Earth’s Atmosphere
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The Earth and its Atmosphere
This chapter discusses:
1. Gases in Earth's atmosphere
2. Vertical structure of atmospheric pressure
& temperature
3. Types of weather & climate in the
atmosphere
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Solar Energy as Radiation
Figure 1.1
Nearly 150 million kilometers separate the sun and earth, yet solar
radiation drives earth's weather.
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Earth's Atmosphere
99% of atmospheric gases, including water vapor, extend only 30
kilometer (km) above earth's surface.
Most of our weather, however, occurs within the first 10 to 15 km.
Figure 1.2
Thin Gaseous envelope
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Composition of Atmosphere
• Nitrogen - 78%
• Oxygen - 21%
• Water Vapor – 0 to 4%
• Carbon Dioxide - .037%
• Other gases make up the rest
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Atmospheric Gases
Nitrogen, oxygen,
argon, water vapor,
carbon dioxide, and
most other gases
are invisible.
Clouds are not gas,
but condensed
vapor in the form of
liquid droplets.
Ground based
smog, which is
visible, contains
reactants of
nitrogen and ozone.
Ozone – is the primary ingredient of smog!
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Variable & Increasing Gases
Figure 1.3
Nitrogen and oxygen concentrations experience little change,
but carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and
chlorofluorocarbons are greenhouse gases experiencing
discernable increases in concentration. CO2 has risen more
than 18% since 1958. Fossil fuels are the biggest problem!
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Atmospheric Greenhouse Effect
• The warming of the atmosphere by its
absorbing and emitting infrared
radiation while allowing shortwave
radiation to pass through. The gases
mainly responsible for the earth’s
atmospheric greenhouse effect are water
vapor and carbon dioxide.
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Aerosols & Pollutants
Human and
natural activities
displace tiny soil,
salt, and ash
particles as
suspended
aerosols,
as well as sulfur
and nitrogen
oxides, and
hydrocarbons as
pollutants.Figure 1.6
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Pressure & DensityGravity pulls gases
toward earth's
surface, and the
whole column of
gases weighs 14.7
psi at sea level, a
pressure of 1013.25
mb or 29.92 in.Hg.
The amount of force
exerted Over an area of
surface is called
Air pressure!
Air Density is
The number of air
Molecules in a given
Space (volume)
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Vertical Pressure Profile
Atmospheric pressure
decreases rapidly with
height. Climbing to an
altitude of only 5.5 km
where the pressure is
500 mb, would put you
above one-half of the
atmosphere’s
molecules.
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Lapse Rate
• The rate at which air temperature
decreases with height.
• The standard (average) lapse rate in the
lower atmosphere is about 6.5°C per 1
km or 3.6°F per 1000 ft.
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Temperature Inversion
• An increase in air temperature with
height often called simply an inversion.
• Radiosonde – an instrument that
measures the vertical profile of air
temperature in the atmosphere
(sometimes exceeding 100,000 ft)
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Atmospheric Layers
8 layers are defined by constant
trends in average air
temperature (which changes
with pressure and
radiation), where the outer
exosphere is not shown.
1. Troposphere
2. Tropopause
3. Stratosphere
4. Stratopause
5. Mesosphere
6. Mesopause
7. Thermosphere
8. Exosphere
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Atmospheric Layers
Figure 1.7
Troposphere – Temp decrease w/ height
Most of our weather occurs in this layer
Varies in height around the globe, but
Averages about 11 km in height.
Tropopause separates Troposphere from
Stratosphere. Generally higher in summer
Lower in winter.
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The troposphere is the lowest major atmospheric layer, and is located from the Earth's surface up to the bottom of the stratosphere. It has decreasing temperature with height (at an average rate of 3.5° F per thousand feet (6.5 ° C per kilometer); whereas the stratosphere has either constant or slowly increasing temperature with height. The troposphere is where all of Earth's weather occurs. The boundary that divides the troposphere from the stratosphere is called the "tropopause", located at an altitude of around 5 miles in the winter, to around 8 miles high in the summer, and as high as 11 or 12 miles in the deep tropics. When you see the top of a thunderstorm flatten out into an anvil cloud, like in the illustration above, it is usually because the updrafts in the storm are "bumping up against" the bottom of the stratosphere
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Atmospheric Layers
Figure 1.7
Stratosphere
Temperature inversion in stratosphere
Ozone plays a major part in heating the air
At this altitude
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Atmospheric Layers
Figure 1.7
Mesosphere
Middle atmosphere – Air thin, pressure low,
Need oxygen to live in this region. Air
quite Cold -90°C (-130°F) near the top of
mesosphere
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Atmospheric Layers
Figure 1.7
Thermosphere
“Hot layer” – oxygen molecules absorb
energy from solar Rays warming the air.
Very few atoms and molecules in this
Region.
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The Stratosphere and Ozone Layer
Above the troposphere is the stratosphere, where air flow is mostly horizontal. The thin ozone layer in the upper
stratosphere has a high concentration of ozone, a particularly reactive form of oxygen. This layer is primarily responsible
for absorbing the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. The formation of this layer is a delicate matter, since only when
oxygen is produced in the atmosphere can an ozone layer form and prevent an intense flux of ultraviolet radiation from
reaching the surface, where it is quite hazardous to the evolution of life. There is considerable recent concern that
manmade flourocarbon compounds may be depleting the ozone layer, with dire future consequences for life on the Earth.
The Mesosphere and Ionosphere
Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere and above that is the ionosphere (or thermosphere), where many atoms are
ionized (have gained or lost electrons so they have a net electrical charge). The ionosphere is very thin, but it is where
aurora take place, and is also responsible for absorbing the most energetic photons from the Sun, and for reflecting radio
waves, thereby making long-distance radio communication possible.
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Atmospheric Mixture & Charge
Additional layers
include:
a) the homosphere
with 78% nitrogen
and 21% oxygen
b) the poorly
mixed
heterosphere
c) the electrically
charged
ionosphere
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Radio Wave Propagation
Figure 1.9 (Ionosphere Radio Prop)
AM radio waves are long enough to interfere with ions in the sun-
charged D layer, but at night the D layer is weak and the AM signal
propagates further, requiring stations to use less power.
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Weather & Climate
Weather is comprised of the
elements of:
a) air temperature
b) air pressure
c) humidity
d) clouds
e) precipitation
f) visibility
g) wind
Climate represents long-term
(e.g. 30 yr) averages of weather.
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Satellite Instruments
Meteorologists may
study larger weather
patterns with space
borne instruments,
while ground-based
tools often measure a
single point. (GOES
SAT)
Figure 1.10
Meridians
Longitude
Latitude
Middle Latitudes – 30-50N
Middle-latitude cyclonic storm
Hurricane
Thunderstorm
Tornado – most violent disturbance in atms
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Surface Weather Map
Figure 1.11
Meteorologists
generate diagrams
of observed
weather from
ground-based
instruments.
This surface map
overlaps in time
with the previous
satellite image.
Low
High
Fronts
Wind Direction
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History of Meteorology
• Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere and its
phenomena
• Aristotle wrote a book on natural philosophy (340 BC)
entitled “Meteorologica”
– Sum knowledge of weather/climate at time
– Meteors were all things that fell from the sky or
were seen in the air
– “meteoros” : Greek word meaning “high in air”
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Impacts of Weather 1/5
Figure 1.12
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Impacts of Weather 2/5
Figure 1.13
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Impacts of Weather 3/5
Figure 1.14
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Impacts of Weather 4/5
Figure 1.15146 people die each year
In US from flash floods
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Impacts of Weather 5/5
Figure 1.16
Lightning strikes earth
100 times every second