Environmental Science A. The Earth

Ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

Why is the atmosphere important?

It provides organisms with the air they need to survive and keeps Earth's surface a steady temperature.

The Earth Part One

Life is able to flourish on Earth due to the support of organisms by Earth's systems. The atmosphere is a mixture of gases which helps keep Earth's surface temperature steady and provides organisms with the air they need to survive. Most organisms require oxygen to use energy through respiration.

Pollution that runs off the land often combines with sediments at the bottoms of bodies of water. In this way, fish may become poisoned. This is an example of how fish interact with the _____.

Lithosphere The sediments come from land, or the lithosphere. When the polluted sediment falls in the water and is consumed by the fish, this interaction can poison the fish.

currents

Mass movements of surface water produced by prevailing winds blowing over the oceans.

Nitrogen

Most abundant gas in the atmosphere

Solar Radiation

One hundred percent of the energy that drives all processes on Earth comes from the sun. Sunlight transfers its heat energy to Earth by radiation

aquifers

Subterranean, porous, water-holding rocks that provide millions of wells with steady flows of water.

The Biosphere

The biosphere is the layer of Earth where all life exists.

The Hydrosphere and Cyrosphere

The hydrosphere covers about 70 percent of Earth and is made up of water, or H2O. The majority of this water is salt water, which is found in oceans and makes up over 97 percent of all water on Earth.

Connectedness

The hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and cryosphere are connected in numerous ways. One way is the water cycle. Water moves through the atmosphere and falls to Earth as precipitation, landing on the oceans and lakes and rivers and soil.

The Lithosphere

The lithosphere consists of Earth's crust and the upper mantle, or the solid outer layer of Earth. All organisms live on Earth's crust.

The Earth Physics

The microwaves in a microwave oven are radio waves with a wavelength of about 12 cm. The energy in the waves penetrates the food and causes water, fats, and sugars in the food to absorb the energy and generate heat.

nitrogen cycle

The transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms, and back to the atmosphere

surface water

Water above the surface of the land, including lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, floodwater, and runoff.

How are the atmosphere and hydrosphere connected?

Water evaporates off the oceans into the air. Not only are the atmosphere and hydrosphere connected through the water cycle, but the lithosphere and cryosphere are as well.

igneous rock

a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface

artesian well

a well that brings pressurized water to the surface without pumping

Cryosphere

all of the frozen water on Earth. The cryosphere includes continental ice sheets, glaciers, the polar ice caps, and areas of snow and permafrost.

Which process causes warm air to rise in our atmosphere?

convection The process of heat moving within a substance such as air or water air is convection.

oxygen

gas that enters the blood through the lungs and travels to the heart to be pumped via arteries to all body cells

what are the two main types of fresh water?

ground and surface water

Hydrospehere

includes all the parts of Earth that are made up of water. The hydrosphere includes oceans, lakes, and rivers, as well as underground water and clouds in the air.

Which two main gases make up the atmosphere?

nitrogen ad oxygen Correct. The atmosphere contains the air organisms need to survive, which consists of nitrogen and oxygen.

Tropical Winds

run into each other and push cold air towards Horse Latitudes; fastest because barely any land that causes friction

Biosphere

the combined parts of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere in which life exists

Atmosphere

the layer of air that surrounds Earth and contains the air all organisms need to survive.

Lithosphere

the layer of land that forms Earth's surface. The lithosphere includes the rocks, soil, and sand that make up land.

Groundwater

water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers

Which type of rock would form from lava forming a volcanic eruption?

Basalt it is and igneous rock that forms when lava cools

Where is Earth located in relation to the sun?

It is the third planet from the sun. Earth is located between Venus and Mars.

Ozone

A form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of the usual two. Ozone helps block most ultraviolet light from reaching the surface of

Salinity

A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid

metamorphic rock

A type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.

sedimentary rock

A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together

The Earth Part Two

Almost all the energy used by organisms originally comes from the sun.

Energy Cycles

Another way all of Earth's systems interact is through the matter (carbon and nitrogen) and energy cycles. Much like the water cycle, carbon and nitrogen flow from the atmosphere into the lithosphere and hydrosphere and back into the atmosphere. These elements form vital compounds, such as DNA and proteins, and provide plants with needed gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) for survival.

organism

Any living thing Organisms can be found on the land, in the water, and in the air. Organisms live in the biosphere, or the living parts of Earth

During El Nino, warm water moves from Australia to the coast of South America. Which changes does this cause to Australia.

Australia receives less rain and more droughts

Introduction

Earth is the third planet from the sun in the solar system. It has unique characteristics that permit the planet to support life. The Earth can be studied by looking at its lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.

The Atmosphere

Earth's atmosphere is vital to all living organisms. It is the layer of air that surrounds Earth and is needed for all organisms need to survive. Although the majority of it is nitrogen gas (72 percent), the next most abundant component is oxygen (28 percent).