Intro to earth systems quiz

dynamic interactions among reservoirs

-humans affect natural cycles = changes are taking place in many earth's reservoirs -global change and climate change

Biosphere

-includes earth's organisms and matter that has not yet decomposed -greatly affects every other of Earth's systems -photosynthesis: process of converting light energy to chemical energy and sorting it in the bonds of sugar -oxygen as a highly reactive gas

The Atmosphere

-mixture of gases that surrounds earth -predominately N, O2, Ar, Co2, and H20 -very thin layer, but protects life from damaging solar radiation, is reservoir for oxygen and carbon dioxide -outer boundary of the Earth system

earth's sphere -Hydrosphere

-ocean: the most prominent feature of the hydrosphere -nearly 71 percent of earth's surface -about 97 percent of earth's water -fresh water found in streams, lake, glaciers -nearly 69% of earth's fresh water is locked up in glaciers

Interaction between land (lithosphere??) , ocean (hydrosphere??) , biosphere, cryosphere:

-pollute atmosphere -impact natural resources -climate & cause frequent natural hazards *such interaction leads to degradation environment & depletion of resources, raise question of sustainability

Impact of population growth

-poor air quality -earth's resources -ground water -carrying capacity of planet

Hydrosphere

-totality of earth's water -oceans, lakes, streams, snow, and ice -permanently frozen parts of the hydrosphere are collectively the cryosphere -hydropsphere and atmosphere store, purify, and continually redistribute water

How science works

1. discard hypothesis 2.make new observations 3. investigation and or experiments 4.form hypothesis to explain observations 5. test hypothesis 6. multiple tests by many scientists support hypothesis 7. hypothesis becomes a theory

2 important implications of earth being a closed systems are ....

1. the amount of matter in a closed system is fixed and finite 2. if changes are made in one part of a closed system, the results of those changes eventually will affect other parts of the system

Albedo of snow/ice/glacier

1.0

Earth is ___ years old

4.5 billion

____ billions of earth system ____ + billion years with biosphere

4.6 3.8

pH < 7

Acidic = not good for swimming or for marine life

When dust and smoke covers the snow/glaciers:

Albedo decreases

pH > 7.0

Basic = good for swimming and for marine life

Earth

Dynamic body with many separate highly interaction parts of spheres

Earth system science studies :

Earth as system composed of numerous parts (subsystems)

Earth system science .. GIS:

Geographic Information Systems provides ways for scientists to store and analyze vast amounts of data

Globe:

Land:30% Ocean: 70% Atmosphere: linkage between land & ocean

system

by observing and measuring changes, systems can be used to study complex problems

earth system science seeks to understand ...

interacting components of the earth system -atmosphere, anthrosphere, hydrosphere,biosphere, geosphere

conditions favorable for life are created by ...

interactions between lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, and modified by the biosphere

pH = 7

neutral

Earth system science requires...

observations of earth at various scales

Life zone

place/narrow zone where earth's four reservoirs interact most intensively

Sun radiates maximum energy in ...

shorter wavelengths (visible wavelength) -earth radiates longer wavelength why? - because of temperature?

reduction of albedo values will absorb more _______________, so consequences are melting of snow/glaciers

sun radiation

earth system science

the new holistic approach to studying the earth as a whole system of many interacting parts -ocean -atmosphere -continents -lakes and rivers -soils -plants -animals

earth system science is

the tool of making these observations is remote sensing with satellites

cosmosphere

the universe surrounding the earth system

lava comes from ...

thin layer under lithosphere

rocks

-exist the crust and on surface of earth -families and classification

snow/glaciers are melting because...

-human activities --> pollution -snow/glaciers have high albedo

system

any portion of the universe that can be isolated from the rest for the purpose of observing and measuring changes

with increasing human activities, albedo values of the snow/glaciers are _________________________, as a result albedo values decrease

blanket with dust and black carbon

minerals

- building blocks of geosphere (+ rocks) -

earth systems of systems

- lithosphere - hydrosphere -cryosphere - atmosphere - biosphere -such interactions lead to the degradation of environment and depletion of resources, raise question of sustainability

anthroposphere

-"human sphere" -comprises people, their interests, their impacts on earth systems -the part of the natural system that has been modified by humans -includes technosphere, specifically to technology, machines, and the built enviornment

Early evolution of earth Formation of earth's layered structure

-As earth formed, the decay of radioactive elements and heart from high-velocity impacts caused the temperature to increase -iron and nickel began to melt and sink toward the center -lighter rocky components floated outward, toward the surface -gaseous material escaped from earth's interior to produce the primitive atmosphere

Earth comprises four vast reservoirs with constant flows of energy and matter among them

-atmosphere -hydrosphere -biosphere -geosphere *As a whole, earth is essentially a closed system

earth is dynamic, how can we monitor its dynamic nature?

-balloon -airborne system -ships -buoys -GPS -Seismographs -satellites/rockets -iPhones

geosphere

-composed mainly of rocks and regolith -where energy that comes into the earth system from outside sources meets energy that comes from within the planet -energy sources combine and compete to build up and wear down the materials of earth's surface

Pollution starts

When baby is born