Earth and Life

Science
Shiella Marie A. Ganiban, MT-II
Subject Teacher
 Earth Science
• Earth Science is the study of our
Earth, its life-supporting
properties, materials, and
geologic process occurring in its
layers; and important natural
changes in its over-all
environment.
• It is interrelated with other
sciences: geology, oceanography,
meteorology, and astronomy.
• Geology is the study of the materials and
processes that operate beneath and upon
the Earth’s surface.
• Oceanography is the study of the
composition and movements of seawater,
as well as coastal processes, seafloor
topography, and marine life.
• Meteorology deals with the study of the
atmosphere and the elements that
produce weather and climate.
• Astronomy is the study of the universe,
our planet’s origin, and the members of
the solar system.
• Earth Science likewise requires an
understanding and application of
knowledge and principles from physics,
chemistry, and biology.
• The study of Earth Science develops an
understanding of the earth’s structure,
composition, and natural processes that
form a significant part of one’s
environment.
Origin and
Structure of the
Earth – Planet
Earth
 Origin and Structure of the Earth-
Planet Earth

• Earth is the only planet in the solar system

known to harbor life.
• Our planet has a molten nickel-iron core which
gave rise to an extensive magnetic field, which,
along with the atmosphere, shields us from
harmful radiation coming from the Sun
 The Earth is comprised of four
Earth: The major subsystems.

Four These subsystems are also called

the “spheres of the Earth.”
Subsystems
They are atmosphere, geosphere,
hydrosphere, and biosphere.
Atmosphere
• The word atmosphere comes from the Greek roots atmos which means gas,
and sphaira which means globe or ball. The atmosphere makes up of all the
gases on Earth. It extends outward about 10 000 km from the surface of the
Earth. It is composed of 78.1% nitrogen, 20.9% oxygen, 0.9% argon, 350 ppm
carbon dioxide, and other components.
• The atmosphere has different layers – troposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.
• The troposphere extends to about 14.5 km above the Earth's surface. It is the
lowest layer where the weather forms.
• The stratosphere is found 14.5 to 50 km above the Earth's surface. The ozone
layer that protects the Earth from the Sun's harmful UV radiation is found in
this layer.
• The mesosphere extends from 50 to 85 km above the Earth's surface. It
protects the Earth from the impact of space debris.
• The thermosphere is found 85 to 600 km above the Earth's surface. It has
charged particles that are affected by the Earth's magnetic field. The particles
create the Auroras or Northern and Southern lights.
• The exosphere is the farthest layer. It extends to about 10 000 km above the
Earth's surface.
Earth’s Atmosphere
 Different
layers of
atmosphere
Geosphere

• Geo is a Greek root which means ground.

• Geosphere includes all the soil, rocks, and minerals
present in the crust to the core of the Earth. It is
divided into three layers namely crust, mantle, and
core.
• The crust is the outermost layer of the geosphere.
• It is made mostly of silicate materials. There are two
different types of crust, the oceanic and continental
crusts.
• The thin oceanic crust that lies beneath the oceanic
floors is about 5 to 10 km thick. On the other hand, the
thicker continental crust that makes up the continents
is about 15 to 70 km thick.
Three layers of
geosphere
The Earth can also be divided into 5 layers based
on physical properties
• Lithosphere

• Asthenosphere

• Mesosphere (mantle)

• Outer core

• Inner core
 • has a radius of 3400 km, is
the innermost layer of the
Earth.
• It is made up of iron and
nickel.
The core • It is the source of internal
heat because it contains
radioactive materials that
release energy as they
decay into more stable
substances.
• The difference between the state of
matter of the inner and outer core is
due to the very high pressure in the
inner core, increasing the melting
points of the metals.
• Scientists believed that the inner core
rotates opposite to the direction of the
flow of the outer core, creating an
effect that influences the Earth’s
magnetic field.
 Hydrosphere
• Hydro is a Greek root which means water. Hydrosphere is composed of
all the water on Earth in any form: water vapor, liquid water, and ice. It is
comprised of 97.5% saltwater and 2.5% freshwater. It includes all bodies
of water such as oceans, lakes, rivers, and marshes. Clouds and rain are
also part of the hydrosphere.
• The water on Earth is constantly moving. It moves through the oceans in
currents. Warm waters in the tropics move toward the poles while cold
water from the polar regions move toward the tropics. Water also flows
into streams and rivers and through the rocks underground. It can also
move from the Earth’s surface to the air by evaporation and then fall
back to Earth as precipitation. It even moves into and out of the bodies
of organisms.
Biosphere
• Bio is a Greek root that means life. The biosphere is comprised
of all living things. It includes all microbes, plants, and animals.
It extends to the upper areas of the atmosphere where insects
and birds can be found. It also reaches the deep parts of the
oceans where marine organisms can still survive.
• Organisms interact with the other spheres to survive. Many
organisms need oxygen and carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere to carry out life processes. Water, which comprises
the hydrosphere, is also important to organisms. Finally, the
rocks, soil, and minerals constitute the geosphere also support
life.
Earth: A Habitable Planet
Factors that make a planet habitable
Factors that make a planet habitable
 Origin and Structure of the Earth-
Planet Earth

• Earth is the only place in the known universe

confirmed to host life and is the only one known
for sure to have liquid water in the surface.
• These are reasons why planet earth is a unique
one: (1) It has liquid water; (2) Plate Tectonics;
and (3) It has atmosphere that shelters it from
the worst of the sun’s rays.
 Origin and Structure of the Earth-
Planet Earth
• Earth is the only planet in the solar system that
has a large amount of liquid water.
• About 70% of the surface of the Earth is covered
by liquid or frozen water. Because of this, Earth
is sometimes called “blue planet.”
• Planet Earth is habitable because it has the right
distance from the sun. It is kept warm by an
insulating atmosphere, and it has the right
chemical ingredients for life including water and
carbon. It can provide water, oxygen, useful
biological products for human, and has suitable
weather and climate.
Origin and Structure of the Earth-
Planet Earth
• Earth, Venus, and Mars may have
similarities:
• (1) They all are terrestrial planets, made
of solid rocks and silicates; (2) They all
have an atmosphere;
• (3) They all almost have the same time to
rotate on their axes;
• (4) Earth and Mars both have water; (5)
They all have carbon dioxide; and (6 All
have landforms.
• Earth, Venus, and Mars have differences:
• (1) Venus has no water;
• (2) Venus and Mars don’t have oxygen;
and
• (3) Earth has life forms.
How is planet Earth similar and different from Venus and Mars?
Origin and Structure of the
Earth – The Subsystem
 Origin and
Structure of
• Earth is sometimes called the “water
the Earth – planet” or the “blue planet” because seas
The cover more than two-thirds of its
Subsystem surface.
• Earth is the only planet or moon in the
solar system with rain that falls from
clouds, runs over the land, and collects
in extensive oceans.
• It is also the only body we know that
supports life.
Subsystems of the Earth
1. Atmosphere – 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 oxygen,
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.
Subsystems of the Earth
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Hydrosphere – 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.
 How does matter and energy
flow across the four
subsystems of the Earth?
• Earth is a complex system made up of
many smaller systems through which
matter and energy are continuously
cycled.
• Energy and matter flow through Earth’s
spheres: geosphere, hydrosphere,
atmosphere, and biosphere.
• Energy flows through the atmosphere
mostly by convection.
 How does matter and energy
flow across the four
subsystems of the Earth?
• The Earth consists of four subsystems,
across whose boundaries matter and energy
flows, the atmosphere (air), biosphere (living
things), hydrosphere (water), and geosphere
(land).
• The atmosphere provides the geosphere with
heat and energy needed for rock breakdown
and erosion.
• The biosphere receives gases, heat, and
sunlight (energy) from the atmosphere.
• It receives water from the hydrosphere and a
living medium from the geosphere.
 How does
matter and
energy flow
across the four
subsystems of
the Earth?