Exploring

the Earth
TWO MAJOR REQUIREMENTS:
1. The star should survive long
enough for its planet to develop life.

• Massive stars - have the least possibility

to have habitable planets since they can
only live for a relatively short period

- medium-mass star which can survive

long enough for life to develop
TWO MAJOR REQUIREMENTS:
2. The planet should exist in a region
where water could remain liquid.

- this entails that the planet must be

located in the Goldilocks Zone.
EARTH SYSTEM
REFERS TO EARTH'S INTERACTING
PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL
PROCESSES
The system consists of the land, oceans, atmosphere,
and poles. It includes the planet's natural cycles and
deep Earth processes. Life too is an integral part of
the Earth system.
 “Hydro” is a Greek root
which means water.

It is the liquid component of the

Earth.
Water in the hydrosphere can be in
different forms:

• liquid (like in rivers)

• solid (like ice in glaciers)
• gas (like water vapor in the air)
• oceans, glacial waters, and
freshwater bodies
- cover 71% of the
earth’s surface

• saltwater - 97.5% of the

water on Earth
• freshwater - 2.5%
Distribution of Freshwater

Glacier and Ice Caps: Surface Water: Groundwater:

About 68.7% of all A small amount of freshwater About 30.1% of freshwater is
freshwater is frozen in (about 1.2%) is found in rivers, found underground. This water
glaciers and ice caps, lakes, and wetlands. This is the is stored in spaces between
mostly in Antarctica and most easily accessible water for rocks and soil and can be
Greenland. humans and wildlife. accessed through wells.
 ALSO KNOWN AS THE WATER CYCLE
It is a way of describing the material flow of water
throughout the Earth. This series of steps describes how
water moves across the Earth and changes form.

PROCESS:
• Evaporation
• Condensation
• Precipitation
• Infiltration
• Transpiration
• Runoff
Liquid water is attained on Earth
because Earth has a right
temperature to maintain its
liquid phase.

The right amount of water is

given by the sun during daytime
a n d r e t a i n e d b y E a r t h ’s
atmosphere during nighttime.
The atmosphere refers to the layer of gases
that surrounds the Earth.

The word atmosphere comes from the Greek

roots " which means gas, and
which means globe or ball.
 It contains substances
essential for life.
It consists mainly of nitrogen and • 78% Nitrogen
oxygen, along with small amounts of
• 21% Oxygen
other gases.
• 0.93% Argon
• 0.04% water vapor
The atmosphere provides vital including all other
protection, regulates temperature,
gases.
and supports weather and climate
systems.
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
 The troposphere is the lowest layer of
Earth's atmosphere, extending from the
Earth's surface up to an average altitude
of about 12 kilometers.

It is the layer where weather occurs,

and it is where we live and breathe.

Hot air balloons and airplanes fly within

the troposphere because it provides the
necessary conditions for safe and
efficient air travel.
 y er
a
o n eL
Oz
The stratosphere is the layer of

Layer
Earth's atmosphere located above the
troposphere. It extends roughly from
an altitude of about 12 kilometers to 50
kilometers above the Earth's surface.

Ozone
The stratosphere is also
ozone layer, which shields the Earth
from harmful UV radiation.

y er
Radiosondes can collect data and travel

La
up to the lower part of the

n e
stratosphere.

zo
O
 It extends approximately from an
altitude of about 50 kilometers to 85
kilometers above the Earth's surface.

The mesosphere is characterized by

thin air and low atmospheric pressure.
It is also the layer where meteors burn
up upon entry into the Earth's
atmosphere, creating the visual
phenomenon known as shooting stars.
 It begins approximately at an altitude
of 85 kilometers and has no clearly
defined upper boundary. The
thermosphere is primarily composed of
individual gas molecules, such as oxygen
and nitrogen, rather than molecular
combinations.

The thermosphere is also where the

auroras, such as the Northern Lights
and Southern Lights, occur.
The exosphere is the outermost layer
of Earth's atmosphere. It is the
uppermost region of the atmosphere
and gradually transitions into the
vacuum of space.

The exosphere is where satellites and

other human-made objects in Earth's
orbit are found.
Satellites are strategically placed in
orbit within the exosphere to perform
their various functions.
"Geo" is a Greek root which
means ground.

The geosphere is the part of Earth

that includes all the rocks, minerals,
landforms, and the ground beneath
our feet. It includes mountains,
valleys, and all types of soil.
These are the layers
of the Earth.
A. Crust (thickness is around 0-60 km)

The Earth's outermost layer is known as

the crust.
The crust is made of relatively light
elements, especially silica, aluminum and
oxygen.
 B. Mantle
(thickness is approximately 2,900 km)

• mainly made up of semi-molten

rock
• the rock is hard in the upper part of
the mantle, but lower down the
rock is softer and begins to melt
 C. Outer Core
• similar to a very hot ball of
metals, whose temperature is
around 4000 oF to 9000 oF
It is composed of liquid iron and
nickel.
 D. Inner Core

• the centre, the deepest, and

the hottest layer of the Earth
• made up of solid iron and
nickel

The inner core has pressures and temperatures so high

that the metals are squeezed together and not able to
move like a liquid but are forced to vibrate instead of
solid.
 EDUARD SEUSS
Geologist who coined the word
"Biosphere" in 1875.

"Bio" is a Greek root that means life.

This is the living sphere of the earth.

 This contains all living organisms.
It compels us to interact with other
living organisms with the influence
of the abiotic factors in the system.

It is intimately related to the other

three spheres: Living organisms also
require a medium for life and are
adapted to inhabit one or more of the
other three spheres.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
It is the process by
which plants absorb
sunlight and turn that
energy into food.
 HOW THE EARTH’S SUBSYSTEMS
INTERACT

These subsystems are interconnected by processes and cycles, which, over

time, intermittently store, transform and/or transfer matter and energy
throughout the whole Earth system in ways that are governed by the laws of
conservation of matter and energy.
Atmosphere and Hydrosphere Interact

Evaporation and Weather: Cloud Formation: Weather Patterns:

When water evaporates, it Clouds form when water The movement of water
adds water vapor to the vapor condenses in the between the hydrosphere
atmosphere. This water atmosphere. The type of and atmosphere helps create
vapor can later form clouds cloud can affect the kind of different weather conditions
and precipitation, affecting weather we experience, like around the world.
weather patterns. sunny, rainy, or snowy days.
 Geosphere and Biosphere
Interact

Plants and Soil: Animal Habitats: Erosion and Landforms:

Plants grow in the soil, which is Animals use the land for their Animals and plants can change
part of the geosphere. They homes. For example, rabbits the land. For example, tree roots
take nutrients from the soil to dig burrows in the ground, can break rocks apart, and
grow. Without soil, many plants and birds build nests in trees animals like beavers build dams
wouldn’t have a place to grow. that grow in the soil. that can create new ponds.
 HOW THE EARTH’S SUBSYSTEMS
INTERACT

PROCESSES: CYCLES:
• evaporation • rock cycle
• erosion • food chain
• convection currents • carbon cycle
• photosynthesis • nitrogen cycle
• weathering • energy cycles
 THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
The parts of the Earth system are often described as "spheres".

• Martin Ruzek notes that,

“the difficulty with any representation that

divides the system is the danger of continuing
a deconstructed perception of the holistic
Earth system - in reality no part of the Earth
system can be considered in isolation from any
other part.”