Introduction to Earth & Environmental Science Or, How The Earth Works

What is Science? Science is a process that uses observations and investigation to gain knowledge about events in nature. Life Science: focuses on livings things Earth Science: focuses on Earth & Space Physical Science: focuses on matter and energy; comprised of 2 main areas: Chemistry and Physics

Earth Science There are _five_ major areas in Earth Science. Astronomy_ is the study of space. The study of Earth’s surface, materials, and processes is _Geology_. _Oceanography__ is the study of the Earth’s oceans. _Meterology_ is the study of the Earth’s atmosphere. Ecology is the study of organisms relationships to one another and their physical environment

Astronomy Astronomy is the study of objects beyond Earth’s atmosphere. We will discuss Earth’s interactions with the Sun and role in the Universe.

Geology Here we tackle a variety of topics including plate tectonics, rock types, volcanoes, earthquakes, faults and folds, soil, erosion, and mountains.

Meteorology Here we will take a look at types of precipitation, storms (hurricanes/ tornadoes), weather fronts, pressure systems, and weather maps.

Oceanography We will explore our four major oceans, the properties of seawater, ocean floor and coastline features, ocean sediments, and major ocean currents.

Earth Systems Scientists who study Earth have identified four main Earth systems: You are standing on the _litho_sphere. You are breathing in part of the _atmo_sphere. If you went to the beach or canoed down the Cape Fear River you were visiting the _hydrosphere. And you and all the other living things on earth make up the _biosphere.

Earth Systems Earth’s lithosphere is the rigid outer shell of the planet and includes the crust and the solid, uppermost part of the layer below the crust, the mantle.

Earth’s Structure

Earth Systems The hydrosphere consists of the water in Earth’s oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, ground, glaciers, AND the water in the atmosphere. ~97 percent of Earth’s water exists as salt water; the remaining 3 percent is freshwater contained in glaciers, the atmosphere, and in fresh bodies of water.

Earth Systems The atmosphere is the blanket of gases that surrounds our planet. Earth’s atmosphere is necessary for respiration by most living things Protects Earth’s inhabitants from harmful radiation from the Sun, and… Helps to keep the planet at a temperature suitable for life.

Earth Systems The biosphere includes all organisms on Earth as well as the environments in which they live. With some exceptions, most organisms exist within a few meters of Earth’s surface.

Butterfly Effect “One could not pluck a flower without troubling a star.” -  Francis Thompson Idea of interconnectedness of life like a spider web-everything is intertwined and depends on everything else Just like the “web of life”, the different systems of the Earth are complex and dependent upon one another for survival.

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