Cycle of Matter Matter cycles through an ecosystem Water Cycle: Heat causes water to evaporate into atmosphere; water falls from atmosphere as precipitation Other forms of matter also have cycles that affect living things

Fossil Fuels Burning fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal) can release nitrogen oxide into atmosphere Nitrogen oxide causes smog and acid rain Water washes excess nitrogen oxide into bodies of water, where it can deplete oxygen levels and hurt wildlife

Fossil Fuels Other chemicals released are hydrocarbons and sulfur oxides Carbon dioxide leads to greenhouse effect and global warming Fossil Fuels are nonrenewable energy sources

Earthquakes Seismic waves caused by the release of energy in Earth’s crust Measured on Richter scale Areas prone to earthquakes have special building practices

Hurricanes A severe tropical cyclone, or low- pressure, spiral shaped thunderstorm Can cause severe rains, flooding, wind damage, high waves and storm surges Damage can be mitigated by levees (dikes)

Renewable Energy Sources Renewable energy sources will not be depleted Wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric and biomass energy are all renewable Photo: Steve Fareham

Layers of the Atmosphere Troposphere: Closest layer of the atmosphere, where most weather takes place Stratosphere: Highest level jets can reach; also contains ozone layer Mesosphere: Coldest place on Earth, too high for jets and too low for satellites Thermosphere: Very low air pressure and high temperatures, no water vapor Exosphere: Merges with space, where most satellites orbit

Global Warming Greenhouse effect: Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can trap more radiated heat from The Sun in the atmosphere Global warming could cause changes in weather, food production and ocean levels

Oceans Bodies of salt water that contain most of Earth’s water Ocean currents are large movements of water in the ocean Tides are changes in ocean level caused by the gravitational pull of The Moon Photo: Tiago Fioreze

Ocean Organisms Many organisms live in the oceans Coral reefs are structures of coral that contain some of the largest diversity of organisms Photo: Richard Ling

Interaction between Systems All systems of the Earth interact Wind and water cause weathering of rocks and ground Earth rotation and high/low air pressure causes wind

Earth’s Interior The Crust- Thin outer layer of the Earth Mantle- Solid largest layer Outer Core- Hot liquid layer Inner Core- Very dense innermost layer

Tectonic Plates Earth’s crust is made up of plates Where the plates collide mountains and rifts are formed Volcanoes and Earthquakes happen where plates are moving apart or colliding

Major Landforms Mountains Continental Shelf- raised edges of continents Ocean Basin- Deep part of oceans beyond continental shelf

Galaxies Galaxies are massive groups of stars and stellar (star-like) objects Our galaxy is the Milky Way, a spiral shaped galaxy

Stars Massive sphere of hot plasma The Sun is a star Energy released through constant nuclear reaction of hydrogen becoming helium Groups of stars are called constellations

Life of a Star Protostar: Gravitational instability causes a star to form; takes about million years Main Sequence: 90% of a star’s lifespan- spent converting hydrogen to helium Red Giant: After hydrogen is depleted, radius increases but mass decreases, begins burning helium

Life of a Star Red Supergiant: Star burns neon, silicon, carbon and oxygen Collapse: Core suddenly collapses into a white dwarf; a supernova is created and sends out a bright shockwave. Larger stars can form a black hole.

Solar System: Sun’s planets and their moons

Effects of Solar System on Earth Tides: Rising and falling ocean water caused by gravitational pull of The Moon Lunar Eclipse: Blocking of The Moon by Earth’s shadow Solar Eclipse: Blocking of The Sun by The Moon Photo: Luc Viatour

Radiometric Dating Earth is about 4.54 billion years old according to radiometric dating Radiometric dating measures the amount of decay in radioactive materials It is also used to date fossils and landforms like mountains