1. Ch. 3 – Lesson 1 Earth’s Systems
Biosphere – All living things (plants/animals)
Geosphere – All solid/rock
Hydrosphere – Water
Atmosphere - Gases

2. Lesson 1 Vocabulary
Biosphere: The earth’s system that contains all living things
Atmosphere: The mixture of gases that form a layer around Earth
Hydrosphere: System that contains all of Earth’s water
Geosphere: The solid part of Earth
Groundwater: Water that is stored in cracks and pores beneath Earth’s surface
Mineral: A naturally occurring inorganic solid that have crystal structures and definite chemical structure
Rock: A natural occurring solid composed of minerals and other materials such as organic matter.

3. 1. Define ‘atmosphere’
The atmosphere is the 5 layers of gases surrounding Earth.

4. 2. Why is the atmosphere important?
The atmosphere makes life on Earth possible.

5. 3. Examine the pie chart. 78% Nitrogen 21% Oxygen 1% Other trace gases
0.93% Argon
0.03% Carbon dioxide

6. 4. Earth’s Atmosphere Cont.
4. Water vapor & Carbon Dioxide are important gases for weather conditions & found in the troposphere.

8. TROPOSPHERE (tropo-change)
• Layer closest to Earth’s surface
• Averages 10 km in thickness
• As altitude increases temperatures decrease. (the higher the colder)
• Greatest air pressure-very dense.
• It’s where we live, planes fly, & all weather occurs.
• “Tropo” means change.
● Water vapor & carbon dioxide are found here.

9. STRATOSPHERE (strato-spread out)
Some Jets can fly here.
Weather balloons will float up into this layer.
Contains ozone layer (which absorbs harmful UV rays from the sun).
10-50 km above Earth’s surface.
Cold but gets warmer as you approach the ozone layer.

10. Click: good ozone and stratosphere vid 1min

11. What is destroying the ozone layer?
Air pollutants
CFC’s from refrigerators, air conditioners, aerosol sprays, car exhaust etc.

12. MESOSPHERE (meso-middle)
Coldest layer –
It gets colder the higher you go.
Meteors burn up here creating shooting stars.
“Meso” means middle

13. THERMOSPHERE (thermo-heat)
HOTTEST layer (over 2000*C) even though the air is thin.
Auroras happen here
Thick layer (400km)
Has low air pressure-its less dense.
“Thermo” means heat.

14. EXOSPHERE (exo-outer)
Satellites & International Space Station orbit Earth here.
Blends into cold regions of outer space
Lowest air pressure with very few gas molecules.
Thickest layer (up to 10,000 km)
“Exo” means outer.

15. The structure of Earth’s atmosphere.#
Layer
Pressure
Temperature
Depth
(km)
Notes 1
Troposphere
highest
Decreases as altitude increases
0-10
You live here.
99% water vapor/ carbon dioxide
75% of the gases
Weather happens here 2
Stratosphere
decreases
Increases
(0*C)
11-50
Ozone layer here
Jet planes 3
Mesosphere
Decreases,
Coldest layer
(-100*C)
51-85
Shooting stars 4
Thermosphere
Very hot
(over 2000*C)
86-500
Highest temperature
Thickest atmosphere
Meteors
Auroras happen here 5
Exosphere
lowest
COLD
>500
Satellites
Beyond is outer space

16. What does it mean???? Prefixes Suffix Atmo: gas sphere: ball
Exo: outer
Thermo: heat
Strato: layer
Tropo: change

17. Hydrosphere 97% Salt water (Ocean = Reservoirs) 3% Freshwater
79% Ice caps (Cryosphere)
20% Groundwater
1% Fresh Water Surface
(Rivers, Swamps, Lakes)

18. Geosphere – solid part of Earth
Made up of soil, rock, and metal
CRUST = thin brittle outer layer, found under soil of continents/under the ocean

19. Geosphere – Inner Layers
MANTLE = Middle/Largest layer; made of rock, but hotter and denser than the crust; temperature can be so high that rocks flow similar to melted plastic
CORE = made of metal iron and small amounts of nickel
Outer core = liquid (iron/nickel)
Inner core = solid iron

20. Rocks Minerals are the building blocks of rocks
A ROCK is a naturally occurring solid made of minerals and sometimes other materials such as organic matter

21. 3 TYPES OF ROCKS
Igneous: form when liquid rock cools and hardens. Liquid rock that is under the crust is called magma. When it pours out onto the Earth’s surface, it is then called lava
Sedimentary: rocks that have been placed by weathering or erosion(wind, water, etc. break rocks down into smaller pieces). Over millions of years, these layers are compressed and cemented together by extreme pressure.
Metamorphic: Form from extreme heat and pressure deep in the earth’s crust…which ends up changing their shape and size…forming new rocks. The rocks do NOT melt…they just change size.