1. BRANCHES OF EARTH SCIENCE
Close your eyes and imagine you are at your favorite vacation spot or just your favorite place outdoors. Look around in your favorite spot and identify 5 naturally occurring things(Ex: Sun, trees, flowers, water clouds, etc) List and describe specifically what each of these things look like.

2. THE NATURE OF EARTH SCIENCE
Earth Science is very broad, but can be broken down into 4 major branches of specialization:
1. Astronomy
2. Meteorology
3. Geology
4. Oceanography

3. ASTRONOMY The study of objects beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Astronomers study the 
Universe
Everything in the universe
Earth, its neighbors and other bodies in the Universe

4. METEOROLOGY
Meteorology is the specialization concerned with studying the air that surrounds our planet.
Meteorologists
study the Forces and processes that cause the atmosphere to change to produce weather
Predict the weather and how changes might affect the Earth’s climate.

5. GEOLOGY
The study of the materials that make up the Earth and the processes that form and change these materials.
Geologists
Identify rocks
Study glacial movements
Interpret clues to Earth’s History
Determine how forces change our planet

6. OCEANOGRAPHY The study of Earth’s Oceans which cover ¾ of our planet.
Oceanographers study
Creatures that inhabit salty water
Different physical and chemical properties of the oceans
Processes in the oceans
Effects of humans on saltwater bodies

7. Lithosphere Hydrosphere Atmosphere Biosphere
THE 4 EARTH SYSTEMS
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Biosphere

8. Lithosphere- The crust and the upper portion of the mantle

9. Hydrosphere- All of the Earth's water, including surface water (water in oceans, lakes, and rivers), groundwater (water in soil and beneath the Earth's surface), snowcover, ice, and water in the atmosphere, including water vapor

10. HYDROSPHERE
97% salt water 3% fresh water ¾ fresh water in glaciers and icebergs

11. Atmosphere - The blanket of gas on the surface of a planet or satellite

12. 78% Nitrogen 21% oxygen 1% all other gasses

13. Biosphere - The parts of the land, sea, and atmosphere in which organisms are able to live

14. None of the Earth’s systems are independent, that is they are INTERDEPENDENT.