1. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Geosphere – solid part of Earth (rock, soil)
Composition of Earth
crust
mantle
core

2. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Earth’s layers
lithosphere – outer layer
asthenosphere – rock that flows very slowly
mesosphere – lower layer of mantle
outer core – shell of core
inner core – solid nickel and iron
Volcanoes – mountain built from melted rock, most of Earth’s active land volcanoes are located around the Pacific Rim.

3. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Volcanoes – mountain built from melted rock, most of Earth’s active land volcanoes are located around the Pacific Rim.
Local effects = loss of life, damage to surrounding areas, ash, mudslides, poisonous gases.
Global effects = climatic cooling due to reduced sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface.

4. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Earthquakes – vibrations of the Earth’s crust, measured using the Richter scale.
Majority take place at or near tectonic plate boundaries. **

5. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Atmosphere – 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen
Layers
thermosphere – topmost layer
mesosphere – coldest layer
stratosphere – ozone layer
troposphere – most weather occurs here
Ozone = O3, tri-atomic, protects Earth’s surface organisms from sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.

6. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Atmospheric Energy
radiation – transfer of energy through space
conduction – flow of heat from a warmer
object to a colder object when touching
convection – air/liquid moving in a circular
path as it is heated and cooled
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including water vapor, trap radiated heat and help maintain surface air temperature.

7. Environmental Science – Chapter 3**
Biosphere – narrow layer around Earth’s surface in which life can exist.
Hydrosphere – all water on or near Earth’s surface
Water cycle – continuous movement of water into air, onto land, and then back to water sources.
Condensation – water vapor that forms droplets on dust particles

8. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
World Ocean – cover over 70% of Earth’s surface
Pacific Ocean (largest)
Atlantic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Thermocline – boundary between warm and cold water in an ocean or lake
Deep zone – layer of the ocean extending from the base of the thermocline to the ocean bottom.

9. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Surface currents in the ocean can influence climates of land areas they flow past because they carry warmer or colder water great distances.
Currents at the surface of the ocean are driven by wind.
Pack ice forms when frozen seawater is driven together by wind and waves.

10. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Organisms that live deep in the ocean feed on dead plants and animals that drift down from the surface.
Oceans regulate Earth’s climate by absorbing solar energy and releasing it slowly as heat. Land cannot absorb nearly as much and releases heat quickly.

11. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Fresh water – 3% of all Earth’s water, but most is locked up in icecaps and glaciers.
Aquifer – a rock layer that stores and allows the flow of ground water.
Recharge zone – land surface area where water enters an aquifer.

12. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Closed system for matter – Earth, for the most part, has received all of the matter it is ever going to receive.
Open system for energy – solar energy enters and heat leaves.
Solar energy allows life processes to continuously recycle needed materials such as food and water.

13. Environmental Science – Chapter 3
Earth’s support for the existence of life
-favorable surface temperatures
-presence of liquid water
-oxygen rich atmosphere