Earth Structure, System & Energy Flow
What is the
Earth System?
Pg 14-15
 Earth system= all parts working
in sync
 Parts of the Earth System are:
1) atmosphere= gases that
surround Earth
 meteorology=study of the
atmosphere
2) hydrosphere= H2O on Earth
 “hydro” means H2O
 Oceanography= study of the
oceans
3) Lithosphere= land on Earth—
rocks, dirt, sand
 Geology= study of the
lithosphere
4) Biosphere= life!—present in
ALL of the other spheres of
the ES
 Ecology= study of the
interaction btwn life & Earth
 Biology= study of life
What will
happen if one
of the
“spheres” is
messed with?
What are the
layers of the
Earth?
(structure)
 If u mess w/one, the others get
messed up too
 EX: storm happens in the
atmosphere which makes the
hydrosphere (ocean) have huge,
wild waves which can then erode
the lithosphere (shoreline)
 3 basic layers
**from the surface down**
 The deeper you go, temperature
& pressure increase
 The deepest man has gone is ≈
12 km or 7ish miles
1) The Crust= rocky outer “skin”
 Thicker under mtns, thinner
under oceans
 Continents are granite rock
 Oceanic crust is basalt
 Thinnest of the 3 layers
 Coldest layer
 Has living things on it
(diagram)
2) The Mantle= middle layer
 Solid hot! rock
 Lithosphere= upper mantle +
the crust; rigid/stiff,
unbending
 Asthenosphere= solid but
bendable/malleable, like a car
tire
 Mesosphere= solid, rigid,
hottest part of the mantle
 Thickest layer
3) The Core= the center ball
 Made of iron & nickel-metals!
 outer core= liquid! HOT!
 inner core=solid &
HHHOOOTTTT!!!!!
 Creates Earth’s magnetic field
4)