Chapter 1
 Earth
Science can be broken into four major
areas:
 Meteorology

Study of the air surrounding the Earth
 Geology

study of the materials that make up Earth and
the processes that form/change these materials
 Oceanography

study of Earth’s oceans
 Astronomy

Study of objects beyond Earth’s atmosphere
Table 1-1 Some Subspecialties of Earth Science
Subspecialty
Climatology
Subjects Studied
Patterns of weather over a long
period of time
Paleontology
ancient environments and remains
Hydrology
Water flow on and below Earth’s
surface
Table 1-1 Some Subspecialties of Earth Science
Subspecialty
Subjects Studied
Ecology
Interactions between organisms and
their environment
Geochemistry
Earth’s composition and the
processes that change it
Tectonics
Effects of internal processes on
Earth’s surface
1. Lithosphere


Rigid outer shell of planet
Includes crust, mantle
 Asthenosphere

Partially molten layer below
lithosphere
2. Hydrosphere

Earth’s oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, glaciers,
water in atmosphere
3. Atmosphere

Gases that surround the planet
4. Biosphere

Organisms and their environment
 In
the picture below, identify the 4 main
earth systems and any interactions among
those earth systems
Do the major
earth systems
depend upon
one another?
Why or why
not?