Planet Earth:
The Big Picture: “4
spheres”
Planet Earth:
The Earth’s Spheres:

Atmosphere:
The Earth’s Spheres:

Atmosphere: A mass of gas surrounding
a planet or other celestial body and
held in place by gravity.
The Earth’s Spheres:

Atmosphere: A mass of gas surrounding
a planet or other celestial body and
held in place by gravity.

Mostly Nitrogen (N) and Oxygen (O)
Composition of
Atmosphere


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
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Nitrogen - 78%
Oxygen - 21%
Water Vapor – 0 to 4%
Carbon Dioxide - .037%
Other gases make up the rest
The Earth’s Spheres:


Atmosphere: A mass of gas surrounding a planet or other celestial
body and held in place by gravity.

Mostly Nitrogen (N) and Oxygen (O)
Hydrosphere:
The Earth’s Spheres:


Atmosphere: A mass of gas surrounding a planet or other celestial
body and held in place by gravity.

Mostly Nitrogen (N) and Oxygen (O)
Hydrosphere: All water located
on the Earth, in the Earth, and in
the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Earth’s Spheres:


Atmosphere: A mass of gas surrounding a planet or other celestial
body and held in place by gravity.

Mostly Nitrogen (N) and Oxygen (O)
Hydrosphere: All water located on the
Earth, in the Earth, and in the Earth’s
atmosphere.

The water cycle.
The Earth’s Spheres:

Lithosphere:
The Earth’s Spheres:

Lithosphere: The land on Earth. The
upper layer of solid Earth.
The Earth’s Spheres:

Lithosphere: The land on Earth. The
upper layer of solid Earth.

Includes ocean bedrock and lake and river
beds.
The Earth’s Spheres:


Lithosphere: The land on Earth. The upper layer of solid Earth.

Includes ocean bedrock and lake and river beds.
Biosphere:
The Earth’s Spheres:


Lithosphere: The land on Earth. The upper layer of solid Earth.

Includes ocean bedrock, lake and river beds.
Biosphere: All forms of life on our
planet.
Interconnectedness:
Hydrosphere
Carbon Dioxide
Oxygen
Biosphere
Lithosphere
Atmosphere
Biosphere:

What makes up the biosphere?

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Bacteria
Protists
Fungi
Plants
Animals
Look Familiar?
Biosphere:

Where would you find the biosphere?



In the lithosphere. (worms, plant roots,
etc)
In the atmosphere. (birds, trees, etc)
In the hydrosphere. (fish, water plants,
etc)
Hydrosphere:

Where would you find the hydrosphere?


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Oceans
Marshes
Freshwater (lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, puddles,
etc.)
Glaciers and polar caps as frozen hydrosphere
Ground water (under part of the lithosphere)
Atmospheric water (clouds, water vapor, all
precipitation)
Hydrosphere:

How does water move on our planet?

The water cycle
Layers of the Atmosphere

Troposphere

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The troposphere starts at the Earth's
surface and extends to about 9 miles high.
Almost all weather is in this region.
Temperature decreases with height.
Stratosphere

Air temperature increases with height due
to the sunlight absorption from the Ozone
Layer. (average -60°F (-51°C) at tropopause to a
maximum of about 5°F (-15°C) at the top of the
stratosphere.)
Atmosphere

Mesosphere

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Air thin, pressure low, very cold near top of
layer. (the gases in the mesosphere are still thick
enough to slow down meteors hurtling into the
atmosphere, where they burn up, leaving fiery
trails in the night sky. )
Thermosphere

“Hot Layer” – oxygen molecules absorb
energy from solar Rays warming the air.
Very few atoms and molecules in this
region.
Atmosphere

Exosphere

Very high up, the Earth's atmosphere
becomes very thin. The region where
atoms and molecules escape into
space.
Excellent!
The
Monkeys
Smell
Tropical


http://vimeo.com/29568236
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