Hydrosphere and Lithosphere

Earth System (4 physical systems)

• Atmosphere– Layer of gases that surround Earth. Allows you to

breathe and protects earth.

• Lithosphere – Surface of the planet that forms the continents

and the ocean floor.

Earth System (4 physical systems)

• Hydrosphere– All the water on Earth (ocean, ice, and water

vapor in the atmosphere)

• Biosphere– Part of Earth where life exists.

Lithosphere

Hydrosphere Atmosphere

Biosphere

OCEANOGRAPHY

GEOLOGYMETEOROLOGY

ASTRONOMY

Ocean, Continents, and Atmosphere Formation

• All formed because of one major source:

THE EARTH’S HYDROSPHERE• The Earth’s liquid water constitutes the

hydrosphere. • The vast majority of Earth’s water is in the oceans

(salt water), with smaller, but geologically important, quantities of fresh water in lakes, rivers, and ground water.

• the total mass of Earth’s water is about 300 times the mass of the atmosphere.

• Without water, which facilitates the formation of carbonate rock, the atmospheric content of CO2 would be far higher than it is.

Distribution of Water on Earth

The Hydrologic Cycle

Echo Sounders for Measuring Ocean Depths and Floor Profiles

Ocean Facts

•The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the four main oceans •The Atlantic Ocean is the busiest. Many ships cross the Atlantic, carrying cargo between the Americas, Africa, and Europe •The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and coldest •The average temperature of all oceans is about 39 degrees F (3.8 degrees C)

•Oceans are always moving•Tides change twice a day, all over the world, as the oceans rise and fall along the shoreline. Scientists think this is caused by the pull of the sun and moon on our earth•Coral Reefs are vast, rocky areas located in shallow, tropical waters. They are like the tropical rain forest of the ocean! The greatest variety of plant and animal life in the ocean live there. Coral reefs are formed from the bodies of small sea creatures called polyps•The world's oceans contain nearly 20 million tons of gold

The World’s Ocean Floors

Production of Tsunami Waves by Earthquakes

“Black Smoker” Under-Sea Volcanic Activity

• Under-sea volcanic activity gives rise to high-temperature plumes of water, containing particles of igneous rock that give rise to the appearance of black smoke.

• The boiling point of water under the high pressures on the ocean floor can be considerably higher than at the surface; hence the temperatures of the volcanic plumes can be much higher as well.

• It has been discovered that some species of animal life thrive on the environment of these “black smokers”, including their very high temperatures.

THE EARTH’S LITHOSPHERE

• Inner Core – 1200 km made of solid Fe, Ni.

• Outer Core – 2250 km made of liquid Fe, Ni.

• Mantle – 2900 km made of dense rocks.

• Crust – 5 – 40 km made of solid lighter rocks.

Lithosphere (Crust and MOHO) – 100km thick.

MOHO = Mohorovicic Discontinuity

Lithosphere and the solid earth: the solid earth lies beneath the atmosphere and the oceans and composes 29% of the earth's surface. It is divided into several distinct units or layers:

– lithosphere or crust: two (2) types of crust: oceanic and continental with basic differencesOceanicOceanic crust is thinner, denser, and usually darker in

colorContinentalContinental crust is lighter in weight, less dense, light in

color, and tends to float over oceanic crust– mantle: beneath the crust; houses molten rock material

called magma– outer core: composed of liquid iron and nickel; very dense

material– inner core: composed of solid iron and nickel; extremely

dense material

The Crust• This is where we live!

• The Earth’s crust is made of:

Continental Crust

- thick (10-70km)- buoyant (less dense than oceanic crust) - mostly old

Oceanic Crust

- thin (~7 km)- dense (sinks under continental crust)- young

The seven continents:

1. Asia 2. Africa 3. North America 4. South America 5. Antarctica 6. Europe 7. Australia

http://www.mapsofworld.com/physical-map/world.htm