Earth’s Spheres, Landforms and Physical Processes

What does it all mean?

©2012, TESCCC

©2012, TESCCC

©2012, TESCCC

Earth’s Spheres

• Atmosphere: located right above the Earth’s surface and includes layers of gases (clouds, air pollution, sand storms, hurricanes, etc.)

It protects us by absorbing solar radiation.• Biosphere: life on land, rivers and oceans (Biomes)

deserts, forests, grasslands• Hydrosphere: water in liquid and solid state (oceans,

glaciers, snow, lakes, rivers, etc.)• Lithosphere: solids of the Earth (rocks, soils,

landforms, etc.)©2012, TESCCC

Insert Images for each of the spheres

©2012, TESCCC

Plate Tectonics: View direction of the arrows showing movement of the plates. What can you deduce from this image?

©2012, TESCCC

Types of Boundaries

A DIVERGENTboundary is a boundary where two tectonic plates are moving away from one another. This most often takes place at ocean ridges.

A CONVERGENT boundary is when plate tectonics, push against each other, one is ultimately forced down beneath the other.

©2012, TESCCC

Boundaries continued

• TRANSFORM is the final type of boundary. The two plates slide against each other in a sideways motion.

©2012, TESCCC