Earth’s Surface: Unit 1

Earth’s Surface: Unit 1

The Big Idea:Continuous processes on Earth’s surface result in the formation and destruction of landforms and the formation of soil.

What on Earth?• Earth systems- all of the matter,

energy, and processes within Earth’s boundary.

http://www.eduweb.com/portfolio/earthsystems/images/print_main_icon.jpg

http://www.isws.illinois.edu/nitro/images/biggraph.jpg

Unit 1 Lesson 1 Earth’s Spheres

Geosphere• Geosphere- mostly solid,

rock part of Earth. It extends from the center to the surface of Earth.– Layers of Geosphere

a. Crustb. Mantlec. Core


Layers of the Geosphere• Crust - 5-10 km (ocean) 35-70 km (continental), made

of silicates, LEAST DENSE• Mantle-about 2900 km thick, very slow flowing, solid

rock, made of silicate minerals that are denser than the crust.

• Core- Outer : liquid layer 3500 km thick Inner: solid, dense core made of Fe & Ni

MOST DENSE

Got Water?

• Hydrosphere- liquid water including oceans, lakes, rivers, marshes, streams, swamps, ground water, rain & water droplets in clouds. – 97% of all water on Earth is the saltwater

found in oceans. – Oceans cover 71% of Earth.

http://earth.rice.edu/mtpe/hydro/hydrosphere/why_images/folsom_dam.jpg


Ice, Ice Baby• Cryosphere- made up

of all the frozen water on Earth. All the ice, sea ice, glaciers, ice shelves, icebergs, & permafrost.

http://www.earth-prints.org/image/criopic.jpg

http://www.eduweb.com/portfolio/earthsystems/cryosphere/images/bargraph.gif


http://www.earth-prints.org/handle/2122/110

What a Gas!• Atmosphere- made of invisible gases that

surround Earth. The atmosphere is about • 78% Nitrogen• 21% Oxygen• 1% many other gases (Ar, CO2, & water vapor).

http://spaceguard.rm.iasf.cnr.it/NScience/neo/images/AtmosGraph.gif


Living Together• Biosphere- made up of living

things and the areas of Earth where they are found.

http://creationwiki.org/Symbiosis

http://www.uwphoto.net/content/si/wp_large/si04-666.jpg


http://creationwiki.org/File:Clownfish_anemone.jpg

http://www.uwphoto.net/content/si/wp_large/si04-666.jpg

What’s the Matter?

• All of the five spheres of Earth interact as matter & energy change & cycle through the system. (Think of the water, nitrogen & carbon cycles)


• Trace the flow of energy through Earth’s system.

Energy Budget- formed with movement of energy through Earth’s system.

Break It Down• Weathering- breakdown of rock

material by physical and chemical processes.

Types of Weathering1. Physical2. Chemical

Unit 1 Lesson 2 Weathering

http://www.geol.umd.edu/~piccoli/10http://shetzers.com/photo-galleries-and-images/utah-pictures/0/Image67.jpg

http://shetzers.com/photo-galleries-and-images/utah-pictures/

Physical weathering• process by which rock is broken down into

smaller pieces by physical changes, but does NOT change composition.– Ice wedging (frost wedging)- crack growth– Exfoliation – Animals-mix soil, air & drainage– Plants-reason crack growth– Wind-moves sediment– Abrasion


Physical Weathering• Abrasion -breaking

down & wearing away of rock material by the mechanical action of other rocks.

Water

Wind

Gravity

http://nondot.org/sabre/pics/2001-12-16-India-Trip/2002-01-01/02%20-%20On%20the%20Road%20Again/thumbs/75%20-%20Falling%20rocks.jpg

http://schools-wikipedia.org/images/922/92219.jpg

http://www.eeo.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/field/peasebay/pebbles.jpg


Chemical Weathering• breakdown of rocks by chemical

reactions which changes composition & appearance.• Oxidation-chemicals in rock combine with oxygen in the

air or in water, sometimes indicated by color change.• Acid precipitation -occurs when strong acids fall to

Earth as rain, sleet, or snow.


http://www.photosfan.com/images/caves-stalactites-and-stalagmites.jpghttp://www.washingtonpublishers.com/YesResorts/utah.jpg

Go with the Flow

• Erosion process by which sediment & other materials are moved from one place to another.

• Deposition process by which eroded material is dropped.

http://www.chartiersgreenway.net/hydrology.htm

Unit 1 Lesson 3 Erosion & Deposition

Floodplain –flat area; fertileMeander –curves & bends Oxbow –a meander that is cut offDelta- fan shaped pattern of deposited sedimentShoreline- place where land & water meetGroundwater-water below Earth’s surface

Alluvial fan - fan shaped deposit that forms on dry landCreep -extremely slow movement of material downslope. Mudflow -rapid movement of a large mass of mud due to lots of rain

Unit 1 Lesson 4 BY Wind, Ice, & Gravity http://www.ndsu.edu/fargo_geology/mass_wasting/creep&flow.htm

Shaping the Earth• Glacial drift -general term

for all materials carried & deposited by a glacier.– Alpine glaciers- cause U

shaped valleys & rugged landscapes.

– Continental glaciers - form flat landscapes

Unit 1 Lesson 4 BY Wind, Ice, & Gravity

http://glaciers1011r1.wikispaces.com/Alpine+Glacier

http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0311164/contglac.htm

• Soil - loose mixture of rock fragments, organic matter, water, and air that can support the growth of vegetation.

• Soil profile - vertical section of soil that shows all the different layers.

• Soil horizon - Each layer in the soil profile that has different physical properties.

Unit 1 Lesson 5 Soil Formation

http://ww

w.hutton.ac.uk/research/groups/environm

ental-and-biochemical-sciences/soil-chem

istry-and-mineralogy

http://www.keywordpicture.com/keyword/chernozem%20soil%20profile/

Soil Horizons• A horizon - topmost layer of soil,

often referred to as topsoil. It contains the most humus.

• B horizon -has less humus. Water carries material from the A to the B horizon, in a process called leaching. “Zone of accumulation”

• C horizon -lies below the B horizon known as the parent material. It contains the largest rock fragments and usually no organic matter.


1. Parent rock - determines soil type2. Climate-faster in warm, wet rather cold

& dry.3. Topography- (slope of the land) faster on

flatlands4. Plants and animals- add organic

material by breaking down remains5. Time- longer it has, the better the soil


What it takes for soil to form:

Soil properties are used to classify different soils

–Soil texture –Color–Pore space–Fertility–Chemistry

(pH-acid/base)


pH scale -measure of how acidic or basic a substance is.

http://www.downsizingamerica.com/images/ph_scale.gif

•

Acids and bases are on opposite ends of a measuring tool, the pH scale. At the center of the scale is the neutral zone. This scale receives extensive use in testing soil for farmers, gardeners and environmentalists.

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Earth’s Surface: Unit 1