Lesson 2: Earth and its Characteristics Objectives: In this lesson, you will learn to: 1. Describe the characteristics of the Earth that are necessary to support life 2. Explain that the Earth consists of four subsystems, across whose boundaries matter and energy flow Origin and Structure of the Earth ‘The origin of the earth is said to be directly linked to the creation of the sun. When the sun was created, the cloud of dust and gases that were left over formed the inside of the Earth, ‘which stayed cool at 20002F. As time passed, the elements in the solid center of the earth began to decay. In the beginning, the center of the earth was composed of iron and silicates, along with materials that ‘were radioactive, These radioactive materials, as they decayed, emitted heat. Principally, these tive materials are composed of uranium, potassium, and thorium. The heat thet was released melted the silicates and iron. Since iron is heavier, it sank towards the center. This, became the Earth's core. Then, a layer of rack formed around the core. There were depressions on the surface, and these are where water from the inside of the earth accumulated. Key Characteristics of the Earth’s Structure > There are two magnetic fields in the earth which repels solar wind and protects the earth from solar radiation > The atmosphere of the earth is stratified, which means thet itis made up of | mainly nitrogen and oxygen ‘The earth is made up of a variety of minerals, melts, fluids, glasses, and volatiles, wi y "were all left behind after the solar system was created. ‘The earth has layers: a crust, a mantle, anda metallic core y % The earth can be divided into an outer lithosphere and a plastic asthenosphere. The Subsystems of the Earth ‘The earth has subsystems that consist of the geosphere (or lithosphere], hydrasphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Each of these spheres are important for the survival of animals and, plants on Earth.‘The Atmosphere ‘The atmosphere is the layer of air that surrounds the earth. it protects the earth from ‘solar rays. It also circulates the air and gases that plants and animals need in order to survive. ‘The atmosphere is divided into 6 layers according to altitude: > Exosphere: (500 km above the earth) this is where the atmosphere merges with space > Thermosphere: (90 km above the earth) this is where space shuttles orbit % Mesosphere: (50-90 km above the earth) this is where the meteors burn Stratosphere: (12-50 km above the earth) this is where the air is stable and is ‘2004 for planes and jets to fly in > Tropopause: (11-12 km above the earth) ® Troposphere: (0-11 km above the earth) itis the “mixing layer", all the weather is limited to this layer ‘The Geosphere/Lithosphere ‘The Geosphere, also known as the Lithosphere, consists of the crust, the mantle, and the core > Crust: itis the outermost “skin” of the earth and has various thicknesses. The thickest is the mountain ranges, while the thinnest is under the mid-ocean ridges. ‘The Mohorivicic discontinuity (or Moho) is the lower boundary. It ‘separates the crust from the upper mantle, twas discovered in 1909 by Andrija Moharavocic. Itis also marked bya change in velocity of seismic waves. ‘There are two types of crust: the continental crust and oceanic crust. The biosphere has existed for about 3.5 billion years > The earliest life-forms, called prokaryotes, which includes bacteria and archaea. Prokaryotes survived without oxygen. The addition of oxygen to the biosphere allowed the evolution of more complex life-forms, such as plants and animals. Bacteria evolved to decompose animals and plants. > The biosphere is thought of as a large ecosystem, that is, a complex community of living and non-living things functi 1g as a single unit.Reference: Bryson, B. (2004). Short History of Nearly Everything. Broadway Books. USGS. (n.d.) Inside the earth, Retrieved from: http://oubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/inside html National Geographic Society, Hydrosphere. Retrieved from: itt p://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/hydrospher a, National Geographic Society, Biosphere. Retrieved from: htto://nationalgeosraphhic.org/encyclopedia/bios phere;