7/4/2011

Science of the Environment

EARTH FACTS
 Age: 4600 million years old
 Tilt of axis: 23 degrees 27 seconds
 Diameters at the Poles: 12, 713 km
 Diameter at equator: 12, 726 km
 Volume : 1 x 10 12 cubic km
 Mass: 5.9 x 10 21 tonnes
 Temperature at center: 5000 oC
 Maximum surface temp : 58 oC
 Minimum surface temp: -89 oC

ATMOSPHERE

BIOSPHERE LITHOSPHERE

HYDROSPHERE

ATMOSPHERE
LITHOSPHERE
HYDROSPHERE
BIOSPHERE -- The
- The thin
- part
Thepart
of oflayer
waters
the the surrounding
of the
Earth
Earth’s surface
consisting
surface of the
the Earth
ofEarth
includingthe that
itsoceanic
andcontains
including
continental
atmosphererivers,crusts
oceans,
ingases
which andlakes,
vital thelife
to
organisms upper
glaciers,
andmantle,
exists aquifers
shields
and extending
forms and
the sea
to ice
theEarth
global a from
depth
of about 100 km
ecosystem
harmful solar radiation

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Biospher e

Ecosystems

• The part of the planet earth in which life can

be found is called the biosphere
• The biosphere is divided into smaller units
called ECOSYSTEMS

Organizational Hierarchy

Click here for More detailed hierarchy from the Milky Way to Quarks of Protons

Communities
Ecosystems
Populations
Biosphere
Species

Subatomic
Organisms
Particles

Atoms Cells
Molecules

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Biotic/Abiotic ecosystems

• The part of the planet earth in which life can

be found is called the biosphere
• The biosphere is divided into smaller units
called ECOSYSTEMS
• An ecosystem consists of a living
community of plants and animals (biotic)
and the physical environment in which they
live (abiotic)