EARTH AND EARTH SYSTEMS

Earth as a SYSTEM
SYSTEM
à A set of interconnected
components that are
interacting to form a unified
whole.
OBJECTIVES
In this lesson, you must be able to:
1. recognize the uniqueness of earth being
the only planet in the solar system with
properties necessary to support life;
2. identify the layers of the Earth; and
3. differentiate the layers of the Earth
 EARTH
The Earth System is essentially
a CLOSED SYSTEM.
A CLOSED SYSTEM is a system in
which there is only an exchange
of heat or energy and no
exchange of matter.
EARTH
Earth is characterized by its blue waters, rocky
brown and green land masses. It is the 3rd
planet from the Sun and also the 5th largest
planet in the Solar System. It is the only known
planet that can support life. Our home planet
is special because 70% of its surface is
covered by water.
EARTH SCIENCE
à also known as GEOSCIENCE
à a comprehensive term used for all
sciences related to Earth like geology,
meteorology, oceanography,
volcanology, seismology, etc.
EARTH
Air, water, land and life are the four major systems
of Earth. Each of the system helps shape the
structure of the planet.
A system – a group of independent parts that work
together as a whole.
The biophysical components of the Earth System
are often referred to as spheres and are subdivided
into four:
Earth Systems
BIOSPHERE
à it includes all life forms on Earth
à it covers all ecosystems—a
biological community of interacting
organisms and their physical
environment.
à narrow zone that harbours life
HYDROSPHERE
à Dynamic mass of water that
is continuously moving
1. About 70% of the Earth is covered with liquid water
(hydrosphere) and much of it is in the form of ocean
water.
2. Only 3% of Earth's water is fresh: two-thirds are in the
form of ice, and the remaining one-third is present in
streams, lakes, and groundwater.
Condensation, Precipitation, Evaporation, Transpiration,
Infiltration, Surface Runoff.
ATMOSPHERE
à is the thin gaseous layer that
envelopes the lithosphere.
The present atmosphere is composed
of: 78% nitrogen (N), 21% oxygen (O2),
0.9% argon, and trace amount of other
gases.
ATMOSPHERE
à mixture of gases which provides
us with air that we breathe
à also protects us from Sun’s UV
radiation and meteors
GEOSPHERE
à the solid portion of the
Earth
à extends from the
surface to the center
of the planet, with a
depth of 6,378 km
being the largest of
the four spheres.
Earth’s lithosphere

Layers:
Composition
and
Mechanical
Characteristics
Layers of the Earth
CRUST (continental & oceanic)

MANTLE (upper & lower)

CORE (outer & inner)

Layers of the Earth
Earth has an outer
silicate solid crust, a
highly viscous mantle,
a liquid outer core
that is much less
viscous than the
mantle, and a solid
inner core.
CRUST
à it is a thin, topmost layer of the
Earth.
à the outermost layer where
energy and mineral resources
are derived.
CRUST
à It is said that the crust is divided into two layers:
sial and sima.
à The sial is the uppermost layer whose name is
derived from the two letters of the most
abundant elements found in it, silicon (Si) and
the aluminum (Al). The sima is the lower crust
made up mostly of silicon (Si) and magnesium
(Mg).
DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT COMPOSE THE EARTH’S CRUST

¡ Oxygen 46.60 ¡ Sodium 2.83

¡ Silicon 27.72 ¡ Potassium 2.59
¡ Aluminium 8.13 ¡ Magnesium 2.09
¡ Iron 5.00 ¡ Titanium 0.40
¡ Calcium 3.63 ¡ Hydrogen 0.14
CRUST
à The Earth’s crust is divided into –
continental crust and oceanic crust.
à The continental crust averages about 35
kilometers thick and exceeds 70
kilometers in mountainous regions. The
upper crust has a composition of granitic
rock.
CRUST
à The oceanic
crust is roughly 7
kilometers thick
and is composed
of the dark
igneous rock
basalt.
Lithosphere
à A lithosphere or "rocky sphere” is the rigid,
outermost shell of the Earth.
à It is composed of the crust and the
portion of the upper mantle which
constitute the hard and rigid outer layer
of the Earth. The lithosphere is subdivided
into tectonic plates.
Asthenosphere
à the lithosphere is underlain by the asthenosphere
which is the weaker, hotter, and deeper part of the
upper mantle.
à the asthenosphere (“weak sphere") is the highly
viscous, mechanically weak and ductile deforming
region of the upper mantle, that is involved in plate
tectonic movement
à with a depths between approximately 80 and
200 km (50 and 120 miles) below the surface.
Discontinuity
à In geology the word "discontinuity" is used for a
surface at which seismic waves change velocity.
à Geological discontinuity is normally recognized as
a general term to describe any mechanical break
(lacking significant tensile strength) within rock
masses, including most joints, weak bedding
planes, weakness zones and faults.
Discontinuity
à The rocks of oceanic crust and the Earth’s second
layer is a boundary called Mohorivicic discontinuity
or simply Moho, discovered by a scientist, Andrija
Mohorovicic in 1909.
MANTLE
à 84% of Earth’s volume is contained in the
mantle, a solid rocky shell that extends to
a depth of nearly 2,900 km.
à The dominant rock type in the uppermost
mantle is the peridotite, which is richer in
the metals magnesium and iron.
MANTLE
à Less dense layer
à Made up of silicate rocks, mostly made of
the elements silicon, oxygen, iron,
magnesium and aluminum.
à Earth is the only planet in our solar system
with a continually active mantle.
MANTLE
à The temperature of the mantle varies greatly,
from 1000° C near its boundary with the crust, to
3700° C near its boundary with the core.
à In the mantle, heat and pressure generally
increase with depth.
à Activity in the mantle drives plate tectonics,
contributing to volcanoes, seafloor spreading,
earthquakes, and orogeny (mountain-building)
Upper Mantle
à The upper mantle extends from the crust
to a depth of about 670 kilometers.
à The upper mantle is mostly solid, but its
more malleable regions contribute to
tectonic activity.
Lower Mantle
à extends from about 660 kilometers to about
2,700 kilometers beneath Earth’s surface.
à is hotter (3,000°C) and denser than the upper
mantle.
à is much less ductile than the upper mantle,
although heat usually corresponds to softening
rocks, intense pressure keeps the lower mantle
solid.
Mantle Convection
à describes the movement of the mantle as it
transfers heat from the white-hot core to the
brittle lithosphere.
à The mantle is heated from below, cooled from
above, and its overall temperature decreases
over long periods of time. All these elements
contribute to mantle convection.
Mantle Convection
Mantle Convection
Discontinuity
à The Gutenberg discontinuity is the
boundary that separates the mantle
and the core.
à It was discovered by a German
seismologist, Beno Gutenberg in 1914.
CORE
à is the hottest, densest part of the Earth.
à the core is found about 2,900 kilometers
below Earth’s surface, and has a radius
of about 3,485 kilometers
à is entirely made up of metal alloy— iron
and nickel.
CORE
à other elements found in the Earth’s core are
siderophiles (material that has a chemical
affinity for iron). these are the elements that
dissolve in iron and are classified as precious
metals. Siderophile elements include gold,
platinum, and cobalt.
à Sulfur is another element in the Earth’s core.
CORE
à The core is made of two layers: the outer
core and the inner core.
à The boundary separating these regions is
called the Bullen discontinuity or sometimes
as the Lehmann discontinuity.
à It was discovered by the Danish
seismologist Inge Lehmann in 1936.
Outer Core
à is the second largest layer.
à about 2,200 kilometers thick, is mostly
composed of super heated liquid iron
and nickel. The NiFe alloy of the outer
core is very hot, between 4,500° and
5,500° C.
Outer Core
à The liquid metal of the outer core has
very low viscosity, which makes it is
easily deformed and malleable.
à The churning metal of the outer core
creates and sustains Earth’s magnetic
field.
churn - to mix vigorously or violently
Inner Core
à The inner core is a hot, dense ball of
(mostly) iron.
à It has a radius of about 2500 km
à Temperature in the inner core is about
5,200°-6,000 °C which is enough to
make metal melt.
Inner Core
à The pressure is nearly 3.6 million
atmosphere making the metal stay solid.
The pressure and density are simply too
great for the iron atoms to move into a
liquid state. Because of this unusual set of
circumstances, some geophysicists prefer
to interpret the inner core not as a solid,
but as a plasma behaving as a solid.
 Earth’s Magnetic Field
Magnetic field - Like a bar magnet, Earth’s magnetic field is a dipole, (has both a N and S pole)
-Solar wind contains electromagnetic particles that are deflected by earth’s field. These particles
distort the shape of earth’s magnetic field in space
-Van Allen belts – two belts in the inner magnetic field where high energy cosmic rays are
trapped. Protects us from solar radiation!
Earth’s magnetic field is crucial to life on our
planet. It protects the planet from the
charged particles of the solar wind. Without
the shield of the magnetic field, the solar
wind would strip Earth’s atmosphere of the
ozone layer that protects life from
harmful ultraviolet radiation.