WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY-PHILIPPINES

Cushman Campus

Mabini Extension, Cabanatuan

GEE 1-ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
2nd Semester, A.Y. 2022-2023

Module 4: Earth and The Physical Environment

I. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon the completion of the course, you are expected to:
 Demonstrate fundamental knowledge of the essential properties of Earth's components,
including its core, mantle, asthenosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and
biosphere.

II. LEARNING ACTIVITIES/RESOURCES

Good day beloved Students. Today we will study the origin of our planet Earth and the Solar
System as well as the different systems of our planet. We all know that planet Earth is made up of
four overlapping subsystems known as spheres consisting of the atmosphere, hydrosphere,
lithosphere, and biosphere. After familiarizing the different systems of the Earth we will proceed
with the physical environment that affects the planet which includes the atmospheric gases, light,
temperature, soil, water, and wind.
• All discussions and responses to questions during the presentation can be used as a quick
assessment of learning and understanding.
Resources
https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Oceanography/Book
%3A_Introduction_to_Oceanography_(Webb)/03%3A_The_Origin_and_Structure_of_Earth/
3.01%3A_Origin_of_Earth_and_the_Solar_System
https://www.geographyrealm.com/what-are-the-earths-systems/

Introduction (with Core Values/Bible Integration)

God created humans in his image, to be those who would have dominion over the earth.
The reason God did this is that he cares for his creation. He does not take this physical world for
granted. He does not devalue ministries in the world that look after people’s physical needs. He
created us to value the buildings we inhabit, the gardens we tend, the food we eat, the garbage
collector who collects our trash every Friday. His image bearers care for the world he created.
Human society is interdependent, and Christians should value this because we know the one who
created it all and is committed to it all.
God has placed us in a physical world and given us dominion over it. When we fail to value it,
we fail to honor the God who created it and sustains it. We forget that we are creatures who are to enjoy
what the Creator has given to us.

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The Bible begins with the words “In the Mabini Extension, Cabanatuan
beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” It ends with
a picture of a new heaven and a new earth. Always bear in mind that God is committed to the earth that
he has made, and he delights when we rejoice in the good things he has given us to enjoy.

Body

A. ORIGIN OF THE EARTH AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM

The Big Bang Theory is the leading explanation of how the universe began. According
to this theory, the universe exists about 13.8 billion years ago and involves a sudden expansion
of matter, energy, and space from a single point. The formation of the Solar System consists of
a collection of objects orbiting one or more central stars and it was believed to begin to form
around 5 billion years ago, roughly 8.7 billion years after the Big Bang.
Accordingly, all solar systems start out the same way. They begin in a cloud of gas and
dust called a Nebula. When a small patch within a nebula begins to collapse upon itself, the
solar system begins to form. As the nebula collapsed because of its gravity, it spun faster and
flattened into a disk. Most of the material was pulled toward the center to form the sun while
the other particles within the disk collided and stuck together to form ever-larger bodies,
including the Earth.
The ever-larger bodies were called Planets which are classified into three:
a) Terrestrial Planets – Earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars that have a core of metal
surrounded by rock.
b) Jovian Planets – Jupiter and Saturn that consist predominantly of hydrogen and
helium
c) Ice Giants – Uranus and Neptune that consist largely of water ice, methane ice,
and ammonia ice, and have rocky cores
The Earth planet which we lived in was formed about 4.6 billion years ago. The early
Earth was very hot and had a molten, fluid composition, with lots of geological and volcanic
activity. The outermost layer of the Earth is called the crust and it is composed of basalt-rich
oceanic crust and granitic-rich continental crust. The second layer is composed mainly of iron
and magnesium silicates where most of the internal heat of the Earth is located is known as the
mantle. Meanwhile, the Earth’s core comprises the inner and the outer, the former is a hot and
liquid layer composed mainly of Nickel and Iron while the latter is mostly made of solid iron
and has little amounts of nickel.
The Geologic age of the Earth
 The age of the Earth currently accepted by the majority of the scientific community is
approximately 4.56 billion years.
 On the geologic time scale the formation of the Earth occurred in early Precambrian time. The
origin of the Earth within the Solar System

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Mabini Extension, Cabanatuan

B. Structure of the Earth.

 A core is the innermost part of a rocky planet or moon. Earth's core, based on geophysical
studies, is believed to consist of a 758 mile (1220 km) thick magnetic metallic inner core that
is overlain by a 1400 mile (2250 km) thick zone of dense molten material in the outer core.
o This is overlain by the Earth's mantle.

 A mantle is an inner layer of a terrestrial planet or other rocky body large enough to have
differentiated in composition by density.
o On Earth, the mantle is a highly viscous layer between the outer core and the crust at the
surface.
 A crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or moon, which is chemically distinct from
the underlying mantle.
o Earth's crust ranges from about 6 to 40 miles thick (10 to 64 km).

B. EARTH SYSTEMS (four spheres)

Planet Earth comprises four overlapping subsystems containing all of the world’s land
masses, water sources, living organisms, and gases. These four subsystems are known as
spheres: air (atmosphere), water (hydrosphere), land (lithosphere), and living organisms
(biosphere).

Earth’s subsystems:
a) Atmosphere – the gaseous layer that envelopes the world
a. Troposphere – bottom layer
b. Stratosphere – contains the ozone layer
c. Mesosphere – where meteors entering the Earth’s atmosphere break up
d. Thermosphere – very thin, many satellites are found in this layer
e. Exosphere – the uppermost layer of the atmosphere
f. Ionosphere – overlaps the mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere;
the ionized part of the atmosphere; Auroras occur in this layer
b) Hydrosphere – consists all of the water in Earth
c) Lithosphere – contains the elements of the Earth crust and part of the upper
mantle
d) Cryosphere – the frozen water of the earth
e) Biosphere – covers all living organisms

C. PHYSICAL FACTORS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Even before there was life on earth, the atmosphere served as a reservoir for many
materials. Today, the atmosphere still has a pool of gases essential to living organisms known
as atmospheric gases which include carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen that are of great
importance to living organisms as they are used in metabolic activities and may have a great
effect on climate.

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Light from the sun is the Mabini Extension, Cabanatuan

primary source of energy in the ecosystem. Through
photosynthesis, this light energy is converted into chemical energy that is passed on to different
members of the ecosystem.
Temperature affects the metabolic activities of all organisms as they exhibit varied
tolerance to temperature. Some organisms may tolerate a stricter range of temperature while
others have a broader range of temperature tolerance.
Soil serves as a reservoir for different materials needed most especially by terrestrial
organisms. Therefore, the distribution of organisms is affected by soil. Properties of soil that
include porosity, particle size, moisture, and mineral or material content are very important
indicators of its capability to support life. Consequently, the productivity of an area is
determined by the type of soil in the ecosystem.
The properties of water such as heat of vaporization, and high specific heat capacity,
make it essential in maintaining life processes. The availability of water varies depending on
the habitat, and various adaptations in organisms are observed due to this variation.
The effect of temperature on organisms may be lessened due to wind as well as
evaporation, transpiration and convection are also affected by wind, and heat loss in organism
may be increased because of this factor.

Summary and Conclusion (With Life Application/Uses)

The Big Bang Theory is the leading explanation of how the universe began. Accordingly, all
solar systems start out the same way. They begin in a cloud of gas and dust called a Nebula. The Earth
planet which we lived in was formed about 4.6 billion years ago. The early Earth was very hot and had
a molten, fluid composition, with lots of geological and volcanic activity. Planet Earth comprises four
overlapping subsystems containing all of the world’s land masses, water sources, living organisms, and
gases. Even before there was life on earth, the atmosphere served as a reservoir for many materials.
Today, the atmosphere still has a pool of gases essential to living organisms known as atmospheric
gases. Light from the sun is the primary source of energy in the ecosystem that is converted into
chemical energy via photosynthesis. Temperature affects the metabolic activities of all organisms as
they exhibit varied tolerance to temperature. Soil serves as a reservoir for different materials, especially
terrestrial organisms. Water's properties, such as heat of vaporization and high specific heat capacity,
make it essential in maintaining life processes. The effect of temperature on organisms may be lessened
due to wind.
The Earth was formed about 4.6 billion years ago, Hominins, where the species of man belongs
first appear around 6 million years ago. Human activity has fundamentally changed our planet, and our
influence has impacted everything from the makeup of ecosystems to the geochemistry of Earth, from
the atmosphere to the bodies of water. We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly
on the earth as other creatures do. We often wonder what gives us the right to wreck this poor
planet of ours.

Building people, Transforming lives.

GEN-FM-019 Rev 1 Effective 30 Sept 2022 www.fb.com/WesleyanOfficial Admin@wesleyan.edu.ph (044)463-2162/4632074 www.wesleyan.edu.ph
 WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY-PHILIPPINES

Cushman Campus

Mabini Extension, Cabanatuan

Assessment
● Recitations during the lecture.
● Group Activity
• Create a storyboard or Mind Map describing the various parts of the Earth that belong to
their system and identify the components that influence climate in each of Earth’s four
systems. Each board should include: an appropriate illustration and an explanation of
how the system influences the Earth’s climate

References:
Akre B, Brainard J, Goose H, Rogers-Estable, and Stewart R (2011): Introduction to
Environmental Science, FlexBook Platform, USA.
https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Oceanography/Book
%3A_Introduction_to_Oceanography_(Webb)/
03%3A_The_Origin_and_Structure_of_Earth/
3.01%3A_Origin_of_Earth_and_the_Solar_System
https://www.geographyrealm.com/what-are-the-earths-systems/

Building people, Transforming lives.

GEN-FM-019 Rev 1 Effective 30 Sept 2022 www.fb.com/WesleyanOfficial Admin@wesleyan.edu.ph (044)463-2162/4632074 www.wesleyan.edu.ph