Chapter 2 Flashcards
Earth Systems
Isolated systems
An isolated system is a system that exchanges neither matter nor energy with its surroundings.
Closed system
Neither gains nor loses matter to or from its surrounding, but it does exchange energy with surrounding systems.
Atmosphere
Outermost system is a mixture of gases, but dominantly consists of nitrogen, followed by oxygen. Water vapour is the third but extremely variable.
Hydrosphere
Includes the oceans, water on the surface of the land such as rivers and lakes, water in the form of snow and ice (including glaciers) and water that’s present in pore spaces within the Geosphere, known as groundwater.
Cryosphere
System that includes only water in the solid state, ice.
Biosphere
huge and exceedingly complex system comprising all the world’s living animals and plants, together with their non-living remains and products on the Earth’s surface.
Anthroposphere
Humans and their products who have had an enormous impact on earth in the last few thousand years.
Geosphere
Mostly made of solid chemical substances called minerals, that occur in mixtures that we know as rocks. 12,000 km across
Core
Middle of the Geosphere and mostly liquid iron and source of Earth’s magnetic field.
Mantle
Outside the core and solid consisting of magnesium, and iron silicate minerals, over 3000 km thick.
Crust
Third layer, 5-75 km thick and is hugely varied.
Geoscientists
What geologists and geophysicists are known as.
Flux
Measured as an amount per unit time. Ex cubic metres per second.
Forcings
If fluxes in and out of a reservoir are not equal, then the reservoir will change size over time.
Largest reservoir of water
Marine water , oceans and seas. 96.5% of total 1,335,000,000 km3 of water
