Test 6: Lithosphere, Hydrosphere and Atmosphere Flashcards
What is the lithosphere?
It is the hard shell of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the top most part of the upper mantle (magma).
What are minerals?
They are inorganic substances, that come from the Earth and not from living things.
What are minerals made up of?
Some are made up of one type of atom.
Some are made up of several.
How do we extract minerals?
We use mining to locate and extract them.
What are mineral deposits?
If the mineral is found at the surface of the lithosphere, ore can be collected and then separated.
What is ore?
- Rock and the mineral
- Heterogeneous
What are the impacts of mining?
- CO2 emissions mess with the surface, it disturbs the ecosystem.
- Changes water flow
- Produces heat
- Uses lots of water (for a cooling system)
- Scars the Earth (seen from space)
How is soil created?
Through the process of erosion of the parent rock (solid part of Earth’s crust.
What are the soil horizons?
Layers of soil.
- Organic matter
- Topsoil
- Subsoil
- Fragmented parent rock
- Unaltered parent rock
What does the organic matter layer of soil contain?
Humus
What does the topsoil layer of soil contain?
A mix of humus and minerals.
What does the subsoil layer of soil contain?
Nutrients for small minerals and trees.
What is the fragmented parent rock layer of soil made of?
Disintegration of parent rock.
What is the unaltered parent rock?
The starting point of soil.
What alters the soil and how?
- Oxidation (mineral + O2 —> mineral oxide)
- Neutralization (alters pH of soil)
- Decomposition (organic —-> inorganic + CO2)
- Contaminants
What is soil buffering capacity?
How well the soil can adjust to a change in pH. (low=poorly. high=very well, can resist changes in pH when acidic or alkaline compounds are added)
What is the optimal pH of soil so it’s appropriate for the types of producers?
pH of 7 (neutral).
What thickness of soil has the best buffering capacity?
Finer soil.
What makes acid rain?
SOx and NOx combining with water vapours and oxygen and other chemicals to form acid rain.
What does acid rain effect and how?
Lithosphere - contaminates (acidifies) soil with low buffering capacity, destroying nutrients and killing decomposers.
Hydrosphere - contaminates water (pH levels rise), kills plants, small fish (chain reaction).
Atmosphere - Hits birds, harms or kills them.
What can deplete soil?
- Agriculture
- Water run off
- Mudslides
What is permafrost?
A layer of permanently frozen soil, that’s been at 0*C or lower for over 2 years.
What are consequences of permafrost thawing?
- Loss of infrastructure
- Landslides
- Release of stored carbon as CH4 (powerful greenhouse gas) contributing to global warming acceleration
- Increase of vegetation
What is the hydrosphere?
The Earth’s outer layer of water, uniting water in solid, liquid, gas states.