Unit D Energy Flow in Global Systems: Section 1.0 Flashcards
What is the Biosphere?
A relatively thin layer of Earth that has conditions for supporting life
What are the 3 components of the Biosphere?
- Atmosphere
- Lithosphere
- Hydrosphere
What atmosphere?
The layer of gasses that surround Earth
What is the Lithosphere?
The solid portion of the Earth
What is the Lithosphere composed of?
- Rocks
- Minerals
- Elements
What is the Hydrosphere?
All the water on earth present in any state
Where are living things found in the Biosphere?
All parts of the Biosphere
What are environmental conditions created by?
By the interactions between the components and the incoming energy from the sun
How high does the atmosphere rise from the surface of the earth?
500 Km
Some texts say 800 km so check this
What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen (78%)
What is the second most abundant gas in the atmosphere?
Oxygen (21%)
Is water vapour a part of the hydrosphere or the atmosphere?
Hydrosphere
What is atmospheric dust?
Suspended particulate matter in the atmosphere
What can atmospheric dust contain?
- Non-living particles
- Living particles
What are the “other gasses” in the atmosphere?
- Argon
- Carbon dioxide
- Neon
- Helium
- Methane
- Krypton
- Nitrous oxide is there due to pollution
- water vapor
(Nitrogen and oxygen make up most of the atmosphere but were on a different card and so are not listed here)
What is Nitrogen required for?
Plant Growth
How do bacteria and Nitrogen interact?
Bacteria converts nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that can be taken up by plants
What does nitrogen do in the atmosphere?
Help control the amount of combustion that takes place because nitrogen gas does not support combustion
How many layers does the earth’s atmosphere have?
4
How are the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere determined?
By average air temperature
What is altitude?
The distance above earth’s surface measured from sea level
What are the 4 layers of the atmosphere from the earth?
- Troposphere (0 to 10 km, -60 C to 15 C)
- Stratosphere
- Mesosphere
- Thermosphere
How high is the Troposphere from the earth?
0 km to 10 km
What is the average temperature of the Troposphere?
-60 C to 15 C
As you move away from Earth in the troposphere, what happens to the temperature?
The temperature decreases
What percentage of atmospheric gasses does the Troposphere contain?
80%
What is different about the Troposphere?
-It is the only layer of earth’s atmosphere with a temperature range and concentration of oxygen that can support many living organisms
Which layer of the atmosphere contains the most atmospheric dust?
Original card says Lithosphere but this is likely wrong.
Lithosphere is not the atmosphere so change this card. Could be troposphere since that is the closest layer of atmosphere to the Earth.
How high is the Stratosphere from the Earth’s surface?
10 km to 50 km
What is the temperature of the Stratosphere?
-60 C at the bottom to 0 C at the top
Which Atmospheric layer contains ozone?
Stratosphere
Why does the stratosphere increase in temperature with altitude?
Because the ozone that is in this layer of the atmosphere absorbs energy from the sun’s rays
What does the ozone do?
Protects living organisms from high-energy radiation
What is the temperature of the Mesosphere?
0 C at the bottom -100 C at the top
What is the Thermosphere?
The farthest layer from the earth’s surface
Which layer of the Atmosphere has the least amount of gas?
The Thermosphere
What is the temperature of the Thermosphere?
-100 to 1500
What does the Lithosphere float on?
The semi-fluid portion of the upper mantle
How deep is the Lithosphere?
It goes 100 km to as much as 200 km below Earth’s surface
What is the Lithosphere warmed by?
The sun
What percentage of water is salt water?
97%
What percentage of water is freshwater?
3%
What does fresh water include?
Water in lakes, streams, and frozen water
How do organisms in the Lithosphere depend on the Hydrosphere?
The living organisms need water to survive
How is the Hydrosphere warmed?
By the sunlight
How does the Hydrosphere play a role in the Atmosphere?
Water vapour takes part in cloud formation
What is Inversion? (Context = temperature of atmosphere layers)
The inversion of normal temperatures decreasing with altitude
E.g. stratosphere warms as you leave Earth since ozone layer keeps it warmer.
What is an adaptation?
Any change in an organs structure that makes it more suited for its environment
What is climate change?
The change that occurs in a region’s climate over time
What is anecdotal evidence?
Biased reports from people about weather and events
What is scientific evidence?
Evidence that is collected in a matter that is reliable and unbiased
