Unit D: 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 the 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
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 apart of the hydrosphere or the atmosphere?
Hydrosphere
What is atmospheric dust?
Varying amounts of suspended particulate matter
What can atmospheric dust contain?
- Non-living particles
- Living particles
What do the “other gasses” contain in the atmosphere?
- Argon
- Carbon dioxide
- Neon
- Helium
- Methane
- Krypton
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 for 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 earth 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
- Stratosphere
- Mesosphere
- Thermosphere
How high is the Troposphere from the earth?
0 km to 10 km
What is the average temperature of the Troposphere?
15 C to -60
How does the height of the Troposphere affect it?
As it gets higher 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?
Lithosphere
How high is the Stratosphere among the Earth’s surface?
10 km to 50 km
What is the temperature of the Stratosphere?
-60 at the bottom to 0 at the top
Which Atmospheric layer contains ozone?
Stratosphere
Why does the stratosphere increase with altitude?
Becuase ozone absorbs energy from the suns rays
What does the ozone do?
Protects living organisms from high-energy radiation
What is the temperature of the Mesosphere?
0 at the bottom -100 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 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 does 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?
The inversion of normal temperatures decreasing with altitude
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 climates region 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
