3 Earth’s Environmental SystemsEarth’s Environmental SystemsC

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Lesson 3.3 Earth’s SpheresLesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres

The movement of Earth’s plates has formed the deepest ocean trenches and the highest mountains.

The GeosphereThe Geosphere

• Crust: Thin, cool, rocky outer “skin”

• Mantle: Very hot and mostly solid

• Core: Outer core is molten metal, inner core is solid metal

• Crust: Thin, cool, rocky outer “skin”

• Mantle: Very hot and mostly solid

• Core: Outer core is molten metal, inner core is solid metal

Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres

• Rocks and minerals on and below Earth’s surface:

Rock formation, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, Utah

Plate Tectonics

• Crust and mantle are divided into:• Lithosphere: Crust and

uppermost mantle; divided into tectonic plates• Asthenosphere: Soft middle

mantle; heated by outer core• Lower mantle: Solid rock

• Convection currents in the asthenosphere move tectonic plates.• Collisions and separations of

the plates result in landforms.

• Crust and mantle are divided into:• Lithosphere: Crust and

uppermost mantle; divided into tectonic plates• Asthenosphere: Soft middle

mantle; heated by outer core• Lower mantle: Solid rock

• Convection currents in the asthenosphere move tectonic plates.• Collisions and separations of

the plates result in landforms.

Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres

Volcano lava

Plate TectonicsPlate Tectonics

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Tectonic PlatesTectonic Plates

• There are three major types of plate boundary:

• Divergent

• Transform

• Convergent

• There are three major types of plate boundary:

• Divergent

• Transform

• Convergent

Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres

Divergent and Transform Plate Boundaries

Divergent and Transform Plate Boundaries

• Divergent boundaries: Rising magma pushes plates apart.

• Transform boundaries: Plates slip and grind alongside one another.

• Divergent boundaries: Rising magma pushes plates apart.

• Transform boundaries: Plates slip and grind alongside one another.

Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres

Divergent plate boundary

Transform plate boundary

Convergent Plate BoundariesConvergent Plate Boundaries

• Plates collide, causing one of two things to happen:

• Subduction: One plate slides beneath another.

• Mountain-building: Both plates are uplifted.

• Plates collide, causing one of two things to happen:

• Subduction: One plate slides beneath another.

• Mountain-building: Both plates are uplifted.

Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres

PlatesPlates

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•Biosphere: The part of Earth in which living and nonliving things interact

•Atmosphere: Contains the gases that organisms need, such as oxygen; keeps Earth warm enough to support life

•Biosphere: The part of Earth in which living and nonliving things interact

•Atmosphere: Contains the gases that organisms need, such as oxygen; keeps Earth warm enough to support life

The Biosphere and AtmosphereThe Biosphere and Atmosphere

Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres

Earth’s atmosphere, seen from space

The HydrosphereThe Hydrosphere

•Consists of Earth’s water

•Most of Earth’s water (97.5%) is salt water.

•Only 0.5% of Earth’s water is unfrozen fresh water usable for drinking or irrigation.

• Earth’s available fresh water includes surface water and ground water.

•Consists of Earth’s water

•Most of Earth’s water (97.5%) is salt water.

•Only 0.5% of Earth’s water is unfrozen fresh water usable for drinking or irrigation.

• Earth’s available fresh water includes surface water and ground water.

Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres

Did You Know? If it is depleted, groundwater can take hundreds or even thousands of years to recharge completely.

Did You Know? If it is depleted, groundwater can take hundreds or even thousands of years to recharge completely.

Greenlaw Brook, Limestone, Maine

The Water CycleThe Water Cycle

Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres

Water cycleWater cycle

• Evaporation & Transpiration-water moves to atmosphere as vapor from bodies of water or leaves•Condensation / Precipitation -clouds, rain, sleet,

snow hail•Watershed-the area of land where all of the water that

is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place• Lake Erie Water Shed• Runoff-water flows into body of water

• Evaporation & Transpiration-water moves to atmosphere as vapor from bodies of water or leaves•Condensation / Precipitation -clouds, rain, sleet,

snow hail•Watershed-the area of land where all of the water that

is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place• Lake Erie Water Shed• Runoff-water flows into body of water

Great Lakes Basin (watershed)Great Lakes Basin (watershed)

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Ground WaterGround Water

•Water which is soaked down through Soil & rock to form storage areas • Aquifers-is a wet underground layer of water from

which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. • Water table

•Water which is soaked down through Soil & rock to form storage areas • Aquifers-is a wet underground layer of water from

which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. • Water table

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are needed to see this picture.

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are needed to see this picture.