TuesdayNovember 1, 2011

(The Birth and Evolution of the Earth; Earth’s

Spheres)

The Launch PadTuesday, 11/1/11

List three things that the Earth has but the Moon

does not have.an atmosphere

liquid water

life

Assignment Currently Open

Summative or Formative

Date Issued

Date Due

Date Into

Grade Speed

Last Day

Project – Moon Features Formative 10/18 10/21

Quiz 7 Summative 10/21 10/21 10/25 11/8

Quiz 8 Summative 10/26 10/26 10/27 11/10

AnnouncementsAny remediations that you want to go on this

six-weeks must be done by Friday!

We will have a Quiz tomorrow!

Astrophoto William Souza has caught not just two, but three birds with one stone with this photo he took from Sao Paolo, Brazil. William

captured this photo of the Crescent Moon, Pleiades and Mercury on April 26, 2009.

The Birth of a PlanetThe Nebular Hypothesis assumes a flat, disk shape with the protosun

(pre-Sun) at the center. The inner planets begin to form from

metallic and rocky substances. The larger outer planets began

forming from fragments of ices (H2O, CO2, and other compounds.)

Iron and nickel melted and sank to form the metallic core while rocky

material rose to form the mantle and Earth’s crust.

Early Evolution of Earth Origin of Earth - The Nebular

Hypothesis • Most researchers believe that Earth and

the other planets formed at essentially the same time

• Our solar system evolved from an enormous rotating cloud called the “solar nebula.” (A)• The nebula was composed mostly of

hydrogen and helium.• About 5 billion years ago the nebula

began to contract. (B)• The nebula assumed a flat, disk shape

(accretion disk) with the protosun (pre-Sun) at the center. (C)

• The inner planets begin to form from metallic and rocky clumps. (D)

• The larger outer planets began forming from fragments with a high percentage of ices

• Today (E)

Flattening and spinning. Gravity, shock waves, condensing, “dust bunny” analogy.

The Formation of the Early Earth

Figure 12.5

Early Evolution of EarthFormation of Earth’s Layered Structure

o As Earth formed, the decay of radioactive elements and heat from high-velocity impacts caused the temperature to increase.

o Iron and nickel began to melt and sink toward the center

o Lighter rocky components floated outward, toward the surface

o Gaseous material escaped from Earth’s interior to produce the primitive atmosphere

Cores discovered by tracking seismic

waves traveling through the Earth.

The Earth from the

Moon

Apollo 8Christmas Eve,

1968

The Grand Oasis in Space

Our Home

Fragile

Unique

Vulnerable

Earth’s “Spheres”Geosphere

Hydrosphere CryosphereAtmosphere

BiosphereLithosphere

Asthenosphere Pedosphere

Earth’s “Spheres”Geosphere

the solid matter of the

Earth, as distinct from

the seas, plants,

animals, and surrounding atmosphere

Geosphere

Geosphere

Earth’s “Spheres”Hydrosphere

The ocean is the most prominent feature of the hydrosphere, as it covers

nearly 71% of Earth’s surface and contains about

97% of Earth’s water The hydrosphere also

includes fresh water found in streams, lakes, and

glaciers, as well as that found underground.

Figure 1.10Hydrosphere

Earth’s “Spheres”Cryosphere

This is the frozen part of the Earth's surface, including the polar ice caps,

continental ice sheets, glaciers, sea

ice, and permafrost.

The cryosphere is very important to our

understanding of climate change.

Cryosphere

CryosphereCryosphere

Earth’s “Spheres”Atmosphere

Our atmosphere is the thin, tenuous blanket of air that surrounds Earth.

One-half of the atmosphere lies below 3.5 miles (18 500 feet.)

Our atmosphere shields us from harmful solar rays.

AtmosphereAtmosphere

Earth’s “Spheres”Biosphere

Earth’s biosphere includes all life,

and is concentrated near

the surface in a zone that extends

from the ocean floor upward for

several kilometers into the

atmosphere.

Biosphere

Earth’s “Spheres”Lithosphere The lithosphere is

the rigid outer layer of solid Earth that can be broken.

It includes the crust and the uppermost

mantle, which constitute the hard

and rigid outer layer of the Earth.

Earth’s “Spheres”Asthenosphere

The asthenosphere is

the weaker, hotter, and deeper part of the upper

mantle.

AsthenosphereAsthenosphere

Earth’s “Spheres”Pedosphere

The pedosphere is the uppermost part of the

lithosphere that chemically reacts to the atmosphere,

hydrosphere and biosphere through the soil forming

process.

Pedosphere

Pedosphere