Geoscience 001

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Geoscience 001
http//www.geosc.psu.edu/dbice/Geosc001/Geosc001.
htm
Atmosphere Oceans Solid earth Life
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Spatial/physical intersections of the 4 spheres
of Earth
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Geosphere
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Earth as an Interconnected System
Biosphere
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
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What is a System?
a coordinated or related sets of processes and
reservoirs (places where things can reside or
forms in which matter or energy exists) through
which material or energy flows, characterized by
continual change
Example system pot of boiling water
Thermal energy
Heat from burner
Heat loss from steam
Heat loss from radiation
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Profile of Atmosphere seen from Space Shuttle
Ozone in Stratosphere
Troposphere 12km
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Clouds reflect sunlight trap heat emitted from
Earths surface. Atmosphere affects earths
temperature hydrosphere affects atmosphere
composition and opacity
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Glaciers reflect sunlight, cool Earth. They
erode mountains and crush up rock, reshaping the
surface (hydrosphere affects geosphere).
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Rivers erode mountains, transfer sediment to the
oceans, delivering nutrients for marine life.
Sediment eroded is affected by vegetative cover
and human activity
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(No Transcript)
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Volcanoes add ash and gases (water and carbon
dioxide and various sulfur gases) to atmosphere,
affecting regional and global climate.
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Earthquakes affect humans (and hotels) -- 1999
Taiwan eq.
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Mountains affect regional weather patterns and
lead to increased erosion and weathering that
collectively can cool Earths climate (weathering
of rocks consumes atmospheric carbon dioxide,
weakening the greenhouse effect)
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Vegetative cover affects albedo, affects local
temperatures and hydrology, and carbon storage
deforestation has affects that are not just
cosmetic
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Smoke (and pollution) affect atmospheric
chemistry and opacity, thus regional and global
climate.
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So What? Why is this Interconnectedness
Important?

• Means that we have to be cautious as we change
  aspects of the Earth we have to work very hard
  to try to anticipate cascading effects and
  feedbacks if we want to minimize damage.
• Means that as a whole, the Earth System is more
  stable (even if very sensitive for short times),
  more adaptable