REFERENCE: The Blue Planet An Introduction to Earth System ... · An Introduction to Earth System Science. Brian J. Skinner and Barbara W. Murck (2011) Third Edition. John Wiley and

REFERENCE: The Blue Planet An Introduction to Earth System Science. Brian J. Skinner and Barbara W. Murck (2011) Third Edition. John Wiley and Sons Inc.

“It is the science that studies the whole planet as a system of innumerable interacting parts and focuses on the changes within and among those parts.”

REMOTE SENSINGis the technique of deriving information about an object without actually coming in contact with it.

Mt. Vesuvius with ASTER

Fires with MODIS

This is a composite of numerous satellite images, each selected to be cloud-free. It is unrealistic because, at any moment, half of the Earth is innighttime darkness and much of it is cloud-covered. But this beautiful imagelets us view the entire surface at once. It shows densely vegetated regions ingreen, dry deserts in yellow or brown, and ice-covered regions in white.

CHANGING OUR PERSPECTIVE

CHANGING OUR PERSPECTIVE

LA PARGUERA FROM A PLANE

LA PARGUERA FROM SPACE

Thematic Mapper

PUERTO RICO FROM THE SHUTTLE

EVERYTHING IS ABOUT SCALES

THE CARIBBEAN REGION

Puerto Rico18oN / 67oW

THE WORLD

STANDARD TIME ZONES OF THE WORLD

EARTH DAY AND NIGHT

The system concept is a way to breakdown any large complex problem intosmaller, more easily studied pieces.

is any portion of the universe

that can be isolated from the rest of theuniverse for the purpose of observing andmeasuring changes.

A BOX MODEL is a simple, convenient graphical representation of a system.

A box model can be used to show:1. The rates at which energy or matter enter and leave the system.2. The amount of matter or energy in the system at a certain time.

Residence TimeReservoir (or storage tank)

Although seemingly simple, such asystem is only imaginary. In the realworld it is possible to have boundariesthat prevent the passage of matter, butit is impossible for any real boundary tobe so perfectly insulating that energycan neither enter nor escape.Nevertheless, isolated systems haveproven to be useful to scientists in theconceptual study of some kinds ofnatural changes.

Earth essentially operates as a closed system. Energy reaches the Earth from an external source and eventually returns to space as long wavelength radiation. Smaller systems within the Earth, such as the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere, are open systems.

1. The amount of matter in a closed system is fixed and finite.

2. The changes made in one part of a closed system, will eventually affect other parts of the system.

Energy (sunlight) and water (rainfall) reach an island from external sources. The energy leaves the island as long-wavelength radiation; the water either evaporates or drains into the sea.

Atmosphere: The mixture ofgases that surrounds the Earth(Ex. N, O, Ar, CO2, and H2O).

Hydrosphere: The totality of theEarth’s water, except the watervapor in the atmosphere.

Geosphere: The solid Earth,composed principally of rockand regolith.

Biosphere: All of the Earth’sorganisms.

Anthroposphere: It comprisesall human activity.

… FROM SPACE

Watch the YouTube video called

“Why Earth Science”