The Earth is a System

THE EARTH IS A SYSTEM

Earth’s Principal Systems

Atmosphere

Hydrosphere

Biosphere

Lithosphere

Magnetosphere

Cryosphere

Fig. 1-1, p. 5

Interaction Among Earth’s Systems

Table 1-1, p. 4

HOW DOES GEOLOGY

AFFECT OUR LIVES?

Fig. 1-3, p. 8

Resources Used by Each Person

Geology and Monuments

Statue of Liberty

Mount Rushmore

Cave of Lascaux

Treasury at Petra

Statue of David

Eifel Tower

Egyptian Pyramids

WHEN WAS THE EARTH

FORMED?

Formation of Solar System

Accretion Disk

Earth’s Formation

The Earth was formed

about 4.5 billion years

ago, from the solar

accretion disk.

Formation of Earth’s Layers

Meteorite Impacts

Gravitation Compression

Heat from Radioactive Decay

Formation of Nickel / Iron Core

Surface Cooling and Formation of Plates

Comet Impacts bring Water

WHERE IN THE UNIVERSE

IS EARTH?

3rd Planet From the Sun

– 93,000,000 miles

Milky Way Galaxy

It is part of a fairly

large spiral galaxy

consisting of about 200

billion stars.

Yellow line indicates

path of Earth as the

galaxy rotates.

WHAT IS THE SHAPE OF

THE EARTH?

Geoid –

Not Quite Round, Not Quite Elliptical

WHAT IS THE EARTH’S

STRUCTURE?

Mantle

Core

Crust

Low-velocity zone

Solid

Outer core

(liquid)

Innercore(solid)

35 km (21 mi.) avg., 1,200˚C

2,900km

(1,800 mi.)

3,700˚C

5,200 km (3,100 mi.), 4,300˚C

10 to 65km

100 km

200 km

100 km (60 mi.)

200 km (120 mi.)

Crust

Lithosphere

Asthenosphere

(depth unknown)

Layered

Sphere

Earth’s Interior DivisionsEarth's Interior Divisions

Layer

Name

Outer

Radius

in km

Approx.

Temp.

Compos

ition

Inner

Core

1229 7000 deg. C Solid

Iron

Outer

Core

3484 5000 deg. C Liquid

Iron

Lower

Mantle

5700 2000 deg. C Iron-

rich

Rock

Upper

Mantle

6360 500 deg. C Iron-

rich

Rock

Crust 6371 0 deg. C Basalt,

Granite

WHAT GEOLOGIC PROCESSES

OCCUR WITHIN THE EARTH’S

INTERIOR?

Geological Processes

Plate Tectonics

Heat Transfer

Soil Erosion

Mineral Deposition

Fig. 1-10, p. 16

Fig. 1-11, p. 17

Fig. 1-12, p. 18

Connections between the Plates and

Earth Systems

Table 1-3, p. 18