A Living PlanetChapter 2

Inside the Earth◦Inner Core-solid metallic

center

◦Outer core- melted iron/nickle hotter than mantle

◦Mantle- Thick layer of hot rock/ about 1800 miles thick

◦Magma- molten rock from the mantle. Will rise through crust.

◦Crust-thin layer of rock on earth’s surface

www.kidscosmos.org

On and above the earth Atmosphere- air that surrounds the earth

Lithosphere-surface land areas of the earth’s crust including continents and ocean basins 30-90 miles deep

Hydrosphere- 71% of earth surface◦Oceans, lakes, rivers, bodies of water, glaciers, permafrost

Biosphere- part of the earth where life is found

www.rsmas.miami.edu

www.sws.uiuc.edu

Amount of water on earth constant. 97% salt water. 3% fresh water

◦2% locked up in glaciers. ◦.5% is locked up in lakes, rivers, ◦.5% ground water-water held in pores of rock.

Hydrological cycle- continuous circulation of water

Water table- The level at which the rocks become saturated (can rise or fall depending on precipitation and use)

Chapter 2.2 Bodies of water

Landforms: Naturally formed features on Earth’s surface.

Oceanic Landforms◦Continental shelf-earth’s

surface from the edge of a continent to the deep part of the ocean.

◦Have canyons, plains, ridges

Continental Landforms◦Relief: the difference in elevation of a landform from its lowest point to highest point.

http://www-class.unl.edu/geol101i/images/tectonics%20images/continental%20shelf.jpg

TopographyCombination of the surface shape and

composition of the landforms in a region.

Four categories of Topography

Mountains

Hills

Plains

Plateaus

Continental Drift Pangea◦1912 Alfred Wegener of Germany

◦Idea that earth was once a supercontinent that divided slowly millions of years ago

◦Split into many plates

Tectonic plates

Internal forces

Plate Movement Types:◦ Divergent

Boundary

Convergent: Collision Boundary

Convergent Boundary

Transform boundary

Weathering:• Breaking down of rocks,

soils and minerals and other artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, biota and waters.

• Occurs with no movement

Mechanical Weatheringbreakdown of rocks and soils through direct contact with atmospheric conditions, such as heat, water, ice and pressure.

Chemical Weatheringinvolves the direct effect of atmospheric chemicals or biologically produced chemicals (also known as biological weathering) in the breakdown of rocks, soils and minerals.

Erosion: • process by which material is removed from a

region of the Earth surface.• occurs due to transport by wind, water, or ice or

gravity