Transcript Earth Systems - Frost Middle School

 System
• An organized group of parts that work together
to form a whole
• Think of a game system
 What is needed for the game system to work
 If I take away the power cord will the system still work
 Closed system
• Something that matter can not enter or exit
through (without extreme force) but energy can
enter and exit
• Earth is an example of a closed system
The closed system of Earth is made up of 4 open
systems
 Open System

• Something that both matter and energy can enter or exit
through

Atmosphere
• Earth’s air

Hydrosphere
• Earth’s Water

Biosphere
• Earth’s Living Things

Geosphere
• Earth’s interior and its rocks and soil
 All water on Earth
• Oceans, lakes, glaciers, rivers, streams and
underground
 Almost
¾ of Earth is water
 About 3% is fresh
• About 70% of this is frozen in glaciers and ice caps
 Studied with
• Deep-sea vehicles
• Special buoys
• Satellite images
• Diving suits
 Mixture
of gases and particles that
surrounds and protects the surface of the
Earth
 About 78% Nitrogen
 About 21% Oxygen
 The rest contains carbon dioxide, water
vapor, and other gases
 Scientists study with
• Weather balloons
• Special planes
• Views from satellites
 Includes
all features on Earths surface
• Continents, islands, sea floor, crust, mantle, inner
and outer core
 Scientists
study with
• Satellite images
• Sound waves
• Computer modeling to develop pictures
 Includes
all life on Earth, in air, on land,
and in water
 Studied with a variety of technology
• Satellite images
• Special tree platforms
 Biosphere
systems
interacts with different
• Forests act as “lungs” by absorbing carbon
dioxide and releasing oxygen into the
atmosphere
 This is the carbon cycle
• Dead trees decay and return nutrients into the
soil which is the geosphere
 This is the nitrogen cycle
 Atmosphere interacts with other systems
• Complex weather patterns (severe weather)
 Hydrosphere
interacts with other systems
• Currents interact with wind patterns and affect
the weather
 Geosphere
is constantly changing and
interacting with other systems
• Volcano explodes and releases harmful gases
into the Atmosphere