ESS205 Midterm Review Lecture 1

To assess the extent of current global change we must have the right tools
(understand how global processes and earth systems work), the right context
(understand how much the globe has changed) and understand the current issues.
The rate of which something happens can be a gradual process (over millions of
years) or rapid/ catastrophic events (seconds). It is important to understand that
environmental change has been occurring forever and is the norm. Therefore not a
recent phenomenon.
The Earth System:
A system is any assemblage or combination of interacting components. (Ie human
body acts as a system with the working on all organ systems together)
The earth system has four major interacting parts with flows of matter and energy
between them. They are: Biosphere (life), Hydrosphere (water), Lithosphere (land,
sediments, rocks) and atmosphere (air).
Lithosphere: the solid earth. The upper part of the earth, which interacts, with the
other components of the earth system. Physical layers: Asthenosphere,
lithosphere and mesosphere. Composition Layers: Crust, Mantle, Core (inner and
outer)
Atmosphere: A mixture of gases in the air. Hydrosphere: Totality of earths water.
Biosphere: Living and dead organic components.
The Ecosphere is a thin layer of the earths surface that interacts with the
atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere in which life is possible. The Techno-
sphere includes areas of manufacturing, transportation and agriculture and this
affects the ecosphere.
In Earth system science, the findings of physical and biological sciences are
integrated into a global view of our planet. The approach considers the complex
interconnecting web of physical, chemical and biological processes and the
modifications of these processes and of the earths components through life.
Example of Earths system components interacting: Sandstorm blowing off of the
Northwest African Desert has blanketed hundreds of thousands of thousands square
miles of Atlantic Ocean. These sand storms and rising warm air can lift dust across
the Atlantic Ocean reaching areas of the Caribbean where they often issue air
pollution alerts. Additionally it has ben linked to the decline of coral reefs in he
Caribbean and also may have a role in determining the frequency and intensity of
hurricanes formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Another example: The release of
heated gas contains elements, which are nutrients for some creatures deep in the
ocean. The creatures all surround the gas and live off of it and live there. It also
contributes to the acidity and heat level of the ocean, which affects the life styles of
marine animals.
Two sources of energy in the Earth System (dynamic): 1) external energy from solar
radiation (sun) which drives the hydrologic cycle and the circulation of atmosphere
and oceans In turn these processes cause erosion. 2) Internal Energy; radioactive
decay in the earths interior, which drives volcanism and lithospheric deformation
(movement of plates).
Concept of Cycling: (Using the Global Water Cycle) Most of the water that
evaporates from the earth surface comes from the ocean (86%). 14% comes from
 the land. However, greater than 14% is returned to the land (approx. 22%). This
additional surplus (8%) derived from the ocean in evaporation is eventually
returned to the ocean via rivers where it will be available to evaporate again. 100%
of the water going into the atmosphere is completed by means of evaporation.
Global Change: the modifications of the earths systems components and of its
interactions between these components whether it be natural or human endued.
Change is a characteristic aspect of the earths system. Different types: Gradual
takes place over long periods of geologic time (millions of years), Catastrophic
takes place rapidly in geologic time (seconds to centuries), Unidirectional
Evolution of atmosphere and life. Cyclic Sequence of events that reoccur where
matter is transported from one portion of the cycle to another and then returned.
ExampleofNaturalChange:GreatOxidationEvent;Greatestchemicalchange.GOEiswherefreeoxygeninto
ouratmosphere.Itwascausedbycyanobacteriadoingphotosynthesis.Ittookaverylongtime,fromabout
threebillionyearsagotoaboutonebillionyearsago.Photosynthesiswasproducingoxygenbothbeforeandafter
theGOE.ThedifferencewasthatbeforetheGOE,organicmatteranddissolvedironchemicallycapturedany
freeoxygen.Dissolvediron(ofwhichtherewasagreatdeal)becameironoxideandhugedepositsofthisare
foundasbandedironrockfromtheArchaeanandProterozoiceras.TheGOEwasthepointwhentheseminerals
becamesaturatedandcouldnotcaptureanymoreoxygen.Theexcessfreeoxygenstartedtoaccumulateinthe
atmosphere.
Lifedrasticallyalteredthecompositionofthesurfaceoftheearth.
AirPollution:windsdistributepollutants.SourcesofMercuryaredistributedintheairbytwomainsources:
Human(greateremissionsbyhumanssuchascoalburningpowerplantsandwasteincinerators)andNatural
(biomassburningandvolcanic).Dominatingaircurrentscirculatetheseemissionstothearcticandotherareas
aroundtheworld.

FormationandEvolutionofTheUniverse:
Theuniversewascreatedfromaverysmall,denseconglomerationofmaterandenergy(called
singularity)thatthenexploded.ThiswasknownastheBigBang!(1015bya,anexplosionofthedense
centerofmatterintoatitanicfireball).Theuniverseismadeupofspaceandtime,allformsofmatter,
energyandmomentum,andphysicallawsthatgovernthese.
AftermathoftheBigBang:
HotcloudcontainingonlyHydrogen(98%)andHelium(2%)
Gasesclumpintoseparatecloudsforminganebulae
Collapseofanebulaeleadstoformationofprotostars.
Intheenormousgaseouscloud,createdwhentheuniversebegan,smallercloudofHandHeformed.
Thesecloudsofgasescondensedundergravitationalpullandcontractedintoswirlingtubularmassesof
materialthateventuallywouldbecomegalaxies.Thespinningcosmiccloudsfragmentedfurtherand
smallermasses(protostars)formedwithinthem.Duringtheirevolution,protostarscontractedunder
gravitationalpillandbecamedenser.Theirtemperaturesroseandnuclearfusionreactionsbeganwithin
them,
Starsform:
WhenfusionofHydrogenproducesHeliumuntilhydrogenisusedupthenfusionofHeliumtoform
heavieratomsuntilheliumisconsumedthentheformationofIron(Fe)inlargestars.
Asupernovaoccurswhenaverymassivestarrunsoutoffuelandanenergeticexplosionoccurssuchthat
elementsheavierthenFeareformed.Adeathofastarleavestheuniversewithheavierelementsleft
behindtomixwithresidualgasfromthebigbang.
 99%ofthemassoftheuniverseconsistsofHandHetheother1%isheavierelementalmatter.
SolarSystemFormation:
Sunisathirdorfourthgenerationstardeveloped5byafromanebulathatcontainedall92elements
(99%He,H,1%rest)].Planetsdevelopedfromresidualringofdustandgassurroundingthenewly
formedsun.
Thegasanddustfromtheprotoplanetarynebulacondensedintoplanetsimalsthatthenclumpedtogether
toformprotoplanetsandeventuallytrueplanets.
Innerrockyplanets(mercury,venus,earth,mars)aremadeupofheavyeleelmtnssuchasiron,
magnesium,siliconandoxygen.Outer,gaseousplanets(Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus,Neptune)areicyplanets
andmadeupoffrozengasesandlighterelementssuchasH,He,methane,andammonium.
GeologicTimeScale:thedivisionsofthegeologictimescaleoftenmarkmajorenvironmentalchangesand
biologicalchanges.(appearanceoforextinctionofspecies)
EON:Phanezoic;ERA:Ceneozoic,Mesozoic,Paleozoic
EON:Proterzoic,ArcheanPrecambrian,Hadean.
Hadean:HellonEarth:(4.63.8billionyearsbeforepresent)
Notmuchmaterialfromtheearlyhistoryoftheplanetsurvived.Alotofcollionsofprotoplanets
occurredhere.Theearlysurfaceoftheearthwastransformedcompletelybybombardmentsof
planetsimals,tectonicmovements,anderosionbywindandwatermakingitdifficulttodeterminewhat
earthlookedlikewhenitformed.(**Oldestgrains4.2Ga,westernAustralia)
InternalDifferentiation;(INSIDETHEEARTH)inthebeginningearthmeltedbecauseoftheenergy
fromtheaccretionoftheprotoearthfromplanetesimals,earlyimpactsandradioactivedecaywas
substantialenough.Sincetheearthwasinamoltenstateitleadtointernaldifferentiationwhereheavier
elementssuchasironandnickelsettledtowardstotheplanetscoreresultingintheformationofaniron
alloycoreandrockymantle.
OUTSIDEOFTHEEARTH:(Atthesurface);Atthesurfaceamagmalikeoceanexistied.Astheplanet
cooled,athinigneouscrustformed.TheformationofanatmospherecomposedofN2,NH3,CH4,H2O,
SO2,HCL,CO2wasformedfromthedegassingofthemantlethroughvolcanicactivity.THEREWAS
NOOXYGEN;whichenableslivingorganisms.
Astheearthssurfacecooled,thewatervapourintheatmospherecondensedandrainedontotheplanet.
(whenaircools,watervapourbecomesheavyandtheatmospherenolongercanholditthusitcomes
downasrain).TowardstheendoftheHadeaneon,aglobaloceanexistedandtheprimordialigneouscrust
waschemicallyweatheredbytherainwaterandgasesthatdissolvedinit.Thesolidalterationproductsof
theseweatheringprocessesbecamethefirstsedimentsoftheearth.
ArcheanEon:(3.82.5Ga)Atmosphericchangesandbeginningoflife;
Atthebeginningofthisera,thesunsluminositywassmallerby25%thentoday.Howeverfreezing
conditionswerenotreachedatthesurfacebecauseofanintensegreenhouseeffect.Greenhousegases
include:carbdondioxide,NHg,methane,N2O,H20.Thegreatamountsofcarbondioxide(100more
timesherethentoday)counteredtheeffectofthefaintsunandwarmedtheplanet.
Therewasaverydfferentatmosphereandoceanatthistime.Intheatmospheretherewashigher
concentrationsofCO2andlowerconcentrationsofO2.Thisleadtotheoceanbeingacidiccomparedto
todaywhereitisslightlybasic.
Thegoldilockseffect;whensomethingfallswithincertainmarginsasopposedtoreachingtheextremes.
Thecyclingofcarbonwhichwasestablishedandthepositionoftheearthinthesolarsystemwerekey
factorsindeterminingthesurfacetemperaturetopermittheearthbeingahabitualplanet.
Firstpossibleevidenceoflifeoccurredin3.8billionyearoldrocksinGreenland.(carboncompounds
havingisotopecompositionsindicativeofbiologicalactivityfoundininclusionsinapatitemayberelated
 tophosoynetheticbacteria.(cyanobacteria)Thesebacteriabecamewidespreadandrleaedoxygenintothe
environmentthroughtheprocessofphotosynthesis.Theoxygenbuildupinouratmosphereandocean
changedconditonsonourplanetforever.
SulfurSignaturethorughEarthsHistory;GreatOxidationevent:Inananoxicatmospherethereisno
ozonelayerbutinanoxicatmosphereanozonelayerispresent.Oxygenisneededtomakeozone.
eukaryoticcellsevolvephotosyenthisabilitycausingmoreoxygen.
ProterozoicEon:2.50.55:Transitiontothemodernworld
2.21.8Galargevolumesofironformationsweredeposited.Theseformationscontain90%ofthe
worldsmineableironore.Thisperiodofexcessironformationsalsomarksthetransitionofan
atmosphereandoceanbecomingabundantinoxygen.
Atabout2Ga,eukaryoticcellsappear(nuclicells).Theappearnceofthesecellswhichrequire
photosynthesisanduseitledtothemassivebuildupofoxygenintheatmosphereafter1.6Ga.
PhanerozoicEON:545MapresentVisibleLife
Organismswithshellsandbonesthatarebetterpreservedintherockrecord.Overthepast500million
yearstheearthshistoryhasseenthediversificationandincreaseincomplexityoflifeformsandmajor
rearrangementsofcontinentalblocks.
ERA:Paleozoic:545Ma245Ma
AtthebeginningoftheCambrian,thecontientswerescatteredfollowingthebreakupofthe
supercontinentRodinia,about750Maago.DuringthePaleozoic,continentsdirectedandtowardtheend
(Permian)werecollectedintoasupercontinentcalledPangaea.
AlsoatthebeginningthePaleozoiccoincidedwiththefinalpartofthesecondmajoricehouse.During
muchofthePaleozoicera,theearthwasahothouseduetothegradualincreaseinplatetectonicactivity
leadingtohighatmosphericCO2resultinginawarmgreenhousecondition.
ThePaleozoicerawasatimeofinlandsseasanddiversificationoflife.(500300).FirstFish(500)First
Shark(425)Firstlandplants(430),Extensiveplants(370),firstamphibians(350)andreptiles(300).
PALEOZOICERAENDEDWITHTHELARGESTEXTINCTIONEVENTINTHE
GEOLOGICALRECORD.(~250Ma)
PermianTriassicExtinction;marksthetransitionfromPaleozoicandMesozoicEra.Therewasgreaterthen
90%ofmarinespecieslostand>70%ofvertebratelost.Additionallywastheonlyextinctionofinsectsaswell.
Ittooktheearth46millionyearstorecover.
ERA:Mesozoic:24565Ma;Ageofthereptiles.
Mesozoicwasahothouse.TheatmosphericCO2reachedamaximumfortheMesozoicinlate
cretaceous.Itwasabout10degreeswarmerthantoday!
LateTriassic;riftsformedandthenPangaeabegantobreakup.EndofJurassic(150Ma)Atlantic
Oceanstartedtoopen.EndofCretaceous(70Maago);mostofpresentdaycontinentswereseparated,
theAtlanticOceanhadformedandIndiawasmovingrapidlynorthward.
Firstmammals(~200),Firstbirdsevolvedfromflyingdinosaurs(~160),floweringplants(~130)
Itendedwithalargeextinction.TheKT(CretaceousTertiaryExtinction)boundarymarksthetransition
fromMesozoiceratotheCenozoicera.Thiswastheendofthedinosaursand>75%ofspecieswerelost.
Itwascausedbymultiplecatastrophesofmeteorimpactsandincreasedvolcanicactivity.
CenozoicERA;65MapresentAgeoftheMammals
DuringthisstagewasthefinalstagesofPangaeabreakupwhereAustraliaseparatedfromAntarcticaand
GreenlandfromNorthAmerica.TheAtlanticOceancontinuestogrow.AplineHimalayanchairwas
formedbecauseofthecollisionofIndiaandAfricawithAsiaandEurope.
Firsthominid(67Ma),Neanderthaals(~350000yrsago)Modernhumans(~200000yearsago)
Theendoftheearth;Theultimateglobalchange:
Occurin5Gainthefuture,whenthesunrunsoutofnuclearfuelandtransformsbrieflyintoaredgiant,whose
diameterwillapproachthatoftheearthorbit;astheexpandingsunssurfacewillapproachtheearth,theplanet
willvaporize.