EARTH SCIENCE (GRADE 11)

Prepared by: SURA J. AMILBAHAR

EARTH AND ITS

SUBSYSTEMS

THE EARTH SYSTEM

SYSTEM

any entity that consists of interrelated

parts or components that work together to
function as one unit.

VARIABLES

individual components of a system.

SUBSYSTEMS

functioning units of a major system

that demonstrate strong internal connections.

EARTHS MAJOR SUBSYSTEMS

ATMOSPHERE gaseous blanket of air that envelopes,

shields and insulates Earth.

HYDROSPHERE waters of Earth; oceans, lakes, rivers,

glaciers, etc.

LITOSPHERE/GEOSPHERE makes up the solid Earth

landforms, rocks, soils and minerals.

BIOSPHERE the part of Earth where living things thrive as

well as the living organisms themselves.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE

ENVIRONMENT can be defined as our surroundings; including all
physical, social and cultural aspects of our world that affect our growth,
health and way of living.

Systems composed of a wide variety of elements and processes that

involve interconnections among weather, climate, soils, rocks,
terrain, plants, animals, water and humans.

ECOSYSTEM refers to a community of organisms relation to each other

and to their physical environment.
- Ecosystems are an important aspect of natural environments, which are
affected by the interaction of many processes and components.

EARTH AS A LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM

Earths most critical characteristic is a life-support

system.

Buckminster Fuller (distinguished scientist and inventor)

coined the notion of Spaceship Earth. Its the idea that our
planet is like a life-support system transporting us through
space.

Due to this crucial characteristic, the rising problem of

environmental destruction comes into focus and world
leaders have been talking about ways to retain natural
resources for the present and future generations.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING

A lot of natural resources are abused, wasted and exhausted

threatening the Earths ability to support life.

Nonrenewable natural resources, such as coal or oil, are depleted and

once exhausted, will not be replaced.

OVERSHOOT the using of resources in a year more than their annual

renewal, growth or replacement.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT an action plan or roadmap that meets the
need of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.

NATURAL HAZARDS & HUMAN IMPACTS

NATURAL HAZARDS refers to natural processes, typically of unusual intensity,

that put environments and human life or property at risk of damage or
destruction.

HUMAN IMPACTS human activities that affect and alter environment.

- human population growth plays a big role in this because a lot of human
activities have several effect on the our environment, especially in terms of
resource utilization.
- some factors cause by human activities:
1.

Land-use changes (e.g. kaingin farming)

2.

Pollution (air pollution, land pollution, water pollution, noise pollution)

3.

Resource Exploitation (e.g. Illegal logging, coal mining)

4.

Exotic Species

MODELS AND SYSTEMS

MODELS representations of the real world; useful simplification of a more

complex reality that permits prediction of certain results.

TYPES OF MODELS
1.

Pictorial/Graphic models pictures, maps, graphs, diagrams, drawings,

and computer-generated visualizations.

2.

Mathematical/Statistical models used to understand processes and

predict possibilities such as river floods or influence of climate change on
daily weather.

3.

Conceptual model the mind imagery that we use for understanding our
surroundings and experiences. (e.g. mental map)
* Words, language and definitions of terms or ideas also serve as models.

Even a simple paper model

of Earth is a model.

A sample of Statistical Model.

A computer-generated visualization of typhoon Egay in the Philippines.

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS suggests that the way to understand how anything works
is to use the following strategy:

1.

Clearly define the system that you are studying.

2.

Break the defined system down into its component parts (variables). The
variables in a system are either matter or energy.

3.

Attempt to understand how these variables are related to (or affect, react
with, or have impact on) one another.
INPUTS matter/energy that goes into the system.
OUTPUTS matter/energy that comes out of the system; a result of a
process.
THROUGHPUTS rates of flow; processes undergone by components.

TWO BASIC TYPES OF SYSTEM

ACCORDING TO HOW IT WORKS
OPEN

SYSTEMS energy and matter move freely

across subsystem boundaries as inputs and
outputs.

CLOSED

SYSTEMS no substantial amount of

matter crosses its boundaries, although energy
can go in and out.

The Earth is a closed system where materials cycle

between
the
lithosphere
(Earth),
atmosphere,
hydrosphere, and biosphere with a few exception of rare
meteorites and samples from Moon brought back by
astronomers.

EQUILIBRIUM IN EARTH SYSTEMS

If the inputs entering a system are balance by outputs, it is said to have reached
a state of equilibrium.

NEGATIVE FEEDBACK an inverse relationship; one change tends to offset another.

POSITIVE FEEDBACK a direct relationship; changes that reinforce the direction of
an initial change.
THRESHOLD a condition that causes a system to change dramatically. They are
important regulators of system processes.
FEEDBACK LOOP a circular set of feedback operations that can be repeated as a
cycle.

A sample of feedback looping as the same

negative/positive feedback occur.

ATMOSPHERE,
TEMPERATURE AND
EARTHS ENERGY BUDGET

THE ATMOSPHERE

ATMOSPHERE relatively thin envelope of gases that surrounds the Earth.

ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION

Composed of a different gases, particulate matter, molecules, etc. that work

together to create a suitable air for living things. These are the four most
abundant atmospheric gases:

1.

Nitrogen Gas (N2) important for plant growth.

2.

Oxygen (O2) people and animals breathe oxygen; also needed for oxidation
(burning) of food we consume.

3.

Argon (Ar) chemically inactive gas and therefore neither helps nor hinders
life on Earth.

4.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) needed in photosynthesis which plants use to produce

carbohydrates (sugar or starches).

OTHER ATMOSPHERIC SUBSTANCES

1.

Water vapour gas state of water. Variations in

the percentage of water vapour over time and
place are important in understanding weather and
climate.

2.

Particulate matter solid particles suspended in

the atmosphere. (e.g. smog, vehicular exhausts,
volcanic ash, salt from ocean spray, etc.)

3.

Aerosols solids/liquids suspended in the

atmosphere. (e.g. Sulfur dioxide crystals or SO2)

THE OZONE & OZONE HOLE

This image shows the hole in our ozone layer. However, it is not
literally a hole, it is just a less dense part of the ozone layer that is
threatened to function as a protective shield of Earth.

VERTICAL LAYERS OF
THE ATMOSPHERE
(Temperature Characteristics)
Troposphere 8 to 16 km above surface where
water vapour and particulates are
concentrated.
Stratosphere this is where we find the ozone
layer and its conditions that protect Earth from
excessive UV radiation.
Mesosphere temperatures tend to drop with
increased altitude.
Thermosphere air is so thin there is practically
a vacuum and little heat can be transferred.
Exosphere almost outside the Earth.

VERTICAL LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE

(Functional Characteristics)

Ozonosphere also known as the ozone layer.

Approximately the zone between 15 and 20 km above
surface.

Ionosphere denotes the ionization of molecules and

atoms in this layer, mostly as a result of UV energy, X-rays,
and gamma radiation.

ENERGY TRANSFER PROCESSES

RADIATION transfer of electromagnetic energy from Sun

through space to Earth.

- all objects with a temperature above absolute zero emit

electromagnetic radiation.
SHORTWAVE SOLAR RADIATION also known as LIGHT
LONGWAVE RADIATION also known as HEAT
LONGWAVE THERMAL ENERGY known as TERRESTRIAL RADIATION

CONDUCTION transfer of energy between two objects in

contact with each other. Heat flows from warmer objects to
cooler ones in contact.

CONVECTION vertical transfer of heat through the

atmosphere.

Conduction,
Convection and
Radiation is usually
observed when you
boil water in a pan.

ADVECTION horizontal transfer of heat; winds and ocean currents

are the two major mechanisms of advective heat transfer.

A sample of
advective
process. Moist
on top of
ocean travels
horizontally to
inland and
creates fog.

LATENT HEAT EXCHANGE energy transfer that occurs with the

changes in water from one state to another.
SENSIBLE HEAT heat that we can feel.
LATENT HEAT stored in a form that we cannot feel.

TEMPERATURE VS. HEAT

TEMPERATURE

measure of average kinetic

energy of individual molecules in a substance.

HEAT

energy being transferred from one

substance or medium to another as a result of
their temperature differences.

TEMPERATURE SCALES

FARENHEIT 1714 by Daniel Farenheit, a German scientist.

Boiling temp of water = 2120F

Freezing temp = 320F

CELSIUS 1742 by Anders Celsius, a Swedish astronomer.

Boiling temp = 1000C

Freezing temp = 00C

CONVERTION
C = (F 32) / Temp
F = (C . Temp) + 32

KELVIN Lord Kelvin, a British scientist, believed that negative temperatures

should not exist.

absolute zero temperature a certain temperature where molecules does

not move to create energy anymore. It is -2730C or -4600C, so, 0K = -2730C.
K = C + 273

WEATHER & CLIMATE

WEATHER refers to the atmospheric conditions at a given

time and for a specific area.

CLIMATE describes an areas average weather; also

includes deviations from normal or average that are likely
to occur.

METEOROLOGY involves monitoring, analysing, and

forecasting the weather.

CLIMATOLOGY study and classification of climates, both

past and present, their distribution on Earth and the
processes that influence climate.

Climate Map of the World

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL ATMOSPHERIC ELEMENTS

as indicators of weather & climate:
1.

Solar Energy

2.

Temperature

3.

Atmospheric Pressure

4.

Wind

5.

Precipitation

sources:

Earth Science by G. Tyler Miller, Jr., Scott Spoolman, et. Al. p. 4-38

Metamorphosis (Grade 9) by M. Matira, C. Alegria, et. Al. p. 47- 73

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