biosphere
BY- CAVIN KALLELY
SAMBHAV JAIN (3702)
Introduction
• The biosphere is the portion of
the Earth that is inhabited by life.
• It includes any place on
land(lithosphere),in the
water(hydrosphere) or in the
atmosphere where organisms
live
ATMOSPHERE
ATMOSPHERE
Earth’s atmosphere stretches from the surface of the planet up to as far as 10,000
kilometers (6,214 miles) above. After that, the atmosphere blends into space.
the atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surround the earth and act as a
protection shield against harmful rays of the sun.
While oxygen is necessary for most life on Earth, the majority of Earth’s
atmosphere is not oxygen. Earth’s atmosphere is composed of about 78 percent
nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, and 0.1 percent other gases.
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
the earth's atmosphere is divided into five
layers- the troposphere, the stratosphere,
the mesosphere, the thermosphere, and the
exosphere.
Troposphere
the layer closest to Earth’s surface is the troposphere, reaching from about seven and 15
kilometers (five to 10 miles) from the surface. The troposphere is thickest at the equator, and
much thinner at the North and South Poles. The majority of the mass of the entire atmosphere is
contained in the troposphere—between approximately 75 and 80 percent. Most of the water
vapor in the atmosphere, along with dust and ash particles, are found in the troposphere—
explaining why most of Earth’s clouds are located in this layer.
Stratosphere
The stratosphere is the next layer up from Earth’s surface. It reaches from the top
of the troposphere, which is called the tropopause, to an altitude of approximately
50 kilometers (30 miles).
Temperatures in the stratosphere increase with altitude. A high concentration of
ozone, a molecule composed of three atoms of oxygen, makes up the ozone layer
of the stratosphere. This ozone absorbs some of the incoming solar radiation,
shielding life on Earth from potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) light, and is
responsible for the temperature increase in altitude.
mesosphere
The top of the stratosphere is called the stratopause. Above that is the
mesosphere, which reaches as far as about 85 kilometers (53 miles) above Earth’s
surface. Temperatures decrease in the mesosphere with altitude. In fact, the
coldest temperatures in the atmosphere are near the top of the mesosphere—
about -90°C (-130°F). The atmosphere is thin here, but still thick enough so that
meteors will burn up as they pass through the mesosphere—creating what we see
as “shooting stars.” The upper boundary of the mesosphere is called the
mesopause.
thermosphere
The thermosphere is located above the mesopause and reaches out to around 600
kilometers (372 miles). Not much is known about the thermosphere except that
temperatures increase with altitude. Solar radiation makes the upper regions of the
thermosphere very hot, reaching temperatures as high as 2,000°C (3,600°F).
exosphere
The uppermost layer, that blends with what is considered to be outer
space, is the exosphere. The pull of Earth’s gravity is so small here
that molecules of gas escape into outer space.
HYDROSPHERE
• The hydrosphere is the combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface
of a planet, minor planet, or natural satellite. Hydrosphere is a Greek work of hydor i.e
water & sphaira i.e sphere. Although Earth's hydrosphere has been around for about 4
billion years, it continues to change in shape. This is caused by seafloor spreading and
continental drift, which rearranges the land and ocean.
• It has been estimated that there are 1.36 billion cubic kilometers (332 million cubic miles)
of water on [Link] includes water in liquid and frozen forms in groundwater, oceans,
lakes and streams. Saltwater accounts for 97.5% of this amount, whereas fresh water
accounts for only 2.5%. Of this fresh water, 68.9% is in the form of ice and permanent
snow cover in the Arctic, the Antarctic and mountain glaciers; 30.8% is in the form of fresh
groundwater; and only 0.3% of the fresh water on Earth is in easily accessible lakes,
reservoirs and river systems.
Water cycle
The water cycle refers to the transfer of
water from one state or reservoir to another.
Reservoirs include atmospheric moisture
(snow, rain and clouds), streams, oceans,
rivers, lakes, groundwater, subterranean
aquifers, polar ice caps and saturated soil.
Solar energy, in the form of heat and light
(insolation), and gravity cause the transfer
from one state to another over periods from
hours to thousands of years. Most
evaporation comes from the oceans and is
returned to the earth as snow or rain .
LITHOSPHERE
Lithosphere
The lithosphere is the rigid, outermost shell on
Earth. It is composed of the crust and the
portion of the upper mantle that behaves
elastically on time scales of thousands of
years or greater. The outermost shell of a
rocky planet, the crust, is defined on the basis
of its chemistry and mineralogy.
This includes the crust and the uppermost
mantle, which constitute the hard and rigid
outer layer of the Earth. The uppermost part of
the lithosphere that chemically reacts to the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere
through the soil-forming process is called the
pedosphere.
Lithosphere
The earth’s crust is not a homogeneous substance; it has different layers
of rocks including sedimentary rocks on top, granitic and metamorphic
rocks in the middle, and basaltic rocks on the bottom.
The earth’s crust also consists of several large dynamic tectonic plates.
These tectonic plates move slowly but continuously at an average rate of
around 10 cm. Considering this, there was no Atlantic Ocean, and North
America and Europe together were one continent 180 million years ago.
The Atlantic Ocean came into being because of the drifting apart from the
Eurasian and North America plates .
REFERENCE