Spheres of the Earth/ Layers of the Atmosphere

Spheres of the Earth

1.     Biosphere- sphere that contains all living things

2.     Geosphere/lithosphere- earth’s solid surface, which includes continental and oceanic crust as well as the various layers of the Earth’s interior

3.     Hydrosphere- all water. 71% of the Earth is covered by water and only 29% is solid land.

4.     Cryosphere- part of the Earth’s surface where water is in a solid form, usually as snow or ice, and includes glaciers, ice shelves, snow, and icebergs, and snow fields.

5.     Anthrosphere- Contains all things made by humans… cities, bridges, dams, and roads.

6.     Atmosphere- is a gaseous layer that surrounds the Earth.  Contains a mixture of gases composed primarily of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

Layers of the atmosphere

Four main layers from first to last- Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere.

Four minor layers from first to last- ozonosphere (in the stratosphere), Ionosphere, exosphere, and magnetosphere (all located in the Thermosphere).

Hello Parents,

MAGNETOSPHERE

Characteristics:

1. Earth's Magnetic Field

2. Causes Aurora Borealis

(Northern Lights

TROPOSPHERE

Temperature: DECREASES, 6.5 ºC per km

Characteristics: to about -60 ºC

1. Most weather occurs here where we live

2. Convection Currents

STRATOSPHERE

Temperature: INCREASES, to about -20 ºC

Characteristics:

1. Contains most of atmosphere's ozone

2. Where jets and manned balloons have gone

MESOSPHERE

Temperature: DECREASES, -100 ºC at top, Characteristics: 1. Protects Earth from meteors, 2. Coldest region of atmosphere

THERMOSPHERE

Temperature: INCREASES, 2,000 ºC at top

Characteristics:

1. Temps get up to 2000 oC

2. Air molecules are 1 km apart!

OZONOSPHERE

Characteristics:

1. Ozone is made of 3 oxygen atoms

2. Protects the surface from Sun's UV rays

3. Humans are causing Ozone depletion

IONOSPHERE

Characteristics:

1. Lower part of Thermosphere

2. Radio waves bounce back to

Earth's surface

EXOSPHERE

Characteristics:

1. Upper part of Thermosphere

2. Artificial Satellites orbit here