1. The Earth

2. Earth’s Shape
Earth is an oblate spheroid, slightly flattened at the poles and bulging a little at the equator.
From outer space, Earth looks perfectly round and smooth.

3. Branches of Earth Science
There are FOUR main branches in Earth Science
1. Astronomy
2. Meteorology
3. Oceanography
4. Geology

4. Astronomy The study of SPACE
Includes topics as the sun and other stars, planets and other objects in our solar system, lunar phases, tides, and eclipses.

5. Meteorology
The study of the ATMOSPHERE that surrounds the planet, including weather and climate
Topics include cloud and precipitation types, storms such as hurricanes and tornadoes, and fronts, pressure systems, and weather maps.

6. Oceanography The study of Earth’s OCEANS
Topics include our four major oceans, the properties of seawater, ocean floor and coastline features, ocean sediments, and major ocean currents.

7. Geology The study of Earth’s surface, materials, and processes
Topics include minerals and rocks, volcanoes, earthquakes, faults and folds, soils, erosion, mountains, plate tectonics, and geologic history.

8. Earth’s Structure The Earth has FOUR major parts: Lithosphere (solid)
Hydrosphere (liquid)
Atmosphere (gas)
Biosphere

9. The Lithosphere
The dense, solid shell of the earth composed of rock and soil that includes the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.

10. The Hydrosphere
Consists of the WATER in Earth’s oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and glaciers, as well as the water in the atmosphere
Covers 70% of the earth’s surface.
About 97% of Earth’s
water exists as salt water
Of the remaining 3%
fresh water, ¾ is
contained in glaciers and icebergs

11. The Atmosphere
The shell of gasses that surround the earth and is layered into zones.
Troposphere contains the gasses necessary for life.
78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gasses.
Strong winds and storms along with most of the water vapor and clouds .
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere

12. The Biosphere
Includes all organisms on Earth as well as the environments in which they live
These systems – or “Geopsheres” - interact and impact one another