Related questions How does the atmosphere on earth compare to the atmosphere of Mars? How does the atmosphere on earth compare to the atmosphere of Venus? Why is nitrogen the largest component of the atmosphere? How did oxygen become such a major component of the current atmosphere?
What is the current composition of the atmosphere? How does the atmosphere protect us from ultraviolet rays? Learn more about how the earth is constructed with these classroom resources.
The rock cycle is a web of processes that outlines how each of the three major rock types—igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary—form and break down based on the different applications of heat and pressure over time. For example, sedimentary rock shale becomes slate when heat and pressure are added.
The more heat and pressure you add, the further the rock metamorphoses until it becomes gneiss. If it is heated further, the rock will melt completely and reform as an igneous rock. Empower your students to learn about the rock cycle with this collection of resources. The surface of the Earth is made up of tectonic plates that lie beneath both the land and oceans of our planet.
The movements of these plates can build mountains or cause volcanoes to erupt. Earthquakes are more common in some parts of the world than others, because some places, like California, sit on top of the meeting point, or fault, of two plates. When those plates scrape against each other and cause an earthquake, the results can be deadly and devastating. Learn more about earthquakes with this curated collection of classroom resources.
According to the United States Geologic Survey, there are approximately 1, potentially active volcanoes worldwide. Most are located around the Pacific Ocean in what is commonly called the Ring of Fire.
A volcano is defined as an opening in the Earth's crust through which lava, ash, and gases erupt. The term also includes the cone-shaped landform built by repeated eruptions over time. Teach your students about volcanoes with this collection of engaging material. A gallery of map illustrations showing the positions of tectonic plates in the geologic past. The mantle is the mostly-solid bulk of Earth's interior.
The mantle lies between Earth's dense, super-heated core and its thin outer layer, the crust. The theory of plate tectonics revolutionized the earth sciences by explaining how the movement of geologic plates causes mountain building, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary.
Click below to visit our MapMaker Interactive layer displaying the lithosphere's tectonic plates. Interactions also occur among the spheres; for example, a change in the atmosphere can cause a change in the hydrosphere, and vice versa.
Interactions that occur as the result of events such as floods and forest fires impact only a local region, meaning the flood waters can only travel so many miles from the original stream, and only the trees that lie within the area on fire will be burned. On the other hand, the effects of events such as El Nino or ozone depletion may cause interactions that can be observed worldwide. For example, the El Nino event--a change in the ocean currents off the coast of Peru-- can cause changes in weather patterns all the way across North America, while ozone depletion above Antarctica may result in increased levels of ultra-violet B radiation around the world.
Understanding the interactions among the earth's spheres and the events that occur within the ecosystem allows people to predict the outcomes of events.
Being able to predict outcomes is useful when, for example, developers wish to know the environmental effects of a project such as building an airport before they begin construction. Understanding the interactions that occur in the earth system also helps people to prepare for the effects of natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions; this understanding allows people to predict things like how far and in what direction the lava will flow. This relatively new field of studying the interactions between and among events and the earth's spheres is called Earth system science ESS.
There are ten possible types of interactions that could occur within the earth system. Four of these interactions are between the event and each of the earth's spheres:.
The double-headed arrows indicate that the cause and effect relationships of these interactions go in both directions; for example, "event hydrosphere" refers to the effects of the event on the hydrosphere, as well as the effects of the hydrosphere on the event. These four types of interactions can be illustrated in the Earth System Diagram below:. In addition to the above four event sphere interactions, there are six interactions that occur among the earth's spheres:.
Again, the double-headed arrows indicate that the cause and effect relationships of the interactions go in both directions; for example, "lithosphere hydrosphere" refers to the effects of the lithosphere on the hydrosphere, as well as the effects of the hydrosphere on the lithosphere.
These six types of interactions can be illustrated in gray in the Earth System Diagram below note the four event sphere interactions are also included in this diagram, they are depicted in gold :. The ten types of interactions that can occur within the earth system often occur as a series of chain reactions. This means one interaction leads to another interaction, which leads to yet another interaction--it is a ripple effect through the earth's spheres.
For example, a forest fire may destroy all the plants in an area event biosphere. The absence of plants could lead to an increase in erosion--washing away--of soil biosphere lithosphere.
Hanley Rd, Suite St. Louis, MO Subject optional. Email address: Your name:. Possible Answers: A volcano erupts and lava flows down the mountain side. The rock below melts.
An earthquake causes a tsunami. Several people are injured. A farmer uses a tractor to till soil and grow crops. It releases Carbon into the air. Heavy rain and flooding causes a landslide. A home is destroyed. Correct answer: A farmer uses a tractor to till soil and grow crops. Report an Error. Possible Answers: the oceans. Correct answer: the oceans. The model shows the direction of effects on 3 of Earth's spheres.
Possible Answers: Biosphere, Biosphere, Lithosphere. Correct answer: Biosphere, Biosphere, Lithosphere. What two spheres are represented in the image? Possible Answers: the hydrosphere and the atmosphere. Correct answer: the hydrosphere and the atmosphere.
Possible Answers: A: people breathe in oxygen B: people breathe out carbon dioxide C: the air is full of carbon dioxide. A: it rains B: animals drink water C: animals get eaten by people. A: a tornado forms B: the tornado rips up trees C: trees are in the air. A: rain clouds form B: rain washes trash into the sewers C: people have to clean it up.
Correct answer: A: it rains B: animals drink water C: animals get eaten by people. What sphere interactions can you infer from this photograph?
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