Energy

- Sun- is the primary source of energy for most processes in the earth system.

- Solar energy takes about an average of 8 1/3 minutes to reach Earth from

the sun, and it travels about 93 millions miles through space to reach the top

of Earth’s atmosphere.

- The majority of the sun’s radiation reaching earth is in the form of visible light

and infrared energy (heat)

- only 51 percent of sun’s energy absorb by earth, the remaining 49 percent

are being scattered in the clouds and some are reflected back into the space.

- Smaller portion of sunlight is made up of ultraviolet radiation and only 1 percent

of it reaches the earth surface.

- The planet earth receives enough amount of energy from the sun, it is neither

too much nor too low It’s because the earth has a right/perfect distance away

from the earth which called as the Goldilocks Zone.

Magnetic field

- Is a geomagnetic field that generated in our planet’s interior (outer core to be

precise) that extends out into space creating a region known as the

magnetosphere.

- Earth magnetic field is generated by what is known as the geodynamo

process.
- It is being generated by the movement within the iron core of the planet. This

movement produces an electrical current that generates a magnetic field when

spun – which means that when the planet rotates.

- Magnetosphere – protective magnetic bubble that sorround the planet to

protect it against harmful effects of solar radiation such as solar winds.

- it also plays the role of gatekeeper and our first line of defense.

- Solar wind is a continuous flow of charged particles. Best examples of solar

wind when it enters the earth atmosphere is can be seen from the aurora

borealis.

- Auroras – is the natural attraction between the sun and the earth atmosphere.

- Aurora borealis happen in the northern hemisphere while aurora australis

happen in the southern hemisphere.

- Solar wind carries 1 million tons of charged particles (proton and electron).

- Auroras occur when the charged particles are trapped in the atmosphere and

interact with different types of gas molecules such as nitrogen and oxygen,

resulting in unique colored displays of lights.

- When the charged particles interact with nitrogen it gives us blue light, while

when it interacts to oxygen it gives us red and green lights and the most

frequent color to appear is green.

- Magnetosphere also protects the earth from the large quantities of particle

radiation emitted during CME (coronal mass ejection) – sudden outburst of

plasma and also from cosmic rays.

 - The magnetosphere repels harmful energy away from the earth and traps

it in zones called the Van Allens Radiation belts.

- Magnetosphere is very essential because without it, solar wind would erode

(destoy) the earth atmosphere.

- When solar winds enters the planet’s atmosphere, it can affect us by:

 Disrupting communication

 Affecting navigation system

 Satellites

 Causing power outage

 Computer and other electronic devices could suffer severe damage

- Earth has the strongest magnetic field among the 4 rocky planets.

Nutrients

- These are the materials or substance that organisms need to live.

- These are materials that build and maintain an organism’s body.

- Biogeochemical cycle facilitates the transporting and replenishment of the

chemical and nutrients required by the biotic factor.

- The presence of volcanoes, cycle of water and atmosphere contribute to the flow

of nutrients within the earth system.

- Nutrients can come from the natural sources like plants and animals
- These nutrients can be found in the soil and water wherein it is rich in carbon,

nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and potassium. It is being transferred between

living and non-living parts of the ecosystem.

- This occurs when plants and animals consume the nutrients found in the soil,

and as the plants and animals die and decompose, the nutrients they obtain will

then released back into the atmosphere

- Decomposition releases nutrients into the environment.

- Biogeochemical cycle – refers to the movement of nutrients and other

elements between biotic (living things) and abiotic (non-living things)

factors.

Bio – biosphere – all living organisms are involved

Geo – geological components

Chemical – elements that undergo in a cycle

2 types of biogeochemical cycle

1. Gaseous cycle

Includes carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and water cycle

2. Sedimentary cycle

-includes sulphur, phosphorus and rock cycle

Biogeochemical cycle is very important because it regulates the elements that

necessary for life by cycling them between biotic and abiotic components of
 the earth system. Through this cycle it enables the continuous survival of all

organisms in the ecosystem.

Tectonic plates

- Refers to the earth crust that is being broken up into chunks called “plates” and

moves because of the convection current/motion in the mantle.

- Plays a key role in the carbon cycle which it determines the amount of c02 in the

atmosphere.

- It acts as a global thermostat – which means it stabilize/ regulates the

temperature on earth to make it stable enough to support life.

- It might have been our savour by creating volcanoes that spewed (releases) co2

into the atmosphere, helping it to retain more heat.

- Carbon conveyer belt- refers to the shifting of the massive amount of co2

between the deep earth into the earth surface – which happens in mid-ocean

ridges and ocean trenches.

- Mid-ocean ridges – divergent boundary (two plates are moving away from each

other)

- Ocean trenches- convergent boundary (two plates are colliding)

- When co2 dissolves in rainwater it creates carbonic acid

- Calcium in the broken down minerals combined in the dissolves co2 it forms

carbonates such as limestones

- When the limestone and other carbonate minerals are carried to subduction

zones where they are melted, it releases carbon dioxide through volcanic activity.

- Volcanoes are the natural way that co2 is released back into the atmosphere.