MODULE 1

FIRST SEMESTER:1ST QUARTER

LESSON 1: FACTORS/CHARACTERISTICS OF EARTH NECESSARY TO SUPPORT LIFE

What makes Earth unique? Is it because of the liquid water found in its surface? Is it because of the
Sun? Or is it because of Earth’s atmosphere? A study published by the University of British Columbia shows
that there are roughly less than 6 billion Earth-like planets in our Galaxy alone. Imagine how many galaxies
are there in the universe. So, what really makes Earth unique? Its LIFE. As of the present time Earth is the
only confirmed planet to host life.

1. Habitable Zone (Goldilocks Zone): Earth is situated not too far or too near from the sun. This makes
our planets’ temperature just enough to support life. A very low temperature will lead to slow chemical
reactions slowing the necessary functions needed for life. Water will also freeze making liquid water
unavailable. A very hot temperature on the other hand will damage the biological macromolecules that
are essential for life and will cause liquid water to evaporate faster.

2. Suitable distance from the Sun: Earth is located at a distance from the Sun where temperatures are
conducive to supporting liquid water. This distance allows for a balance between not being too cold to
freeze water and not being too hot to evaporate it.

3. The Presence of water: Water is a crucial factor for the existence of life. It serves as a solvent for
chemical reactions and is essential for the survival of all living organisms.

4. Suitable temperature range: Life on Earth requires a temperature range that allows for liquid water
to exist. The planet should neither be too hot nor too cold, as extreme temperatures can disrupt
biological processes.

5. Atmosphere: A stable atmosphere is necessary to support life. It protects the planet from harmful
radiation, provides a source of oxygen, and helps regulate temperature and climate.

6. Core (Magnetic field): Earth's magnetic field protects the planet from the solar wind, a stream of
charged particles emitted by the Sun. This helps prevent the atmosphere from being stripped away by
solar radiation.

7. Atmosphere: Earth's atmosphere consists of approximately 21% oxygen. Oxygen is a key component
for respiration and the survival of aerobic organisms.

8. Suitable gravity/Stable Geological Activity: The presence of a suitable gravity helps to retain the
atmosphere, allows for the cycling of nutrients, and enables living organisms to function properly.

9. Nutrient availability: Life requires essential elements and nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen,
phosphorus, and sulfur, which should be available in suitable forms and quantities.

10. Sun (Stable orbit): Earth's relatively stable orbit around the Sun ensures a consistent amount of
sunlight, providing the necessary energy for photosynthesis and heat for the planet.

11. The Presence of Moon: The axis of our planet is tilted with respect to the sun. Its’ rotation creates a
tiny wobble that can shift the climate from hot to icy every cycle. But thanks to the presence of the
moon it stabilizes the wobble of the Earth’s axis, thus preventing extreme shifts of climate.

LESSON 2: THE FOUR SUBSYSTEMS OF THE EARTH

What is Earth?
- The earth is the 3rd planet from the sun between Venus and Mars.
- It consists of several unique properties, characteristics, composition and they all affect the processes
on earth.
- These are regarded as the four interlocking “wonders” that create the earth’s diversity.
 - They are primarily grouped into biological (living things) and physical (non-living things).
- The four major subsystems are scientifically called the biophysical elements namely the
hydrosphere (hydro - water), biosphere (bio - living things), Geosphere/lithosphere (Geos/litho -
land), and atmosphere (atmo - air). These spheres are further divided into various sub-spheres.

The Major Subsystem of the Earth

1. Atmosphere (Air) - A mixture of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and other gasses (1%) such as carbon
dioxide (0.039%), argon (0.93%) and the rest are trace gases (krypton, neon, helium, and xenon). The
higher the atmosphere, the thinner it becomes and this trait gradually moves towards space. It extends all
the way from the earth’s crust to more than 6200 miles (10,000 kilometers) above the earth’s surface into
space. The atmosphere is divided into several layers.

LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE

Scientists divided the atmosphere into four layers according to temperature: troposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere. The temperature drops as we go up through the troposphere, but it rises
as we move through the next layer, the stratosphere. The farther away from earth, the thinner the atmosphere
gets.

A. TROPOSPHERE – The closest layer to the Earth's surface, extending up to 8-15 km above the
Earth's surface. It contains 75% of the atmosphere's mass. The temperature and pressure drop as you
go higher up the troposphere. The Tropopause is the top of the troposphere where the temperature
reaches a (stable) minimum. Some scientists called the tropopause a "thermal layer" or "cold trap" a
point where rising water vapor cannot go higher because it changes into ice and is trapped. It
contains most of the Earth's weather phenomena, such as clouds, storms, and precipitation and
airplanes fly mainly in this layer.

B. STRATOSPHERE – It lies directly above the troposphere, and extends from about 15-50 km above
the Earth's surface. It contains the ozone layer, responsible for absorbing much of the sun's harmful
ultraviolet radiation located in the lower portion of the stratosphere. Warmer at the top than the
bottom. The lower portion has a nearly constant temperature with height but in the upper portion the
temperature increases with altitude because of absorption of sunlight by ozone. This temperature
increase with altitude is the opposite of the situation in the troposphere.

C. MESOSPHERE - Directly above the stratosphere, extending from 50 to 80 km above the Earth's
surface, the mesosphere is a cold layer where the temperature generally decreases with increasing
altitude. It is characterized by a decrease in temperature with height and is the layer where meteors
burn up upon entry, creating visible streaks of light called shooting stars.

D. THERMOSPHERE – It begins around 85 kilometers above the surface and extends into space. It is
known for extremely high temperatures because it absorbs intense solar radiation. The auroras
(known as Northern and Southern Lights), occur in this layer. The temperature is hot and may be
as high as 10000 as the few molecules that are present in the thermosphere receive extraordinarily
large amounts of energy from the Sun. The thermosphere would actually feel very cold to us because
of the probability that these few molecules will hit our skin and transfer enough energy to cause
appreciable heat is extremely low. The thermosphere corresponds to the heterosphere (no uniform
distribution of gases). The gases are stratified in accordance to their molecular masses. In contrast, the
gases in the homosphere (consisting of the troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere) are uniformly
distributed.

E. EXOSPHERE - The outermost layer extending up to 500 kilometers above the Earth's surface and
gradually merging into the vacuum of outer space. It consists of a thin atmosphere, mainly composed
of very light gas molecules, such as H and He, and is where satellite orbits and space debris are
found.

2. Hydrosphere (Water) - The hydrosphere includes all the gaseous, liquid, and solid water of the planet
earth. The hydrosphere stretches all the way from the Earth’s surface downward numerous miles into the
lithosphere and high above the crust into the atmosphere. Most of the water in the atmosphere is in
 gaseous form and as it rises higher into the atmosphere it condenses to form clouds which fall back on
earth as precipitation. The five layers of hydrosphere(oceans)

A. Epipelagic Zone (sunlight zone/Euphotic zone) - The uppermost layer of the ocean where sunlight
can penetrate that extends from 200 m deep, and home to a wide variety of marine life due to the
availability of sunlight for photosynthesis. The temperature ranges from 97°F (36°C) - 28°F (-2°C)
seasonally throughout all of the oceans, and it receives the most sunlight energy. This is called the
photic zone since this is where most photosynthesis occurs.

B. Mesopelagic Zone (twilight zone) – It extends from 200 m to 1,000 m deep in the ocean. The
temperature of this zone varies from 68°F (20°C) at the top to around 39°F (4°C). This layer receives
very limited sunlight, resulting in a decrease in temperature and a decrease in available food. Many
creatures in this zone are adapted to survive in low-light conditions. Most animals flourish in this
zone are fluorescent and semi-deep-sea creatures. An example is the bristle mouth sea creature,
whose population has grown quite a lot throughout the years.

C. Bathypelagic Zone (midnight zone) – This zone consists 1,000 to 4,000 m deep. The temperature
of this zone normally stays close to around 39 °F (4 °C). Sunlight does not reach this zone, so no
primary production is possible, and the water here is extremely cold, with high pressure. Adaptation
to darkness and pressure is necessary for the organisms found in this zone. The lack of light means
organisms cannot see, so a few species therefore do not have eyes because of this. Many large
aquatic sea creatures such as whales live in this layer of the ocean.

D. The Abyssopelagic Zone (the abyss) - This begins at around 4000 meters and extends down to
approximately 6000 meters. The temperature is about 37°F (3°C) at the top to around 36°F (2°C).
This layer never receives any sunlight. Most dead biological materials settle in this layer, as well as
the Hadalpelagic Zone. The waters are very calm because most turbulent water is in the upper two
zones. Shells of zooplankton and phytoplankton are found in this layer, as well as anglerfish, giant
squid, and tripod fish.

E. Hadalpelagic Zone (Hadal zone) - The hadal zone is the deepest part of the ocean, found in
trenches and canyons. It starts at around 6000 meters and extends to the bottom of the ocean. These
areas are characterized by extreme pressure and very low temperatures. Only a few species have
been able to adapt to these extreme conditions. The temperature of this layer to stay at an average of
32°F (0°C). Similar to the Abyssopelagic Zone, this layer of the ocean never receives any sunlight.
Known creatures include jellyfish, viperfish, and sea cucumbers.

3. Biosphere (Living Things) - All the living things in the planet are categorized under the biosphere
includes all of the animals, plants, and microorganisms of earth. Humans as well belong to this group. The
entire ecological communities within the physical surrounding of the earth are within the umbrella of
living things. These ecological communities interact together with the physical aspects of the earth
including the hydrosphere, geosphere, and the atmosphere.

4. Geosphere/Lithosphere (Land) - It is made up of all hard and solid land mass on the earth’s surface, the
semi-solid rocks (molten materials) underneath the earth crust, and the liquid rocks in the inner core of the
earth. The surface of the lithosphere is uneven as it is characterized by various landform features. Some of
the landforms include mountains like the Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Vesuvius in Italy, deep valleys
within the mountain ranges, huge plains like the ones in Texas and Brazil, extensive plateaus like Bolivian
plateau in South America and the Colorado Plateau of the United States, and hills like the black hills. The
lithosphere includes the brittle upper portion of the mantle and the crust, the outermost layers of Earth’s
structure. It is bounded by the atmosphere above and the asthenosphere (another part of the upper mantle)
below. Divided into sub-spheres namely the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core.
Layers of the Earth

1. Core – The innermost section of the earth which contains 1/3 of earth’s mass, and has a radius of
about 3360 km (2100 mi). It is made up of both solid and liquid metals, and iron and nickel. It
consists two distinct section.

a. Inner core (solid) – The center and the hottest layer of the Earth (the radius is about 960 km (600
mi).
- It consists of solid iron and nickel with temperature up to 5,500 0C due to its immense
of heat
- Very high material density of about 13 g per cm3 (0.5 lbs/in.3).

b. Outer core (liquid) – It is similar to a very hot ball of metals those temp. is around 4000 - 9000
0
F.
- It’s about 2400 km (1500 mi) thick band around the inner core. Rock matter at the top
of the outer core has a density of about 10 gm per cm3 (0.4 lbs/in.3)
- It consists of molten rock that is consist of liquid (melted) rock matter.
- It is located around 1800 mi under the crust and approximately 1400 mi thick.
- It has high pressure and temperature that squeezed metals together and not able to
move like a liquid, but are forced to vibrate.
- It is composed of metals such as iron and nickel.

2. Mantle (Solid rock material/matter) – The materials are less dense than the core from 3.3 -5.5 grams
per cm3 (0.12-0.20 lbs/in.3). The mantle consists of very hot and dense rock.
- It consists of silicate rocks (high in silicon and oxygen) and iron and magnesium.
- It is mainly made up of semi-molten rock known as magma.
- The widest section of the Earth. Its thickness is approximately 2,900 km.
- It contains mostly iron, but in the form of silicate rocks. Divided into two portions.

a. Upper mantle (asthenosphere) – The convection occurs in all fluids and is the rising
of warm particles and sinking of cool particles. The material in the upper mantle warms,
it rises straight up, and as it rises, it cools and then sinks back down. It involves plate
tectonic movements.

b. Lower mantle (Mesosphere) – It is completely solid similar to inner core; the pressure
is just too great for it to melt and flow.

Discontinuity – The boundary between mantle and crust marked by a significant change of
density indicated by an abrupt decrease in the velocity of seismic waves as they travel up
through internal boundary.

Mohorovicic Discontinuity – The boundary between crust and mantle noted by Andrija
Mohorovicic.

Gutenberg Discontinuity - The boundary between the core and mantle.

3. Crust – The outermost section of the solid earth which composed of a great variety of igneous,
metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. There are two kinds of earth crust.

a. Continental Crust – Its main mineral constituents are silica and aluminum it is
called SIAL (SI – 65-75% silica and AL – alumina). It composed of sodium and
potassium (felsic).
- It is made up of silicate rocks (feldspar, quarts, mica, and sand)
- It contains more light colored of rocks.

b. Oceanic crust – It consists mainly of silica and magnesium it also called SIMA
- (Mafic) - composed of iron, magnesium silicate rocks like basalt (igneous).
 - Composed of basalt, a heavy, dark – colored, iron-rick rock (high in silicon (Si)
and magnesium (Mg)

Answer the following questions.

1. How do the different subsystems of Earth interact with each other?

2. How do human activities affect Earth's subsystems?

3. How does the biosphere contribute to Earth's overall sustainability?

4. How does the hydrosphere affect the distribution of water and influence Earth's weather patterns?

5. What are the major factors that contribute to changes in Earth's atmosphere over time?