How The Earth Works

The Solid Earth

 Earth Science
• Geology
– Solid Earth Much Larger than Other Parts
– Many More Kinds of Materials
– Preserves a History
• Meteorology – Climatology
• Oceanography
• Astronomy
– Planetary Geology
 Earth Systems
• External Effects (Astronomical)
• Atmospheric Circulation
• Oceanic Circulation
• Hydrologic Cycle
• Rock Cycle
• Plate Tectonics
Earth Systems
Earth Systems
Earth Systems
Earth Systems
Earth Systems
Earth Systems
Earth Systems
Earth Systems
 Earth and the Universe
• Rotation (Day-Night)
• Lunar (Tides)
• Annual (Seasons)
• Precession and Orbit Variations (Ice Ages?)
• Galactic (250 m.y. period)
• Unpredictable Events
– Nearby Supernovae
– Meteor Impacts
• Long-Term Evolution of Sun
 Atmospheric Circulation
• Unequal Solar Heating
– Equator to Pole
– Day - Night
– Different Surfaces
• Buoyancy
• Adiabatic Heating and Cooling
• Coriolis Effect
• High and Low Pressure
• Fronts and Air Masses
Rotation Effects
Rotation Effects
Rotation Effects
 The Coriolis Effect
• Due to moving on a
rotating earth
• Things on equator are
moving faster than
points near poles
• Affects:
– Winds
– Ocean Currents
– Tides
 The Coriolis Effect
• Things moving toward
the equator are
deflected west
• Things moving
poleward are
deflected east
• Deflected Right in
Northern Hemisphere
• Deflected Left in
Southern Hemisphere
1905 Weather Map
 Oceanic Circulation
• Surface Currents - Driven by Winds
• Thermohaline - Deep Circulation
– Evaporation makes water more saline and denser
– Freezing makes water more saline and denser
– Cold water is denser than warm water
Early Map of Gulf Stream
Surface Currents
Thermohaline Circulation
 Hydrologic Cycle
• Evaporation from Oceans
• Precipitation on Land
– Infiltration into Ground (Ground Water)
– Runoff (Erosion)
Hydrologic Cycle
 Water
• Principal Agent in Modifying Earth’s Surface
• Medium for Storing and Distributing Global
Heat
• The Universal Solvent
– Essential for Life
– Destructive to Rocks
• Lowers Melting Point of Rocks
• Reduces Strength of Rocks Under Pressure
 The Rock Cycle
• New Rocks Exposed by Erosion
• Rocks Broken Down Mechanically and Chemically
(Weathering)
• Components Transported by Erosion
• Components Cemented into Sedimentary Rocks
• Burial and Heating creates Metamorphic Rocks
• Melting Creates Igneous Rocks
The Rock Cycle
 Plate Tectonics
• Outer Crust of Earth Moves a Few cm/yr
• Driven by Convection in Earth’s Interior
• Accounts For:
– Earthquakes
– Volcanoes
– Mountain-Building (Orogeny)
• Configuration of Continents
Plate Tectonics
 Plate
Tectonics
and
Resources
 Configuration of Continents
• Oceanic Circulation
• Weather and Climate Patterns
– Deserts
– Mountains and Rain Shadows
• Pathways for Migration
• Ecological Niches
Configuration of Continents