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Earth science:
Geology
- Earth’s resources
Renewables – Air (Oxygen, Wind power), Water (Drinking water, Hydropower, Tidal,
Wave), Biotic (Forest, Agricultural, Biomass), Solar, Geothermal
Non-renewables – Minerals (Carbonates, Silicates, Sulphates, Phosphates, etc.), Metal
Ore (Iron, Copper, Zinc etc.), Fossil fuel (Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas), Nuclear
(Uranium, Plutonium etc.)
- Plate Tectonics
Earth’s crust divided into multiple plates
Movements due to convection of mantle (containing magma)
Convergent -towards each other
-Continent & continent (Both up, Inland mountain ranges)
-Continent & ocean (Continent up, ocean down, Coastal mountain
ranges, active volcanoes)
-Ocean & ocean (One up, one down, Trenches due to subduction)
Divergent -away from each other
-Continent & continent (Rift Valley)
-Ocean & ocean (Ocean ridge)
Transform -sliding against each other
Continental drift over geological time (joining and breaking)
- Earth quake and volcanoes
Plate tectonics create pressure underground.
Causes earthquake when released
If occurs near ocean, may cause tsunami (creating ripple in ocean)
Epicentre refers to location where the pressure is released (shallow epicentre is more
destructive)
Volcanoes occurs due to rupture in earth’s crust which allows magma to leak to
surface (as lava)
Mostly found in boundary of tectonic plates due to weakened crust or heat from
tectonic motion (Pacific Ring of Fire).
Also found in hotspots which are areas which the mantle rises and weakens the
tectonic plates (Hawaii Islands).
Can be either active (constant activity), dormant (periodic activity) or extinct (lost
supply of magma)
- Geochemical cycles
Pathway taken by chemicals as they change from one form to another form
chemically on surface and in the crust.
Involves geological process such as subduction and volcanoes.
Sometimes may involve biological agents (biogeochemical cycle)
Important in recycling the chemical elements of the earth.
Very slow process so considered non-renewable.
E.g. Carbon, phosphorus, sulphur and rock cycle
Water systems
- Water cycle
Movement of water from one form into another through various processes such as
evaporation, condensation, melting, precipitation etc.
Also includes water flows on ground (river and lakes, surface runoff) and below
grounds (ground water, soil moisture)
Transfer of heat in environment
Transport of minerals across surface
Powered mostly by energy from sun (evaporation).
- Groundwater
Water which exist below surface
Among soil particles (soil moisture) or in cracks among rock layers (aquifer)
In colder region, may exist as permafrost (frozen soil)
In deeper area, may interact with geothermal energy (geyser, hot spring)
Depth which ground is saturated with water is known as water table
Atmosphere
- Earth’s atmosphere
Layer of gas surround Earth held in by gravity
Exerts pressure on surface of Earth (1 atm at surface)
Pressure and density of air decreases at higher level (Same for temperature but with
exception)
78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and the rest (including 0.04% carbon dioxide)
Also includes different concentration of water vapour depending on area
Troposphere -Lowest layer which is In contact with surface
-roughly 9 to 17 km from surface (thicker at equator)
-Contains most of the mass of atmosphere (highest density)
-Location of most of the weather (intense thunderstorms may reach
up to lower stratosphere)
Stratosphere -up to 50-55 km from surface
-Contains ozone layer which absorbs most of the UV light from sun.
-Ozone layer’s reaction with UV also creates warm layer of atmosphere
in the middle of stratosphere
-Very stable, no turbulence
Mesosphere -up to 80-85km from surface
-Most of the meteors burn up at this layer
-Very low temperature
Thermosphere -up to 500 to 1000km from surface
-100km region usually taken as the boundary between atmosphere
and space but gases still exist (at very low concentration) beyond that
distance.
-Very high temperature due to extremely low density of particle (i.e.
each particle is extremely energetic but combined heat is low).
-No presence of water
-International space station orbit around this region.
Exosphere -up to 10000km
-Contains extremely low concentration of gas molecules which no
longer behave as gases
-Ionic particles from sun may interact with magnetic field of earth to
produce aurora. (Sometimes extends into thermosphere)
-Most satellites orbit in this region.