BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS

BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS

1. ATMOSPHERE

   • Structure of the atmosphere
     • 1. troposphere 2. stratosphere 3. mesosphere 4. thermoshpere
   • is the vast gaseous envelope of air that surrounds the Earth
   • insulates earth from extreme temperatures
     • Insolation = incoming solar radiatoin
   • Negative Impacts on atmosphere = fossil fuels green house gasses hole in ozone layer global warming

2. LITHOSPHERE

   • Parent Material
     • provides starting point for soil formation.
       • Rocks high in silicia are high in acidity and have low clay content and and low fertility eg sand stone
       • non acidic parent material eg basalt are high in iron and magnesium. Important in clay formation and often fertile
   • Definitions
     • LITHOSPHERE: is the earths surface and all its components and inorganic mistures of rocks and soil
     • WEATHERING: physical disintegration and chemical decomposition of land
     • MASS MOVEMENT: down slope movement of weathered rock material
     • EROSION: the wearing away of land by a force of water

3. BIOSPHERE

   • The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists. The biosphere extends from the deepest root systems of trees, to the dark environment of ocean trenches, to lush rain forests and high mountaintops
   • Origins of the Biosphere
     • The biosphere has existed for about 3.5 billion years. The biosphere’s earliest life-forms, called prokaryotes, survived without oxygen. Ancient prokaryotes included single-celled organisms such as bacteria and archaea.

4. HYDROSPHERE

   • Global Water Budget = Web definitions the balance of the volume of water coming and going between the oceans, atmosphere, and continental landmasses

5. HUMAN IMPACTS

   • Climate Change
   • Increase in natural disasters
   • Burning of fossil fuels
   • Tourisms effect on the environment
   • Introduced species eg Bito Bush on sand dunes

Images and files in the map