Earth Processes

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How does water affect Earth’s surface processes?

I have witnessed the evaporation of water from the pot of broccoli on the stove into the air while I was cooking before. I was able to see this process, because it was shown through steam.

Evaporation - condensation - cloud formation - precipitation - runoff - groundwater - oceans Water washes away rock/soil and moves other material through erosion. During erosion, soil and rock particles are worn away and moved somewhere else by gravity or wind, water, or ice. Soil is very important to our environment, because it absorbs water to help plants grow in the biosphere/lithosphere, and transports nutrients in the environment. The water cycle shows that water is in constant motion, which is shown through the water cycle processes that just keep going and going over and over. These processes won’t stop any time soon.

The water cycle represents the constant movement of water on, above and below Earth’s surface. Water moves material through erosion, and also helps transport nutrients along with soil.

How did life and Earth systems coevolve?

I have baked cakes many times before with my Mom and Dad, and every time we need the right ingredients to make it. We always need eggs, milk, sugar, flour, baking soda, etc. These are the ingredients of the cake. These ingredients are the things specifically needed to make the cakes.

Big bang - initial conditions - goldilocks conditions You bake an apple pie with pie crust, apples and sugar. These are the ingredients, the elements of an apple pie. You don’t bake an apple pie with salt and vinegar, those are not the ingredients/components of it. Goldilocks conditions are the conditions that are just right for life on Earth. This is just like Goldilocks and the three bears. One bowl of porridge was too hot, one too cold, but one that was just right. Conditions - the state of something with regard to its appearance, quality, or working order.

Goldilocks conditions refer to the Earth at what seems like the perfect distance from the sun, in order to obtain oceans of liquid water for life on Earth. An ingredient is a component part or element of something.

How do some changes create feedback that affect other Earth systems?

I have witnessed erosion that has occurred in my Family’s fields, which was due to the fact that the lithosphere and hydrosphere interacted to cause the erosion.

Many birds (biosphere) fly through the air (atmosphere), while water (hydrosphere) often runs through the soil (lithosphere). Plants (biosphere) draw water (hydrosphere) and nutrients from the soil (lithosphere) and release water vapor into the air (atmosphere). The atmosphere and hydrosphere interact to form rain, or snow. The lithosphere and hydrosphere interact to cause erosion. Soil (lithosphere) - water (hydrosphere) - plants (biosphere) - Oxygen (atmosphere).

Subtopic

Final Answer - Human activities change the planet, both for the good and the bad. We provide ne life, joy, culture and science to the world, but also cause pollution, environmental and habitat damage, mine fires and huge landfills. There is always going to be good and bad in the world, but you can choose to make your positive impact outweigh your negative one.

What issues does waste from humans cause?

On average, each person produces about 4.4 pounds of waste per day. People could change this in many ways, such as doing something as simple as bringing a reusable water bottle to work rather than two plastic ones.

What is the impact of developing and using energy resources on Earth’s living and non-living systems?

I, myself am guilty of using many nonrenewable resources such as oil and gas for my car. However, I am looking forward to changing my habits in the future.

Mining pros - extraction of raw materials, job opportunities and economic incomes. Mining cons - mine fires, noise pollution and environmental/habitat destruction. Renewable resources - a resource that can be used repeatedly and is replaced naturally. Nonrenewable resources - a resource of economic value that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a fast enough pace to keep up with consumption.

Yes, mining can help us receive more materials from the Earth, but it can also cause many issues, such as mine fires. Renewable energy sources that can be naturally replenished, while nonrenewable energy sources cannot. We are using more nonrenewable energy sources than renewable, and that is a problem.

Why is carbon important?

I have gone swimming in the ocean, which is a carbon sink. The ocean is a carbon sink, because it is able to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. The plants in the ocean take in CO2 just like plants on land and produce oxygen.

Carbon source - any carbon containing molecule that is used by an organism for the synthesis of its organic molecules. Carbon sink - a natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Extra CO2 in the atmosphere increases the greenhouse effect. This is because more thermal energy is trapped by the atmosphere, causing the planet to become warmer than it naturally would be. Extra CO2 in the atmosphere also increases the temperature of the Earth’s surface, resulting in global warming.

Carbon sources release CO2 into the atmosphere, while carbon sinks remove CO2 from the atmosphere. More CO2 in the air causes the planet to become warmer.