Unit 2

The Earth System and Physical Environment

2.1. Physical Environmental Component

2.1.1. Hydrosphere
2.1.2. Atmosphere
2.1.3. Lithosphere
2.1.4. Biosphere
2.1.5. Human and Built Environment
 Unit 2:The Earth System and Physical Environment
 The Earth system is a complex functioning system that includes all
the components of the various "spheres" like :-
 the solid Earth or lithosphere,
 the gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth that is the atmosphere,
 biosphere included of all living organisms and the hydrosphere or
"water sphere".
 There are four physical systems:-
 the atmosphere,
 the biosphere,
 the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere.
 These constitute the essential units of the planet's physical systems.
 2.1. Physical Environmental Component
 Physical component of environment includes air, water, soil, light,
temperature, climate, etc.
 The physical components are also termed as abiotic components
of the environment.
 These environmental components accounts for determination of
living conditions for the human population.
Cont..
 2.1.1 Hydrosphere
 The other name of water is Life.
 The geographical name of all types of water in the world is
hydrosphere.
 A hydrosphere (from Greek - hydor, "water" and - sphaira,
"sphere") in physical geography describes the combined mass of
water found on, under, and over the surface of a planet.
 Water travels in the hard, liquid and gaseous form.
 97% of the total water of the world is deposited in the ocean and the
rest 3% has surrounded the atmosphere, glacier, rivers and lakes.
 2.1.1 Hydrosphere
 How is the balance of water being maintained?
 Its only answer is hydrological cycle that maintains balance of
water.
 The existence and shape of water change under the influence of
the sun-rays upon water, air and rocks.
 Hydrological cycle describes the continuous movement of water on,
above and below the surface of the Earth.
 It is a system which describes the distribution and movement of
water between the earth and its atmosphere.
 In this vast cycle, driven by solar energy, our supply of water is
renewed again and again.
 2.1.1 Hydrosphere…contd
 Sublimation; Some substances will transition from a solid to a gas
and skip the liquid phase entirely at standard conditions.
 This change from a solid to a gas is called sublimation.
 The reverse process of a gas going to a solid is known as deposition.
 Water evaporates from different sources and gravity pulls it back
down as rain.
 The water runs eventually into the ocean, which is the largest water
storage tank.
 Because of this cycle, water is continually replaced.
 The elements that influence Hydrological cycle are:
 Evapotranspiration
 Condensation
 Precipitation
 Runoff
 Infiltration
 Interception
 Evapotranspiration
 Evaporation is the transformation of water from liquid to gas
phases as it moves from the ground or bodies of water into the
overlying atmosphere.
 The source of energy for evaporation is primarily solar radiation.
 The sun provides energy, which powers evaporation.
 When water is heated, its molecules get excited and vibrate so much
that they break their chemical bonds.
 Solar energy causes water to evaporate from oceans, lakes, rivers,
and streams.
 Transpiration is the release of water vapor from plants into the
atmosphere.
 Evapotranspiration……contd
 During transpiration, plants and animals release moisture through
their openings. This water rises into the atmosphere as vapor.
 Transpiration from the leaves and stems of plants is also crucial to the
hydrologic cycle.
 Plants absorb groundwater through their roots deep in the soil.
 some plants, like corn, have roots a couple of meters in length,
while some desert plants have to stretch roots over 20 meters down
into the soil.
 Plants pull water and nutrients up from the soil into their leaves.
 Transpiration adds approximately 10% of all evaporating water to
the hydrologic cycle.
 Evapotranspiration……contd
 Because of the huge amount of water in the oceans, it makes sense
that roughly 80% of all evaporation comes from the oceans, with
20% coming from inland water and plant transpiration.
 Wind currents transport water vapor around the world, influencing air
moisture worldwide.
 Hydrologists (scientists who study the Earth’s water cycle) estimate
that 100 billion gallons of water a year are cycled through this
process.
 Condensation
 As water vapor rises, it gets cooler and eventually condenses,
sticking to minute particles of dust in the air.
 Condensation describes water’s change from its gaseous form
(vapor)into liquid water.
 Condensation generally takes place in the atmosphere when warm
air rises and then cools.
 Condensation is the process where by water vapour in the atmosphere
is changed into a liquid state.
 Condensation is the opposite of evaporation.
 Precipitation
 Precipitation occurs when a portion of the atmosphere becomes
saturated with water vapor, so that the water condenses and
"precipitates".
 Precipitation can also be defined as any form of water falling from
the atmosphere to the ground.
 Precipitation can be in the form of rain, hail, snow or frozen rain.
 Precipitation
 Precipitation occurs when a portion of the atmosphere becomes
saturated with water vapor, so that the water condenses and
"precipitates".
 Precipitation can also be defined as any form of water falling from
the atmosphere to the ground.
 Precipitation can be in the form of rain, hail, snow or frozen rain.
 Runoff
 Runoff is water flows over land as surface water instead of being
absorbed into groundwater or evaporating.
 Runoff is made up of rainfall or snow melt that has not had time to
evaporate, transpire, or move into groundwater reserves.
 It occurs when excess storm water, melt water, or other sources
flows over the Earth's surface.
 This might occur because soil is saturated to full capacity, because
rain arrives more quickly than soil can absorb it.
 Surface runoff is a major component of the water cycle.
 It is the primary agent in soil erosion by water.
 Infiltration
 Infiltration is the process by which precipitation or water soaks
into subsurface soils and moves into rocks through cracks and
pore spaces.
 Water can be absorbed by the soil and may stay in the soil for a
long time until it gradually gets evaporated.
 If there is a lot of vegetative cover (green plants) the infiltrated water
can also be absorbed by plant roots and later transpired.
 Infiltration occurs in the upper layers of the ground but may also
continue further downwards into the water table.
 Infiltration…contd
 Depending on how saturated the ground is, the water can continue
downwards to replenish water tables and aquifers. This is
called percolation.
 The rate of infiltration depends on factors such as the amount of;
 precipitation,

 the type of soils,

 the amount of vegetative cover over the area,
 pre-saturation levels,
 the topography of the land as well as the levels of
evapotranspiration in that region.
 Interception
 At the time of raining, the whole amount of rain does not reach the
earth directly because it is obstructed by so many things such as the
vegetable world; atmosphere and the sun-rays evaporate some
amount of rain.
 This is called interception.
 It also refers to precipitation that does not reach the soil, but is
instead intercepted by the leaves and branches of plants and the forest
floor.
 2.1.2.Atmosphere
 An atmosphere is the layers of gases surrounding a planet.
 Earth’s atmosphere is composed of about :- 78% nitrogen, 21%
oxygen, and one percent other gases.
 These gases are found in layers (troposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere) defined by unique
features such as temperature and pressure.
 The atmosphere protects life on earth by shielding it from
incoming ultraviolet (UV) radiation, keeping the planet warm
through preventing extremes between day and night temperatures.
 COMPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERE
 The composition of the atmosphere is not static.
 It changes according to the time and place. Why??

(A) Gases of the atmosphere:

 The atmosphere is the mixture of different types of gases,
including water vapor and dust particles.
 Nitrogen and Oxygen are the two main gases of the atmosphere.
 99 percent part of it is made up of these two gases.
 Other gases like organ, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, neon, helium
etc. form the remaining part of atmosphere
 Gases of the atmosphere….contd
A. Ozone Gas
 The amount of ozone gas in the atmosphere is very little but it is
very important. why we say it is very important ????
 It protects the living beings by absorbing the ultraviolet rays of the
sun.
 If there was no ozone gas in the atmosphere, there would not have
been existence of living beings and plants on the earth surface.
 Gases of the atmosphere….contd
(B) Water vapor
 Gaseous form of water present in the atmosphere is called water
vapor.
 Water vapor present in the atmosphere has made life possible on the
earth.
 Water vapors is the source of all kinds of precipitation.
 Its maximum amount in the atmosphere could be up to 4 percent.
 Maximum amount of water vapor is found in hot-wet regions .
 Hot air can hold more water vapor than cold air, so the amount of
water vapor is highest in hot, tropical areas and lowest in cold,
polar regions.
 Gases of the atmosphere….contd
(c) Dust Particles
 Dust particles are generally found in the lower layers of the
atmosphere. Why ??
 These particles are found in the form of sand, smoke and oceanic
salt. So they are denser than air.
 These dust particles help in the condensation of water vapor.
 During condensation water vapor gets condensed in the form of
droplets around these dust particles.
 Due to this process the clouds are formed and precipitation is made
possible.
 Importance of the Atmosphere
i. Oxygen is very important for the living beings.
ii. Carbon dioxide is very useful for the plants.
iii. Dust particles present in the atmosphere create suitable
conditions for the precipitation.
iv. The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere goes on changing and
directly affects the plants and living beings.
v. Ozone protects all kinds of life on the earth from the harmful
ultra violet rays of the sun.
 2.1.3. Lithosphere

 READING ASSIGNMENT
 2.1.4. Biosphere
 The biosphere is the layer of the planet Earth where life exists.
 It is the zone of air, land, and water at the surface of the earth that is
occupied by organisms.
 The Earth system, which directly supports life, including the oceans,
atmosphere, land, and soil, is called the biosphere.
 All the Earth’s plants and animals live in this layer, which is
measured from the ocean floor to the top of the atmosphere.
 All living things, large and small, are grouped into species or
separate types.
 2.1.4. Biosphere…contd
 The main compounds of the biosphere contain carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen.
 These elements interact with other Earth systems.
 The biosphere is roughly 20,000 meters high.
 The portion most populated with living species is only a
fraction/section of that.
 It is measured from just below the ocean’s surface to about 1,000
meters above it.
 Most living plants and animals live in this narrow layer of the
biosphere.
 2.1.5. Human and Built Environment
 The built environment is the human-made surroundings where
people gather to live, work and play.
 The built environment has an impact on human wellbeing.
 The built environment also puts pressure on natural resources,
mainly through the use of land, water and energy resources, as well as
through the waste that is generated from activities taking place within
it.
 The building industry is a vital element of any economy but has a
significant impact on the environment.
Only Built of Environment
Built Environment and its impact
Waste can pollute soil, air, ground water and have health impact
 2.1.5. Human and Built Environment ….contd
 Construction is one of the largest users of energy, material
resources, and water, and it is a terrible polluter.
 In response to these impacts, appropriate strategies and actions
are needed to make building activities more sustainable.
 With respect to such significant influence of the building industry, the
sustainable building approach has a high potential to make a valuable
contribution to sustainable development
 2.2. The Notion (Concept )of Earth System
 The term “Earth system" refers to Earth´s interacting physical,
chemical, and biological processes.
 The system consists of the land, oceans, atmosphere and poles.
 It includes the planet's natural cycles — the carbon, water, nitrogen,
phosphorus, sulphur and other cycles — and deep Earth processes.
 The Earth system now includes human society, Our social and
economic systems are now embedded within the Earth system.
 In many cases, the human systems are now the main drivers of
change in the Earth system
 2.2.1.Principles of Ecological System
DEFINITION OF ECOLOGY
 ‘Ecology may be defined as the scientific study of the relationship
of living organisms with each other and with their environment.
 Ecology emphasis is on relationships between organisms and the
components of the environment namely abiotic and biotic.
 ecological communities which include of living elements only,
ecosystems have two ‘parts’:
 The living components like plants and animals; and microbes
 The nonliving components like water, air, nutrients & solar energy.
 These two parts of the ecosystem do not stand in isolation; rather they
continuously interact with one another.
 2.2.1.Principles of Ecological System….contd
 Ecosystems can be studied at small levels or at large levels.
 The levels of organization are described below from the smallest to
the largest:
 Individual Population Community

Ecosystem Biome Biosphere

 An individual is any living thing or organism.
 Individuals do not breed with individuals from other groups.
 Animals, unlike plants, tend to be very definite with this term because
some plants can cross-breed with other fertile plants.
 2.2.1.Principles of Ecological System….contd
 A population is a group of individuals of a given species that live in
a specific geographic area at a given time.
 Note that populations include individuals of the same species, but
may have different genetic makeup such as hair/eye/skin color and
size between themselves and other populations.
 A community is all of the populations of different species that live
in the same area and interact with one another.
 Its structure involves many types of interactions among species.
 Some of these involve the acquisition and use of food, space, or
other environmental resources.
 2.2.2. Principle of Energy and Thermodynamics
 In broad terms, thermodynamics deals with the transfer of energy
from one place to another and from one form to another.
 The key concept is that heat is a form of energy corresponding to a
definite amount of mechanical work.
 Energy flow
 Matter must be recycled because there is no new matter created;
therefore : carbon, nitrogen, and water must be recycled so that they
can be reused.
 Energy comes from the sun and flows in one direction, changing
form.
 However, each time energy changes from one form to another,
some of it is lost. Therefore we depend on the sun to continually
supply us with more energy
 The energy enters the plants (from the sun) through photosynthesis
during the making of food.
 This energy is then passed on from one organism to another in a food
 Energy flow..contd
 Energy given out by the organisms as heat is lost to the
environment, it does not return to be used by the plants again.
 Thus, the flow of energy in the ecosystem is said to be unidirectional
b/c the energy lost as heat from the living organisms of a food chain
cannot be reused by plants in photosynthesis.
 This makes the flow of energy in ecosystem 'unidirectional'.
 During the transfer of energy through successive trophic levels in an
ecosystem, there is a loss of energy all along the path.
 No transfer of energy is 100 per cent. The energy available at each
successive trophic level is 10 per cent of the previous level..
 Energy flow…contd
 Thus, there is a progressive decline (gradual reduction) in the
amount of energy available as we go from producer level to the
higher trophic levels of organisms
 Systems
 Ecosystems are open systems in the sense that they are open for
mass and energy transfer.
 Ecosystems receive energy from solar radiation and water from
precipitation, dry deposition from the atmosphere, inputs by wind
and flows of various types advantage migration of species.
 Systems
 Ecosystems are open systems in the sense that they are open for
mass and energy transfer.
 Ecosystems receive energy from solar radiation and water from
precipitation, dry deposition from the atmosphere, inputs by wind
and flows of various types advantage migration of species.
 2.2.3. Historical Framework of Global Environmental
Change
 Environmental history is the study of human interaction with the
natural world over time, emphasizing the active role nature plays in
influencing human affairs and vice versa.
 Environmental history first emerged in the United States out of
the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
 The field was founded on conservation issues but has broadened in
scope to include more general social and scientific history and may
deal with cities, population or sustainable development.
 2.2.5. Biogeochemical Cycles
 A biogeochemical cycle (or more generally a cycle of matter) is the
pathway by which a chemical substance cycles (is turned over or
moves through) the biotic and the abiotic compartments
of Earth.
 The biotic section is the biosphere and the abiotic compartments
are the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.
 There are biogeochemical cycles for chemical elements, such as
for calcium, carbon, hydrogen, mercury, nitrogen, oxygen, phosp
orus, and sulfur, as well as molecular cycles, such as
for water and silica.
 Group Assignment with presentation.

1. calcium,
2.carbon,
3. hydrogen,
4. nitrogen,
5. oxygen,
6. phosphorus,
7. and sulfur,
8. molecular cycles, such as for water and silica.
 2.3. Climate and Atmospheric System
 Our climate depends on the whole Earth system.
 The Sun, land (geosphere), ocean (hydrosphere), ice (cryosphere),
and living organisms (biosphere) interact with the atmosphere in
the climate system.
 The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.
 The remaining 1%, called trace gases, includes gases such as:-
 water vapor (H2O),
 ozone (O3),
 carbon dioxide (CO2) and
 methane (CH4) which absorb and re-emit infrared radiation,
trapping energy on its way out to space and keeping the average
temperature of the lower atmosphere approximately +14°C (57°F).
 This process is known as the greenhouse effect.
 However, today there are more of these heat trapping gases, released
by burning fossil fuels, which is warming the planet.
 The global climate system
 The global climate system arises from the interaction of 5 systems
interacting together.
1. The atmosphere (the thin layer of gases surrounding the earth)
2. The lithosphere (the land surfaces such as soil and rocks, and
human-made surfaces such as roads and buildings)
3. The hydrosphere (the Earth’s liquid water in oceans, rivers,
lakes and underground)
4. The cryosphere (the frozen water in ice and snow)
5. The biosphere (the living things such as plants and animals
including humans).
 2.3.2. Climate and Weather
 Climate is the average weather conditions over 30 year intervals. Or
it is the average weather variations that we experience over time.
 The Earth’s climate is affected by multiple drivers that operate over
different time scales and result in different changes over various
geographical scales and geological eras.
 Weather: Is a short-term phenomenon, describing atmosphere,
daily air temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed, and
participation.
 Weather refers to atmospheric conditions in the short term,
including changes in temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness,
brightness, wind, and visibility.
 2.3.3.Climate Change
 Climate change: is a change in average state of weather over
specified region over a minimum of 30 years (WMO and IPPC, 2001)
recommendation.
 climate is the average of weather patterns over a longer period of time
(usually 30 or more years).
 The classical period is 30 years, as defined by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO, 2007).
 2.3.3.Climate Change
 The reason behind that climate is changing is due to:
 Burning of forest or plant residue Industrial/business activities
 Urbanization
 Charcoal production
 Deforestation
 Transportation/fuel
 Agricultural waste products
 Consequences of climate change

Floods in 2006 claimed hundreds

of lives in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

 Vanished lake
Haramaya. Why so
???..\..\2.mp4
 So what???

Surface water bodies are dried up and ground water are depleted
highly.
Impacts of Drought
Impacts of drought due to climate change
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