UE7e LecturePPTs Chapter01
UE7e LecturePPTs Chapter01
UE7e LecturePPTs Chapter01
Understanding Earth
Seventh Edition
Chapter 1:
THE EARTH SYSTEM
The goal:
A special aspect:
Principle of
uniformitarianism:
W ID
O P
L A
S R
Solid iron
inner core
4. Discovery of a Layered Earth
The crust: continents are made of lighter
rock and thus literally “float” on material
of higher density.
0 (km)
10 Oceanic crust Continental crust
(3.0 g/cm3) (2.8 g/cm3)
20
30 Mantle Moho
40 (3.4 g/cm3)
discontinuity
50
Horizontal distance not to scale
Less dense continental
crust floats on denser
mantle.
0 (km)
10 Oceanic crust Continental crust
(3.0 g/cm3) (2.8 g/cm3)
20
30 Mantle Moho
40 (3.4 g/cm3)
discontinuity
50
Horizontal distance not to scale
Less dense continental Continental crust
crust floats on denser is less dense than
mantle. oceanic crust.
0 (km)
10 Oceanic crust Continental crust
(3.0 g/cm3) (2.8 g/cm3)
20
30 Mantle Moho
40 (3.4 g/cm3)
discontinuity
50
Horizontal distance not to scale
4. Discovery of a Layered Earth
Abrupt changes in
density between
Earth’s major interior
layers are caused by
changes in the
chemical composition
of those layers.
4. Discovery of a Layered Earth
Thought questions for this chapter
Sun
The Sun drives
Earth’s external
engine.
Sun
The Sun drives Solar energy is
Earth’s external responsible
engine. for our climate
and weather.
Sun
The Sun drives Solar energy is Earth’s internal
Earth’s external responsible engine is powered
engine. for our climate by trapped heat …
and weather.
Sun
The Sun drives Solar energy is Earth’s internal … and radioactivity
Earth’s external responsible engine is powered in its interior.
engine. for our climate by trapped heat …
and weather.
Sun
The Sun drives Solar energy is Earth’s internal … and radioactivity
Earth’s external responsible engine is powered in its interior.
engine. for our climate by trapped heat …
and weather.
Sun
Sun
Interactions
of the climate,
plate tectonic,
and
geodynamo
systems.
The plate tectonic system: How does the
heat energy inside Earth move and thus
affect the crustal plates?
Convection causes
hot water to rise …
Where plates
converge, a
Plate Plate cooled plate
is dragged
under …
… warms … sinks,
and rises warms,
again. and rises again.
The geodynamo system: Rapid motion of
the liquid outer core stirs up electrical
flow in the solid (iron) inner core, causing
Earth’s magnetic field.
Thought questions for this chapter