The Origin and Structure of the

Solar System and the Earth System

Earth and Life Science- Course Outcome 1
The Ancient Universe

• The heavens were perfect and all

motion has a uniform circular motion.
Plato

• The Earth does not move because they

saw no parallax.
• Planets move at a constant rate but they
occasionally stop before resuming their
Ancient motion.
Astronomers
The Ancient Universe

• The Earth was imperfect and lay at

the center of the universe -
geocentric universe.
• Created a mathematical model of
Ptolemy the Aristotelian Universe.
 Epicycle
 Deferent
 Retrogate motion
 The Ancient Universe

• The sun is the center of the

universe- heliocentric universe
• The Earth is assumed to rotate
Copernicus once in 24 hours, causing the
stars to appear to revolve around
the Earth in the opposite
direction.
The Great Chain of Origins

• Big Bang Theory

• The atoms in our body had come into existence a few minutes after the
existence of the universe.
• Old matter : 75% hydrogen & 25% helium.
• Within a few hundred million years, galaxies were formed.
• Hydrogen - Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Calcium atoms.
• Supernova - Iron and Gold, Silver, Iodine
• Sun was formed from a cloud of gas and dust 5 million years ago.
• “Stars have died that we might live.” – Preston Cloud
The Great Chain of Origins

History of the universe timeline, BBC/The Open University,

2015
The Great Chain of Origins

History of the universe timeline, BBC/The Open University,

2015
The Great Chain of Origins

History of the universe timeline, BBC/The Open University,

2015
The Great Chain of Origins
Catastrophic hypotheses Planets formed from the collision of the sun and another star.

Evolutionary hypotheses Planets formed gradually and naturally as the sun formed.

• Solar Nebula Theory

• Solar Nebula – a fragment of an interstellar gas cloud.
• Planets form in the rotating disks of gas and dust aroound young stars.
• When the sun became luminous enough, the remaining gas and dust were blown away into
space, leaving the planets orbiting the sun.
• Earth and other planets of the solar system formed billions of years ago.
• Sun – mostly hydrogen, quarter is helium and 2% heavier elements.
SOLAR SYSTEM

• Revolution and Rotation

Sun Rotates with its equator, inclined only 7.2o to Earth’s orbit.

Venus Rotates backward

Uranus Rotates on its side with its equator almost perpendicular to its orbit.

Other planets Equators are tipped less than 30o

Moon Nearly all moons orbit around their respective planets in the same direction

• Planets revolve around the sun in counterclockwise motion except for Venus and
Uranus.
SOLAR SYSTEM
• Inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars
• Small, dense and rocky worlds with little or no atmosphere.
Terrestrial Planets • Composed of metals, metal oxides and silicates
• Earth is the most massive.
• Have no rings.
 SOLAR SYSTEM
• Outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
• Large, low-density worlds with thick atmospheres and liquid or ice interiors.
• Spread far from the Sun.
Jovian Planets o Jupiter : 300x Earth masses
o Saturn : 100x Earth
o Uranus : 15x Earth
o Neptune : 17x Earth
SOLAR SYSTEM

Radioactive Element Half Life

Potassium - 40 1.3 billion years
Uranium - 238 4.5 billion years
Rubidium – 87 to Strontium - 87 47 billion years

Celestial bodies available

Earth
The Moon
Mars
Meteorites
Condensation of Solids

Planet Observed Density Uncompressed Density

(g/cm3) (g/cm3)
Mercury 5.44 5.30
Venus 5.24 3.96
Earth 5.50 4.07
Mars 3.94 3.73

Observed density – the density after the gravity have compressed the planet.
Uncompressed density – the average density of the original construction materials of the planet.

The closer the planet to the sun, the higher its uncompressed density.
Condensation of Solids
Condensation – process of transformation from gas to solid.

Ice line – boundary beyond the sun which water vapor could freeze to form ice particles.

A little father from the sun, Ammonia and Methane condenses to form other types of ice.

Abundant in solar nebula – water vapor, ammonia and methane

Condensation sequence – the sequence in which the different materials condense from the gas
as you move away from the sun
Condensation of Solids
The Condensation Sequence
Planet ( Estimated
Temperature
Condensate Temperature of
(K)
Formation; K)
1500 Metal oxides Mercury (1400)
1300 Metallic iron and nickel
1200 Silicates
1000 Feldspars Venus (900)
Earth (600)
680 Troilite (FeS)
Mars (450)
175 H2O ice Jovian (175)
150 Ammonia – water ice
120 Methane – water ice
65 Argon – neon ice Pluto (65)
Formation of Planetesimals

1. Condensation - process of transformation from gas to solid.

2. Accretion – sticking together of solid particles ; diameter of 0.6mi = 1km

3. Formation of protoplanets – formation of planets from clouds with the aid of

gravity; 100km diameter

Terminologies

System Any entity that consists of interrelated parts or components

Variables Individual components of the system

Functioning units of major system that demonstrate strong internal

Subsystem
connections
The Earth System

Atmosphere Hydrosphere Geosphere Biosphere

Gaseous blanket of air that Waters of Earth – Makes up the All living things
envelops, shields and oceans, lakes, solid Earth – – human being,
insulates Earth – rivers and glaciers landforms, rocks, animals and
exosphere, thermosphere, soils and minerals plants
mesosphere, stratosphere,
troposphere
Models and Systems

Model – useful simplification of a more complex reality that permits prediction

Types of Models
1. Pictorial/Graphic Models – pictures, maps, graphs, diagrams, drawings and
computer-generated visualizations
2. Physical Models – solid three-dimensional representations
3. Mathematical/Statistical Models – to understand processes and predict
possibilities
4. Conceptual Models – the mind imagery that we use for understanding our
surroundings and experiences; mental map
Systems Analysis

Systems Analysis suggests that the way to understand how anything works is to use the following strategy:
1. Clearly define the system that you are studying.
What are the boundaries of the system?
2. Break the defined system down into its components or parts (variables). The variables in a system are
either matter or energy.
What important parts and processes are involved in this system?
3. Attempt to understand how these variables are related to one another.
How do the parts interact with one another to make the system work?
What will happen in the system if a part change?
Systems Analysis

How does the Earth system work?

The Earth system works by the transfer of matter and
energy including the processes involved with these
transfers
Kinds of systems

Open system – both energy and matter move freely across subsystem boundaries.

Energy in Matter in

Open
System

Energy out Matter out

Kinds of systems

Closed system – only energy is transferred across its boundaries

Energy in

Closed
System

Energy out
Equilibrium in Earth Systems

Balance of nature
Natural systems have built- in mechanisms to counterbalance,
accommodate or change without affecting the system
dramatically.

State of Equilibrium – if the inputs of the system are balance by outputs

Equilibrium in Earth Systems

Dynamic Equilibrium – change within a range of tolerance

Feedback – interactions that cause changes or adjustments between parts of a system

a. Positive Feedback – changes that reinforce the direction of an initial change
b. Negative Feedback – one change tends to offset one another

Too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

Equilibrium in Earth Systems

Threshold – a critical condition that causes a system to change dramatically, bringing the positive feedback
to a halt or completely reversing the effect of the feedback
- important regulators of systems processes
- fertilizer
Equilibrium in Earth Systems

Feedback loop – circular set of feedback operations that can be repeated as a cycle.

- eventual result of a negative feedback

- is a common and powerful tool when designing a control system.

Atmosphere
From highest to lowest
• Exosphere: 700 to 10,000 km (440 to 6,200 miles) – outermost layer of the atmosphere
• Thermosphere: 80 to 700 km (50 to 440 miles)
• Mesosphere: 50 to 80 km (31 to 50 miles) – protects Earth’s surface from being hit by most
meteoroids
• Stratosphere: 12 to 50 km (7 to 31 miles) – contains the ozone layer
• Troposphere: 0 to 12 km (0 to 7 miles) – where the weather occurs

If the atmosphere doesn’t exist, what will happen?

Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Ocean - is a body of saline water that composes much of a planet's hydrosphere.

Lake - is an area of variable size filled with water, localized in a basin, that is surrounded
by land

Rivers - is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean,

sea, lake or another river

Glaciers - Is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight
Hydrosphere
Geosphere

Landforms - are natural features of the landscape

Rock or stone - is a natural substance, a solid aggregate of one or more

minerals or mineraloids

Soil - a mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids, and countless

organisms that together support life on Earth.
Mineral - is a naturally occurring chemical compound, usually of crystalline
form and abiogenic in origin.

What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?

Biosphere

Human being - man, woman, or child of the species Homo sapiens

Animals - a living organism that feeds on organic matter

Plants - a living organism of the kind exemplified by trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses,
ferns, and mosses, typically growing in a permanent site

How are we different from animals?

Interactions of the Earth’s subsystems

Hydrosphere provides water supply for Earth including humans and provide habitat for aquatic life
(biosph`ere).

It affects geosphere as water is moving in streams, waves and current shapes landforms.

It influences the atmosphere through evaporation, condensation and the effects of ocean temperatures
on climate.
Earth System
What is something that can be considered a part of lithosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere?
Soil – minerals, organisms and water
What is something that is a part of both biosphere and hydrosphere?
Water in plants and animals
What is something that is a part of both atmosphere and hydrosphere?
Water in clouds
How does the mountain affects the climate in a particular area?
Mountains block rain, so that one side of a mountain range may be rainy and the other side may be a desert.
How does variation if rainfall affect the density, type and variety of vegetation?

Why is the amount of runoff is a major factor in stream erosion which can reduce the heights of the mountain?
Earth Impacts
Earthquakes – is the shaking of the surface of the Earth, resulting from the
sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves.
Floods - is an overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry.

Volcanic Eruptions - occurs when hot materials are thrown out of a volcano.
Lava, rocks, dust, ash and gas compounds are some of these "ejecta"

Ocean Tides - Refers to the cyclic rise and fall of seawater.

Seasons – particular weather patterns and daylight hours,

resulting from the earth's changing position with
regard to the sun.
Environmental Perspective

All physical, social and cultural aspects of our world that

Environment
affect our growth, health and our way of living

The study of relationships between organisms and their

Ecology
environment.

Community of organisms and the relationships of those

Ecosystem
organisms to each other and to their environment.

How will you know is an ecosystem exists?

Life Support System

Why is an Earth a life support system?

Adequate supply of O2, the sun interacts with the atmosphere, water and land to maintain tolerable
temperatures

Photosynthesis or other processes provide food supplies fro other living things.

Buckminster Fuller – scientist and inventor who coined the idea that our planet is a life support system.
Sustainable Living

Renewable Resources Non - Renewable Resources

Naturally replenished - Comes from sources that will

sunlight, wind, rain, tides run out or will not be
and geothermal heat replenished in our lifetimes –
fossil fuels: coal, petroleum,
and natural gas
Sustainable Living

Environmental overshoot
– using more resources in a year than their annual renewal , growth or replacement

World population is at 7 billion.

United Nations’s estimate : 9 billion by 2050 if growth rate continues.
Estimation of 1.5 planet Earth’s to continually support the world’s population.
Sustainable Living

Sustainable Development
meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs
- United Nations
Sustainable Living

It will be impossible for humans to use, abuse,

waste or destroy natural resources at the current
rate and it is irresponsible for humans to exhaust
resources that will be needed by our descendants.
Human – Envi Interactions

Pollution – undesirable or unhealthy environmental contamination

Killing fish species

Water Acid rain - caused by industrial plants, is damaging forest and

killing fishes; SOx, Nox

Air Can be transported by wind

Land Solid wastes
Human – Envi Interactions

Group 1 Global Warming

Group 2 Climate Change
Group 3 Deforestation
Group 4 Extinction of Biological Species
Group 5 Acid Rain
Group 6 Industrialization
Group 7 Environmental deterioration - resources
Group 8 Overpopulation
END