11:375:101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Nitrification, Water Vapor, Cyanobacteria
5 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
The four major components of the earth"s life-support system. The geosphere (rock, soil, and sediment or earth) Atmosphere and soil (crust) is where most life is. Life is sustained by the flow of energy from the sun through the biosphere, and the cycling of nutrients within the biosphere. Sun plants living things environment as heat radiation to space. Cycling of nutrients through parts of the biosphere. Matter needs to be recycled in order to sustain life. Gravity holds the earth"s atmosphere in place and enables movement of materials. The sun emits high energy waves that warm the earth. Some stays on earth, but some reflect the light back due to the reflection from things like snow caps. Plants take it up and use it to make organic material. Some energy that heats the earth also heats our atmosphere. Energy coming out is much less (longer wavelength) than energy coming in (shorter wavelength)
