ESS105H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Hydrosphere, James Hutton, Cryosphere
Document Summary
Understanding how earth changes tells us about how natural processes affect humans and how humans affect natural processes. Humans now affect earth"s environment at rates much faster than the rates of natural processes. Rapid growth of human populations resulted in increased deforestation, industry work, burning of fossil fuels, etc. Anthropogenic: relating to, or resulting from the influence of humans on nature. Four major systems: solid earth system, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Solid earth system: non-living, solid earth, including continents and the sea floor. Hydrosphere: oceans, rivers, streams, lakes, and ice contained in mountain glaciers and polar ice caps (cryosphere = glaciers and related environments) Biosphere: all living organisms and their dead remains. Reservoir: compartment within a system which may communicate with its external environment by fluxes of matter and energy into and out of the reservoir. Flux: flow of matter and energy through systems. Weathering: mechanical and chemical breakdown of rocks by the action of rain, snow, cold, etc.
