Page 44 - Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology

C. Many of Earth’s physical environments and ecosystems (communities of organisms and the physical environments in which
they live) occur at the boundary between, or at intersection among, two or more spheres.
1. Add the following environments and ecosystems to the correct field of the Venn diagram below.

Surface of a leaf Surface of an ocean, lake, stream Lava flowing over a forest
Beach Moldy brick basement walls Bottom of ocean, lake, stream
Phytoplankton floating at Surface of a glacier Seafloor rock with attached oysters
the surface of the ocean Soil

Atmosphere Biosphere

Geosphere

Hydrosphere

2. In the four sphere fields above (labeled atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere) add an “S” for solar energy
and a “G” for geothermal energy to indicate which kind of energy primarily powers it. Where two of the fields overlap,
write an “SS” or “SG” to indicate the sum of energies that power the field. Use the same convention with three letters to
indicate the sum of energy sources where three fields overlap.
E. REFLECT & DISCUSS Do you think that most change on Earth occurs within individual systems, at boundaries between
two systems, or at the intersections of more than two systems? Why?

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