Unit 4 -

Earth
Systems
Plate
Tectonics
The Earth… and the
its layers
From the outside to the inside
- Crust - earth’s surface, where we live
- Lithosphere - thin brittle layer of rock
floating on mantle (tectonic plates)
- Asthenosphere - Solid, flexible outer layer
of the mantle
- Mantle - liquid layer of magma surrounding
the core
- Core - dense mass of solid nickel, iron and
radioactive elements that release incredible
amounts of heat
The Plates Boundaries - 3 Types
Divergent - Convergent -
● Plates that move away from ● Plates moving towards each
each other other
● Rising magma plumes force ● Leads to subduction zones
plates apart  Mountains, island arcs,
 Mid-oceanic ridges, volcanoes, earthquakes, and volcanoes
sea floor spreading, and rift
valleys

Transform -
● Plates that slide past one
another in opposite directions
 Earthquakes
The Tectonic Plate types
Convection Cycles -
Divergent
● Magma heated by the
core rises towards the
lithosphere
● Rising magma cools
and expands creating
new land and pushing
oceanic plates apart “
sea floor spreading”
● Spreading magma Sinking oceanic plates melt back into
forces oceanic plates magma from which it came
into continents
(subduction zones)
Also can force magma up and create
narrow coastal mountains (Andes) and
volcanoes on land
 Convergent Boundaries = Subduction Zones

Oceanic - Oceanic - Continental -

Oceanic: One plate Continental: dense Continental: one
subducts plates subduct beneath plate subducts
underneath another continental plates and underneath,
melts back into magma forces surface
- Forces Magma up to crust upward
- Forces magma up to
lithosphere forming
mid ocean
surface forming
- Coastal Mountains,
volcanoes mountains
Volcanoes on land,
trenches, tsunamis - Himalayas
Transform
Faults
•Plates slide past each other in opposite
directions - Earthquakes come from
excessive release of energy from breaking
of crust

• Earthquakes are the most common

activity
• Pressure builds up as plates keep
sliding but jagged edges end up
getting stuck
• When stress becomes too much,
breakage occurs and energy is
released
The map...
Ring of Fire: Pattern of
volcanoes all around the
Pacific plate
- Offshore island arcs:
Japan

Hotspots: areas of hot

magma that rises up to
lithosphere
- Mid-ocean Islands:
Iceland, Hawaii
Soil Formation and
Erosion
What is soil??
Soil is a mix of rock and organic
(living) material and made up of the
following components
- Sand, Silt, and Clay
- Humus - Organic part (broken
down biomass - leaves, dead
animals, waste
- Nutrients - Ammonium,
Phosphates, Nitrates
- Water and Air
- Living Organisms - bacteria,
earthworms, bugs, fungus, etc.
Ecosystem
Services
•Plants: anchors roots and
provides water, shelter, nutrients
for growth
•Water: filters rainwater and runoff
by trapping pollutants in pore
space and plants roots. Clean
water then enters groundwater
and aquifers
•Nutrient recycling: home to
decomposers that break down
dead organic matter and return
the nutrients to the soil
•Habitat: earthworms, fungi,
moles, slugs, and bacteria!!!!!
So how do we
get it???
Weathering -
• Physical - wind, water, freezing and
thawing of ice
• Biological - roots of trees and plants
• Chemical - acid rain, acids from
mosses and lichens
Weathering of rocks - Soil formation
• Broken into smaller and smaller pieces
and carried away by deposition and
erosion
Erosion - transport of weathered rock by
wind and rain to a new location
Soil Formation
•Effects on Soil Formation

•Parent material: soil pH, nutrient

content

•Topography: slopes, angles depend on

how much deposition or erosion there
occurs

•Climate: warmer climates mean

breakdown happens quicker, more
precipitation means more weathering
and erosion/deposition

•Organisms: Soil organisms like bacteria,

fungi, worms - breakdown the dead
material
The Soil Profile
Soil Degradation
Loss of Topsoil: Tiling (turning soil for
agriculture) combined with loss of
vegetation can disturb the soil and make
it easily eroded by wind and water
- Loss of top soil will dry it out and
remove moisture, nutrients, and
decomposer
Compaction: compression by machines,
grazing livestock, and humans reduce the
ability to hold moisture
Nutrient Depletion: repeatedly growing
the crops on the same soil removes key
nutrients (N,P,K,Na,Mg) over time
- Led to crop rotations
Soil Composition
and Properties
Soil Particles Size,
Texture, and Porosity
Geologic portion of soil is made up of 3
particles (sand, silt, and clay)

Soil Texture: is the % of each type of soil

particle
• Will always add up to 100%
Sand being the largest particle will always
have the most amount of space between
individual particlesThus is is easier for water
and air to enter those spaces
Porosity: is the amount of space soil has
• More sand = more porous/higher
porosity
• More clay = less porous/lower porosity
The Soil Triangle
•Soil Texture is determined by the amount of
clay, sand, silt percentages

•Example: Loam ~40-40-20 sand,silt, clay

•How to use:
Always start with sand %
Move to where sand and silt meet
Then move to clay
Make sure it adds up to 100%
 Effects on Soil fertility

Soil that is too sandy

will drain water too
Porosity, permeability, and H2O holding quickly and the roots
will not absorb what
capacity they need and soil will
dry out

Permeability - how easily water drains through a soil Clay heavy soil doesn’t
• More porous = more permeability ever let water drain
• Positive relationship between the two and/or water logs them
(“drowning”) them
H2O Capacity - how well water is retained
• More porous = less holding capacity
• Inverse relationship between porosity/permeability
Idea soil for most
growth is loam which
balances porosity or
Soil Fertility
Nutrients Water

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Needs to hold water in but not too

Calcium, and Sodium much
Factors that increase soil nutrients
Factors that increase holding
capacity
1. Organic matter (releases nutrients) 1. Aerated soil (biological activity)
2. Humus (holds and releases
2. Compost/humus/organic matter
nutrients)
3. Decomposers 3. Clay content
4. Clay (negative charge binds with 4. Root structure especially
positive nutrients) Native plants
5. Bases (Calcium carbonate - Factors that decrease holding
Limestone)
capacity
Factors that decrease soil nutrients 5. Compacted soil
6. Acids that leach positive nutrients
6. Topsoil erosion
7. Excessive rain and irrigation 7. Sand
8. Excessive farming depletes nutrients 8. Root loss
9. Topsoil erosion
Characteristics and Tests of Soil Quality