Environmental Studies

An Introduction
For
Technologists and Engineers

The Earth From Space

Man on the Earth

The EARTHS Overall Energy Balance

At the top of the atmosphere

Incoming energy
Units
+100

Source
Short wave radiation
from the sun.

Outgoing energy
Units

Source

-23

Short wave radiation reflected back to

space by clouds.

-7

Short wave radiation reflected to space

by the earth's surface.

-49
-9

Long wave radiation from the

atmosphere into space.
Long wave radiation from clouds into
space.

Long wave radiation from the earth's

surface into space. X is the heat
-(12+X)
generated by the radioactive decay in
the core, escaping into space.
+100

-(100+X)

The atmosphere itself

Incoming energy
Outgoing energy
Units

Source

Absorbed short wave

+19 radiation by gasses in the
atmosphere.
Absorbed short wave
+4 radiation by clouds.
Absorbed long wave
radiation from earth's
+104+X surface. X is heat from
core.

Units

Source
Long wave radiation emitted to

-9 space by clouds.

Long wave radiation emitted to

-(49+X) space by gasses in atmosphere.

Long wave radiation emitted to
-98 earth's surface by gasses in
atmosphere.

Convection (rising air

+5 warms the atmosphere).

Heat released into the
+24 atmosphere by water
Condensation

+156+X

-(156+X)

At the earth's surface

Incoming energy
Units
Source
+47

Units

Outgoing energy
Source

Absorbed short wave

-(116+(a/X)) Long wave radiation emitted by
radiation from the sun.
the surface.

Absorbed long wave

+98 radiation from gasses
in atmosphere.

Conductive Heat from

the Earths Core.
+X
(Source radioactive
decay)
+145+

X
* Note a + b + c = X

-(5+(b/X))

Removal of heat by convection

(rising warm air).

Heat required by the processes of

evaporation and sublimation and
-(24+(c/X))
therefore removed from the
surface.
-145+X

A Section through the Planet

The Outer Crust

Sections of the Atmosphere

The Environment
Its Organic and Inorganic
Components

The Environment

Its Biotic and Abiotic Components

Biotic Components

Abiotic Components

The Producers

Energy
Radiation from the sun

The Consumers

The Land and Water Bodies

Their Physical and Chemical
Effects

The Decomposers

The Atmosphere
Its Physical and Chemical Effects

Science in the study of the

Environment
Physics
The study of the interaction of energy and matter

Biology

Chemistry

Some of the inorganic components

Energy Flow Through the Ecosystem

A Typical (Energy) Food

Chain
Grass --> grasshopper --> mouse -->
snake --> hawk
Food Chains are idealisations and rather
too simple to represent the actual flow of
energy (as Food) in an Ecosystem
A Food Web is a better representation of
what actually is happening

A Food Web

LEVELS IN THE FOOD WEB

(Trophic Levels)
Consumer

Trophic level

Herbivores
Carnivores
or higher
Omnivores

primary
secondary

Food source

Detritivores

plants
animals

secondary plants & animals

or higher
detritus

The Cycles
Energy is not the only thing flowing
through an Ecosystem.
Life Processes have other needs
Space Ship Earth is a closed system
(nothing comes in or goes out except
energy)
Therefore the best way to consider
the flow of the other needs is to
consider them as sets of
CYCLES
between the abiotic and biotic parts

Another View of the Water

Cycle

Carbon Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle

The Phosphorous Cycle

THANK YOU

THE END