ENVIRONMENT

INTRODUCTION
The science of Environment studies is a multi-disciplinary science because it comprises various branches of studies like chemistry,

physics, medical science, life science, agriculture, public health,

sanitary engineering etc.

Literary environment means the surrounding external conditions influencing development or growth of people, animal or plants; living or working conditions etc.

Definitions of Environment :
1. Boring: A persons environment consists of the sum total of the stimulation which he receives from his conception until his death. It can be concluded from the above definition that Environment comprises various types of forces such as physical, intellectual, economic, political, cultural, social, moral and emotional. Environment is the sum total of all the external forces, influences and conditions, which affect the life, nature, behaviour and the growth, development and maturation of living organisms.

2. Douglas and Holland: The term environment is used to describe, in the aggregate, all the external forces, influences and conditions, which affect the life, nature, behaviour and the growth, development and maturity of living organisms.

Components of Environment :

Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere

Atmosphere
The Earth is surrounded by a blanket of air, which we call the atmosphere. It reaches over 560 kilometers (348 miles) from the surface of the Earth, so we are only able to see what occurs fairly close to the ground.

The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night.

The atmosphere is primarily composed of:

Nitrogen (N2, 78%) Oxygen (O2, 21%) Argon (Ar , 1%)

Earth's atmosphere can be divided into five main layers.
Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere

Layers of the Atmosphere

Biosphere

The biosphere is the portion of earth in which all known life forms exist. It occupies a thin layer of air (atmosphere), water (hydrosphere), and land (lithosphere).

Hydrosphere
A hydrosphere in physical geography describes the combined mass of water found on, under, and over the surface of a planet.
Approximately 75% of the Earth's surface, an area of some 361 million square kilometers (139.5 million square miles), is covered by ocean. The average salinity of the Earth's oceans is about 35 grams of salt per kilogram of sea water (3.5%)

Nature 97% of the earths water supply is in the oceans.

About 2% of the water resources is locked in the polar icecaps and glaciers. Only about 1% is available as fresh surface water rivers, lakes streams, and ground water fit to be used for human consumption and other uses.

Hydrological Cycle

Lithosphere
Lithosphere is the outer mantle of the solid earth. It consists of minerals occurring in the earths crusts and the soil e.g. minerals, organic matter, air and water.

Lithosphere (Crust and MOHO) 100km thick.

MOHO = Mohorovicic Discontinuity

Inner Core 1200 km made of solid Fe, Ni. Outer Core 2250 km made of liquid Fe, Ni. Mantle 2900 km made of dense rocks. Crust 5 40 km made of solid lighter rocks.