What have we learned?
The concept of “geographical envelope” is controversial, the definition of the term is quite complex, but despite the fact that its use is periodically criticized, it is still used. In 7th grade geography lessons, the structure of the geographic envelope is examined in detail, the complex process of interaction between environments is briefly described, and it is explained that the geographic envelope is the object of study in geography and branch sciences.
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Examples of interaction between the Earth's media (shells)
There are many examples of interaction between environments.
- During the evaporation of water from the surface of rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, water enters the atmosphere.
- Air and water, penetrating through the soil into the depths of the lithosphere, make it possible for vegetation to rise.
- Vegetation provides photosynthesis, enriching the atmosphere with oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide.
- The surface of the earth and oceans heat the upper atmosphere, creating a climate that supports life.
- Living organisms die and form soil.
Ideas about the planet in different eras
The geographic envelope (GE) is one of the most important concepts in geography. It appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. However, man has sought to understand the composition and structure of the earth since ancient times. It is quite obvious that the first ideas were unscientific in nature and represented myths with the participation of gods. During antiquity, new theories appeared about the nature of the origin of the planet and its composition.
The most ancient thinkers believed that the earth has the shape of a cube or sphere. However, already in Ancient Greece the opinion arose that the planet was a sphere and contained various minerals. In the 16th century, Galileo proposed that the planet consists of concentric spheres and is hollow inside.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the industrial revolution took place. This period is characterized by the rapid development of sciences, including mining. As a result, scientists discovered that the rock formations are arranged in the order of their formation over time. It was at this point that geologists realized that the age of fossils could be determined geologically.
Characteristics of the Earth's shells included in the GO
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is important for maintaining heat, and therefore life on the planet. It also protects all living things from ultraviolet radiation and affects soil formation and climate.
The size of this shell is from 8 km to 1 t km (or more) in height. It includes:
- gases (nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, ozone, helium, hydrogen, inert gases);
- dust;
- water vapor
The atmosphere, in turn, is divided into several interconnected layers. Their characteristics are presented in the table.
| Layer name | Height | Characteristic |
| Troposphere | 8-12 km | Responsible for precipitation, climate, movement of air masses, contains a lot of water vapor |
| Stratosphere | 12-55 km | Responsible for protecting the earth from UV radiation, contains a lot of ozone (ozone layer) |
| Mesosphere | 55-88 km | Reduced air density |
| Ionosphere | 80-1000 km | Filled with charged gas molecules |
| Upper atmosphere | More than 1000 km | High speed of movement of molecules, some of which penetrate into space. |
All the shells of the earth are similar. For example, they contain all types of aggregate states of substances: solid, liquid, gaseous.
Figure 2. Structure of the atmosphere
Lithosphere
The hard shell of the earth, the earth's crust. It has several layers, which are characterized by different thickness, thickness, density, composition:
- upper lithospheric layer;
- sigmatic shell;
- semi-metallic or ore shell.
The maximum depth of the lithosphere is 2900 km.
What does the lithosphere consist of? From solids: basalt, magnesium, cobalt, iron and others.
Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere consists of all the waters of the Earth (oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, swamps, glaciers and even groundwater). It is located on the surface of the Earth and occupies more than 70% of the space. Interestingly, there is a theory according to which the earth’s crust contains large reserves of water.
There are two types of water: salty and fresh. As a result of interaction with the atmosphere, during condensation, the salt evaporates, thereby providing the land with fresh water.
Fig 3. Hydrosphere of the Earth (view of the oceans from space)
Biosphere
The biosphere is the most “living” shell of the earth. It includes the entire hydrosphere, lower atmosphere, land surface and upper lithospheric layer. It is interesting that living organisms inhabiting the biosphere are responsible for the accumulation and distribution of solar energy, for the migration processes of chemicals in the soil, for gas exchange, and for redox reactions. We can say that the atmosphere exists only thanks to living organisms.
Figure 4. Components of the Earth's biosphere
Composition of the Earth's geographic envelope
The geographic envelope is a system of the planet, which, as is known, has the shape of a ball, flattened on both sides by the caps of the poles, with an equator length of more than 40 km. GO has a certain structure. It consists of environments interconnected with each other.
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| Structural element | Definition |
| Earth's crust | The outer solid shell of the Earth, adjacent to the mantle, interacting with the hydrosphere and all parts of the atmosphere (directly with the troposphere). |
| Troposphere | The lower part of the atmosphere (most studied). |
| Stratosphere | A layer of the atmosphere that is located at an altitude of 11 to 50 km. |
| Biosphere | The shell of the Earth inhabited by living organisms. |
| Hydrosphere | The water shell of the Earth, the totality of all water reserves. |
| Anthroposphere or noosphere | A shell inhabited by people or a sphere of interaction between man and nature. |
Some experts divide civil defense into four areas (which in turn are also divided):
- atmosphere;
- lithosphere;
- hydrosphere;
- biosphere.
The structure of the geographical envelope is not arbitrary in any case. It has clear boundaries.
