The atmosphere has a layered structure. From the ground toward the sky, the layers are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Up to 75 percent of the total mass of the atmosphere is in the troposphere, where most weather occurs. The boundaries between the layers are not clearly defined, and change depending on latitude and season. Earth’s rotation causes the periods of light and darkness we call day and night. The part of Earth facing the sun is in daylight; the part facing away from the sun is in darkness. If Earth did not rotate, one-half of Earth would always be too hot to support life, and the other half would be frozen. Earth rotates from west to east, so the sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west. earth planet, Earth Environmentally friendly Natural environment, Earth,protect the Earth, globe, environmental, recycling png 5512x5499px 29.96MB

Earth analog Desert planet, planets, planet earth illustration, atmosphere, computer Wallpaper, sphere png 1024x1024px 1.56MBThe hydrosphere is composed of all the water on Earth. Nearly three-fourths of Earth is covered in water, most of it in the ocean. Less than three percent of the hydrosphere is made up of freshwater. Most freshwater is frozen in ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica, the North American island of Greenland, and the Arctic. Freshwater can also be found underground, in chambers called aquifers, as well as rivers, lakes, and springs. planet earth, Spherical Earth Earth science Flat Earth Society, earth, globe, world, united States png 668x668px 865.96KB

Magnificent. The commentary is great, really thoroughly researched; the pictures are stunning."—Tom Shippey, author of The Road to Middle-earth and J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the CenturyEarth Globe World map, Earth, globe logo, globe, world, environmental Protection png 1000x1000px 320.46KB

In addition to Earth’s revolution and rotation periods, we experience light and darkness due to Earth’s axis not being straight up-and-down. Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted 23.5°. This tilt influences temperature changes and other weather patterns from season to season. Daytime Atmosphere of Earth Computer, The vast sky, starry night, watercolor Painting, texture, studio png 1616x1215px 4.07MBThe sections above were just two examples of how worldbuilding can contribute to science, however there are other examples too such as when making Interstellar (James et al., 2015), or on World of Warcraft. An important ability for any scientist is to be able to think outside the box, and to use tools others may have dismissed. I encourage all of you to let out your inner nerd, because building a model of the real world is not much different to building a fantasy world when you think about the methods employed to make each. Ice sheets and glaciers melt, transforming into liquid water. The most abundant liquid water on the planet is in the ocean, although lakes, rivers, and underground aquifers also hold liquid water. Life on Earth is dependent on a supply of liquid water. Most organisms, in fact, are made up mostly of liquid water, called body water. The human body is about 50 percent to 60 percent body water. In addition to survival and hygiene, people use liquid water for energy and transportation. This book takes you to the places that inspired J. R. R. Tolkien to create his fictional locations in The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and other classic works. Written by renowned Tolkien expert John Garth, The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien features a wealth of breathtaking illustrations, including Tolkien’s own drawings, contributions from other artists, rare archival images, and spectacular color photos of contemporary locations across Britain and beyond, from the battlefields of World War I to Africa. Plate tectonics are also responsible for landforms such as geysers, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Tectonic activity around the Pacific plate, for instance, creates the Ring of Fire. This tectonically active area includes volcanoes such as Mount Fuji, Japan, and earthquake-prone fault zones such as the west coast of the United States.