How the Earth System Explains Animal Extinction

No one knows exactly what caused their extinction

One theory is that an asteroid kill all the dinosaurs

This explained through the earth systems interacting

This theory is explained through evidence

a change to one part of the system affects the other parts

Systems: atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere

gases that surround planet

The move because of weather and wind

solid part like mountains and landforms

lava is part of the geosphere

ocean, lakes, rivers, ponds, groundwater, glaciers

all living things

1. A huge asteroid crashed 65 million years ago

2. The asteroid blasted a crater

3. Volcanoes erupted, lava covered thousand miles

4. Volcanic eruption increased

Geosphere: Volcanoes, and lava

6. the asteroid blasted lots of gases

7. Volcanic eruption set gases that had been trapped

8. gases spread and became part of the atmosphere

The geosphere can affect the atmosphere

Air gases make changes to rock by changing color

Asteroid--geosphere--Volcanic eruption

Volcanic eruption---atmosphere---gases into air

gases in air affected what plants could grow

Area that was a jungle became desert

Animals depend on plants to live for food

No plants= no food

No plants= no habitat to live

No plants= no food

T rex had no habitat

All the systems were affected because they all interact with each other

When the asteroid hit changes in the geo and atmosphere caused changes in the hydrosphere

Ocean water and temperature, flow of ocean currents changed

These changed killed off species and they became extinct

Asteroid killing is one theory

But all scientist agree that whatever caused it had to do with all the earth systems interacting