As others have pointed out, a few more words will help (like verbs)... :-)
In the broadest sense, I'd suggest our environment is our solar system. No sun and things shut down.
That said, in some contexts, people are only concerned about the area that (their) life is found (an admittedly narrow-minded view, but it gives rise to those that have an inherent disinterest in Antartica and Deep Ocean currents).
Assuming that we use the "where life lives" definition, you're asking about the dimensions of the biosphere (reference below):
"The actual thickness of the biosphere on earth is hard to measure. Birds typically fly at altitudes of 650 to 2000 meters, and fish that live deep underwater can be found down to -8,372 meters in the Puerto Rico Trench.
There are more extreme examples for life on the planet: Rüppell's Vulture has been found at altitudes of 11,300 meters; Bar-headed Geese migrate at altitudes of at least 8,300 meters (over Mount Everest); Yaks live at elevations between 3,200 to 5,400 meters above sea level; mountain goats live up to 3,050 meters. Herbivorous animals at these elevations depend on lichens, grasses, and herbs but the biggest tree is the Tine palm or mountain coconut found 3,400 meters above sea level.
Microscopic organisms (e.g., bacteria) live at such extremes that, taking them into consideration puts the thickness of the biosphere much greater, but at minimum it extends from 5,400 meters above sea level to at least 9,000 meters below sea level."
Have fun with that calculator....
2006-08-20 02:35:10
·
answer #1
·
answered by ChemDoc 3
·
0⤊
0⤋