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Earth's Four Subsystems Explained

Here are two examples of interactions between Earth's four subsystems: 1. Plants (biosphere) take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. 2. Water from rain and snowmelt (hydrosphere) erodes soil and rock (geosphere), transporting eroded material and depositing it in different locations. The parts involved in the scenarios are: 1. Wind blows a sailboat across a lake. - Atmosphere (wind) and hydrosphere (lake) 2. A bear digs under a log to search for food. - Biosphere (bear) and geosphere (soil/earth under the log)

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Julieann Aguilar
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29 views16 pages

Earth's Four Subsystems Explained

Here are two examples of interactions between Earth's four subsystems: 1. Plants (biosphere) take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. 2. Water from rain and snowmelt (hydrosphere) erodes soil and rock (geosphere), transporting eroded material and depositing it in different locations. The parts involved in the scenarios are: 1. Wind blows a sailboat across a lake. - Atmosphere (wind) and hydrosphere (lake) 2. A bear digs under a log to search for food. - Biosphere (bear) and geosphere (soil/earth under the log)

Uploaded by

Julieann Aguilar
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

The Earth’s

Subsystems
By: Teacher Abi
Earth’s Four Spheres
The Earth is a system consisting of
four major interacting components:
Atmosphere: gaseous envelope that
surrounds the Earth
Geosphere: comprises the solid Earth
and includes both Earth’s surface and the
various layers of the Earth's interior.
Hydrosphere: includes all water on Earth
Biosphere: the life zone of the Earth and
includes all living organisms
The Earth’s Four Spheres(Subsystems)
The Atmosphere
The word atmosphere comes from the Greek roots atmos
which means gas, and sphaira which means globe or ball
• The atmosphere consists of five unique
layers (the exosphere,the troposphere, the
stratosphere, the mesosphere, and the
thermosphere).
The atmosphere is
primarily composed of nitrogen
(about 78%) and oxygen
(about 21%). Other
components exist in small
quantities.
Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere contains all the water found on
our planet. Hydro means water
• Water found on the surface of our planet includes
the ocean as well as water from lakes and rivers,
streams, and creeks.
• Water found under the surface of our planet
includes water trapped in the soil and groundwater.
• Water found in our atmosphere
includes water vapor.
• Frozen water on our planet
includes ice caps and glaciers.
70% of the
Earth’s surface is
covered in water
that’s why it is
called the “Water
Planet“.
Other forms of
water include
river, streams, and
lakes.
Geosphere
The geosphere is the solid
Earth (soil ,rocks, minerals) that
includes the continental and
ocean crust as well the various
layers of Earth’s interior. Geo is
a Greek word that means
ground.
The Biosphere
The biosphere is the “life
zone” of the Earth, and includes
all living organisms (including
humans), and all organic matter
that has not yet decomposed.
Bio is a Greek word that
means life.
Key Points
 The four subsystems of Earth are the atmosphere,
geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
Atmosphere makes up of all the gases in our planet.
Geosphere includes all the soil, rocks, and
minerals present in the crust to the core of the
Earth.
Hydrosphere is composed of all the water on
Earth in any form: water vapor, liquid water, and
ice.
Biosphere is comprised of all living things and the
areas where they are found. It includes all
microbes, plants, and animals.
Evaluation:
Is it a FACT or a BLUFF?
1. The atmosphere is
primarily composed of
nitrogen (about 78%) and
oxygen (about 21%).
FACT
2. The biosphere is the
“life zone” of the Earth, and
includes all living
organisms (including
humans), and all organic
matter that has not yet
decomposed.
FACT
3. The troposphere contains
ozone that protects life on the
planet by filtering harmful
ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

BLUFF
Fact:
The stratosphere contains
ozone that protects life on the
planet by filtering harmful
ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
Homework
• Give two examples of how the Earth system’s four parts
can interact with each other.
• Example: Animals (biosphere) can wear paths in
Earth’s surface (geosphere).
• Identify the parts involved in the following scenarios:
• Wind blows a sailboat across a lake.
• A bear digs under a log to search for good.

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