Earth’s System Everything in Earth's system can be placed into one of four major subsystems: land, water, living things, or air. These four subsystems are called "spheres." Specifically, they are the "lithosphere“ (land), "hydrosphere" (water), "biosphere" (living things), and "atmosphere" (air). Each of these four spheres can be further divided into sub-spheres. For example, a forest fire may destroy all the plants in an area (event biosphere). The absence of plants could lead to an increase in erosion--washing away--of soil (biosphere lithosphere). Increased amounts of soil entering streams can lead to increased turbidity, or muddiness, of the water (lithosphere hydrosphere). Increased turbidity of stream water can have negative impacts on the plants and animals that live in it (hydrosphere biosphere)

Atmosphere What is it? The gaseous layer that surrounds the Earth. 79% Nitrogen & 20% Oxyen, 1% other. Ozone Layer that protects us from UV is between Tropo and Stratosphere. Fact: Ozone (O3) has three atoms of oxygen. The form of oxygen be breathe (O2) has two oxygen atoms. The atmosphere is made up of many layers that differ in chemica lcomposition and temperature. It extends fromless than 1 m below the planet's surface to more than 10,000 km above theplanet's surface. The upper portion of the atmosphere protects the organisms of the biosphere from the sun's ultraviolet radiation. It also absorbs and emits heat. When air temperature in the lower portion of this sphere changes, weather occurs. As air in the lower atmosphere is heated or cooled, it moves around the planet. The result can be as simple as a breeze or as complex as a tornado. Protects us from meteorites and suns UV, Xray and Gamma radiation.

The gaseous layer that surrounds the Earth. DEFINITION: The gaseous layer that surrounds the Earth.

Hydrosphere http://www.cmmacs.ernet.in/~himesh/Hydrosphere%20Components.gif What is it? Includes all of the water (solid, liquid, gas) on the Earth Evapotranspiration-water vapor loss from plants, aquifer purified water supply Runoff, ground water, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, sublimation, It ranges from 10 to 20 kilometers in thickness. The hydrosphereextends from Earth's surface downward several kilometers into thelithosphere and upward about 12 kilometers into the atmosphere.A small portion of the water in the hydrosphere is fresh (non-salty). Thiswater flows as precipitation from the atmosphere down to Earth's surface,as rivers and streams along Earth's surface, and as groundwater beneathEarth's surface. Most of Earth's fresh water, however, is frozen.Ninety-seven percent of Earth's water is salty. The salty water collectsin deep valleys along Earth's surface. These large collections of saltywater are referred to as oceans. The image above depicts the differenttemperatures one would find on oceans' surfaces. Water near the poles isvery cold (shown in dark purple), while water near the equator is verywarm. The differences in temperature cause water tochange physical states. Extremely low temperatures like those found at thepoles cause water to freeze into a solid such as a polar icecap, aglacier, or an iceberg. Extremely high temperatures like those found atthe equator cause water to evaporate into a gas.

All the water on the Earth. DEFINITION: All the water on the Earth. ( solid, liquid and gas)

Hydrosphere Distribution

Lithosphere Oceanic and Continental crust and the upper mantle. The lithosphere contains all of the cold, hard solid land of the planet's crust (surface), the semi-solid land underneath the crust, and the liquid upper mantle. The surface of the lithosphere is very uneven. There are high mountain ranges like the Rockies and Andes (shown in red), huge plains or flat areas like those in Texas, Iowa, and Brazil, and deep valleys along the ocean floor. The solid, semi-solid, and liquid land of the lithosphere form layers that are physically and chemically different. If someone were to cut through Earth to its center, these layers would be revealed like the layers of an onion. The outermost layer of the lithosphere consists of loose soil rich in nutrients, oxygen, and silicon. Beneath that layer lies a very thin, solid crust of oxygen and silicon. Next is a thick, semi-solid mantle of oxygen, silicon, iron, and magnesium. What is it?

DEFINITION: The Earth’s solid surface which includes the continental and oceanic crust and the upper mantle.

Biosphere What is it? All life on Earth, Living things have cells, reproduce & grow, adapt, respond to environment, maintain internal temps, obtain and use energy . Within the biosphere, living things form large areas based on the physical surroundings of an area. These large areas are referred to asbiomes. Deserts, grasslands, and tropical rainforests are three of the many types of biomes that exist within the biosphere.

All life on Earth and where it exists. DEFINITION: All life on Earth and where it exists.

In addition to the four spheres mentioned, there is one more added and it is due to the presence of our worldly presence.

Anthrosphere What is it? Everything humans build on the Earth; buildings, streets, bridges What is it?

Everything we build/human construction. DEFINITION: Everything we build/human construction.

Some Spheres for Fun Magnetosphere or geomagnetosphere is in space, protects us from solar winds and suns radiation Asthenosphere is the nonrigid layer below the lithosphere, convection currents within move the tectonic plates Geosphere is the densest parts of Earth, which consist mostly of rock and a heterogenous mixture. The dense geosphere is also subdivided into the crust, mantle, and core. Pedosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of soil and subject to soil formation processes. It exists at the interface of the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Ionosphere or plasmasphere is a sub sphere of the atmosphere, outermost part Cryosphere is the portions of the Earth’s surface where water is in solid form; including sea ice, lake ice, river ice, snow cover, glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets, and frozen ground (which includes permafrost). Magnetosphere 5

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