1. The Earth System’s Four Spheres
After completing this section, students will be able to explain how Earth’s distance from the Sun and the Earth’s atmosphere produce temperatures that allow water to exist in a liquid state (Standard PI – 068)

2. Earth is the only planet currently known to support life. Earth has:
Water in all three states (liquid, solid and gas – water, ice and water vapor)
Minerals needed for growth and development
Air for breathing
Correct temperature for living things

3. The Earth system consists of four spheres that interact with each other
The atmosphere
The hydrosphere
The geosphere
The biosphere

4. The Atmosphere

5. The atmosphere is a gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth.
Composed of a mixture of gases (nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide)
Provides living things with oxygen and carbon dioxide
Protects us from harmful solar radiation (ozone layer)
Produces wind and weather

6. The Geosphere

7. The Geopshere makes up the Earth itself.
It includes rocks

8. Mountains

9. Beaches

10. Ocean Basins

11. The Geosphere provides us with:
Mineral resources
Building materials
Locations for cities and homes

12. The Hydrosphere

13. The Hydrosphere consists of all water systems on the Earth, both fresh and salt. It includes:
Oceans
Lakes
Rivers
Groundwater
Water in glaciers and mountain snow

14. Most of the Earth’s water is salty. Only about 3% is fresh and only
Most of the Earth’s water is salty. Only about 3% is fresh and only .5% is available for us to use.

15. All the water on the Earth is recycled
All the water on the Earth is recycled. It goes through a series of processes called the Water Cycle.

16. The Biosphere

17. All the living things on the planet compose the biosphere
All the living things on the planet compose the biosphere. Interactions between the atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere produce conditions to support life.

18. The four spheres are constantly moving, changing and interacting.
Winds blow
Rocks form, break down and form again
Plants and animals live, grow, die and decompose
Water moves from the rivers to the sea

19. The four spheres interact with each other, everyday, all around us.
Which spheres are interacting in the picture above?

20. Interactions
Gases enter the air (atmosphere) from the volcano (geosphere)
Ash and lava will (geosphere) will cover the land and destroy crops (biosphere)
Water vapor (hydrosphere) enters the air (atmosphere) from the volcano (geosphere)

21. Which spheres are interacting in this picture?

22. Interactions
Water from the tidal bore (hydrosphere) destroys cars and injures people (biosphere)
Water from the bore (hydrosphere) changes the coastline (geosphere)

23. Which spheres are interacting?

24. Interactions
The tornado (atmosphere) formed from a severe thunderstorm (hydrosphere)
Tornado (atmosphere/hydrosphere) damaged Washburn University (biosphere)