Scribd
Upload
322 views

Earth and Its Subsystems

The document describes Earth's major subsystems and how they interact through various cycles and processes. It defines the lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere. The lithosphere includes Earth's solid interior and crust. The atmosphere circulates heat and moisture through the hydrologic cycle. The biosphere is the realm of life on Earth and plays a key role in carbon and oxygen cycles. The hydrosphere, including oceans, lakes, and ice, exchanges heat and carbon dioxide with the atmosphere and biosphere. Together, these interconnected subsystems form the unified Earth system.

Uploaded by

Ralph Espejo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
322 views

Earth and Its Subsystems

The document describes Earth's major subsystems and how they interact through various cycles and processes. It defines the lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere. The lithosphere includes Earth's solid interior and crust. The atmosphere circulates heat and moisture through the hydrologic cycle. The biosphere is the realm of life on Earth and plays a key role in carbon and oxygen cycles. The hydrosphere, including oceans, lakes, and ice, exchanges heat and carbon dioxide with the atmosphere and biosphere. Together, these interconnected subsystems form the unified Earth system.

Uploaded by

Ralph Espejo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

EARTH AND ITS

SUBSYSTEMS
Using a pencil and a piece of paper, draw or illustrate the field
area. Take note of the presence of vegetation, soil cover, wildlife,
rockout-crops, and bodies of water. Think how energy and mass
are transferred in the different components of the area.
Use the following terms to complete the cycle:
- Condensation
- Precipitation
- Evaporation
- Transpiration
- Infiltration
- Surface run-off
SYSTEM
- System is a set of interconnected components that are
interacting to form a unified whole
- The earth system is essentially a closed system. It receives energy
from the sun and returns some of this energy to space.
Atmosphere
- The atmosphere is the thin gaseous layer that envelopes the
lithosphere.
- The present atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen (N), 21%
oxygen (O2), 0.9% argon, and trace amount of other gases.
- One of the most important processes by which the heat on the
Earth's surface is redistributed is through atmospheric circulation.
- There is also a constant exchange of heat and moisture
between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere through the
hydrologic cycle.
Lithosphere
- The lithosphere includes the rocks of the crust
and mantle, the metallic liquid outer core, and the
solid metallic inner core.
Biosphere
- The biosphere is the set of all life forms on Earth
- It covers all ecosystems—from the soil to the rainforest, from
mangroves to coral reefs, and from the plankton-rich ocean
surface to the deep sea.
- For the majority of life on Earth, the base of the food chain
comprises photosynthetic organisms. During photosynthesis,
CO2 is sequestered from the atmosphere, while oxygen is
released as a byproduct. The biosphere is a CO2 sink, and
therefore, an important part of the carbon cycle.
Hydrosphere
- About 70% of the Earth is covered with liquid water
(hydrosphere) and much of it is in the form of ocean water
- Only 3% of Earth's water is fresh: two-thirds are in the form of ice,
and the remaining one-third is present in streams, lakes, and
groundwater.
- The oceans are important sinks for CO2 through direct exchange
with the atmosphere and indirectly through the weathering of
rocks.
- Heat is absorbed and redistributed on the surface of the Earth
through ocean circulation.
- The impact of man to the environment has become so
massive that scientists are proposing the addition of
man or the ‘anthroposphere’ to the Earth system.

You might also like