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Lessson 3 Earths System

The document explains the four main subsystems that make up the Earth: the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. It provides details on the composition and layers of the atmosphere. The biosphere contains all living things. The hydrosphere is all water on Earth. The geosphere is the solid part of the planet. Earth system science studies the interactions between these subsystems.

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mizpehman12
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26 views

Lessson 3 Earths System

The document explains the four main subsystems that make up the Earth: the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. It provides details on the composition and layers of the atmosphere. The biosphere contains all living things. The hydrosphere is all water on Earth. The geosphere is the solid part of the planet. Earth system science studies the interactions between these subsystems.

Uploaded by

mizpehman12
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LESSON 3:

The Earth’s Subsystem


Learning Competency:

Explain that the Earth consists of four


subsystems, across whose boundaries
matter and energy flow. S11/12ES -Ia-e-4
Why do we need to know about
Earth’s spheres?
Earth Systems Overview

The Earth is a system consisting of four


major interacting components:

• the atmosphere,
• the biosphere,
• the hydrosphere, and
• the geosphere
The Atmosphere

The Earth is surrounded by a blanket


of air, which we call the atmosphere.
• The atmosphere consists of four
unique layers (the troposphere, the
stratosphere, the mesosphere, and
the thermosphere).
• The atmosphere reaches over 350
miles up from the surface of the
Earth.
• The atmosphere is primarily
composed of nitrogen (about 78%)
and oxygen (about 21%). Other
components exist in small quantities.
https://niwa.co.nz/sites/niwa.co.nz/files/styles/large/public/5
12px-Atmospheric_Layers.svg_.png?itok=4O9hFfvv

The different layers of the atmosphere


The atmosphere can be divided into layers based on its temperature,
as shown in the figure These layers are the troposphere, the
stratosphere, the mesosphere and the thermosphere. A further
region, beginning about 500 km above the Earth's surface,
is called the exosphere.
The Troposphere

This is the lowest part of the atmosphere


- the part we live in. It contains most of
our weather - clouds, rain, snow. In this
part of the atmosphere the temperature
gets colder as the distance above the
earth increases, by about 6.5°C per
kilometer. The actual change of
temperature with height varies from day
to day, depending on the weather.
The troposphere contains about 75% of all of
the air in the atmosphere, and almost all of
the water vapour (which forms clouds and
rain). The decrease in temperature with
height is a result of the decreasing pressure. If
a parcel of air moves upwards it expands
(because of the lower pressure). When air
expands it cools. So air higher up is cooler
than air lower down.
The Stratosphere

This extends upwards from the tropopause to


about 50 km. It contains much of the ozone in
the atmosphere. The increase in temperature
with height occurs because of absorption of
ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun by this
ozone. Temperatures in the stratosphere are
highest over the summer pole, and lowest
over the winter pole.
By absorbing dangerous UV radiation,
the ozone in the stratosphere protects
us from skin cancer and other health
damage. However chemicals (called
CFCs or freons, and halons) which were
once used in refrigerators, spray cans
and fire extinguishers have reduced the
amount of ozone in the stratosphere,
particularly at polar latitudes, leading to
the so-called "Antarctic ozone hole".
The Mesosphere
The region above the stratosphere is called
the mesosphere. Here the temperature
again decreases with height, reaching a
minimum of about -90°C at the
"mesopause"
The Thermosphere and Ionosphere

The thermosphere lies above the mesopause,


and is a region in which temperatures again
increase with height. This temperature
increase is caused by the absorption of
energetic ultraviolet and X-Ray radiation from
the sun.
The region of the atmosphere above about 80
km is also caused the "ionosphere", since the
energetic solar radiation knocks electrons off
molecules and atoms, turning them into
"ions" with a positive charge. The
temperature of the thermosphere varies
between night and day and between the
seasons, as do the numbers of ions and
electrons which are present.
The Exosphere
The region above about 500 km is called the
exosphere. It contains mainly oxygen and
hydrogen atoms, but there are so few of them
that they rarely collide - they follow "ballistic"
trajectories under the influence of gravity, and
some of them escape right out into space.
The Magnetosphere

The earth behaves like a huge magnet.


It traps electrons (negative charge) and
protons (positive), concentrating them in
two bands about 3,000 and 16,000 km
above the globe - the Van Allen "radiation"
belts. This outer region surrounding the
earth, where charged particles spiral along
the magnetic field lines, is called the
magnetosphere.
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.
• The biosphere is structured into a hierarchy known as a
food chain.
• Energy and nutrients, like carbon, are transferred from
one level of the food chain to the next.
Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere contains all the water found on our planet.


• Surface Water: Includes the ocean as well as water from
lakes, rivers and creeks.
• Ground Water: Includes water trapped in the soil and
groundwater.
• Atmosphere: water vapor.
• Frozen water: Includes ice caps and glaciers. Also called the
cryosphere.
• Only about 3% of the water on Earth is “fresh” water, and
about 70% of the fresh water is frozen in the form of glacial ice.
(0.9% in liquid form)
Geosphere

The geosphere is the solid part of the


earth, from the core to the surface.
• Includes volcanoes, rocks, minerals, coal,
oil etc.
•Mineral resources are mined from the
geosphere.
Earth System Science

Earth System Science is


the study of how the four
spheres of the Earth
system interact
continually, each affecting
the others.

Example:
A scientist that studies
global warming is an
Earth System Scientist.
System Interactions

Volcanoes erupt, sending ash


and gases into the air and
sending lava and ash down onto
surrounding forests and human
habitations.

Geosphere

Atmosphere Biosphere
System Interactions

Hurricanes sweep across the ocean


and onto the land, damaging the
dwellings of people who live along the
coast.

Hydrosphere

Atmosphere Geosphere

Biosphere
System Interactions
Earthquakes can damage buildings which may kill people,
as well as cause fires which release gases into the air.
Earthquakes in the ocean may cause a tsunami which can
eventually hit land and kill both animals and people.

Biosphere

Geosphere Atmosphere

Hydrosphere
Evaluation
1. Name the four main earth systems.
Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere and
Geosphere

2. Which branch of science studies the


interactions between these earth systems?
Earth System Science: Example is a scientist that
studies global warming.

3. A forest fire would effect which earth


systems?
All four: Fires (Biosphere) will destroy plant and animal life
while releasing smoke and other contaminants into the
atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere.
REFERENCES:
https://niwa.co.nz/education-and-training/schools/students/layers
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY: MODULE 2 PAGE 7

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