Spheres of the Earth

Identify the spheres of the Earth

Atmosphere• The atmosphere is the body of air which

surrounds our planet. • Most of our atmosphere is located close to the

earth's surface where it is most dense. • The air of our planet is 79% nitrogen and just

under 21% oxygen; the small amount remaining is composed of carbon dioxide and other gases.

Identify the spheres of the Earth

Lithosphere (Geosphere)• The lithosphere is the solid, rocky crust

covering the entire planet. • This crust is inorganic and is composed of

minerals.• It covers the entire surface of the earth from

the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Identify the spheres of the Earth

Hydrosphere• The hydrosphere is composed of all of the

water on or near the Earth. • This includes the oceans, rivers, lakes, and even

the moisture in the air (or soil).• 97% of the Earth's water is in the oceans. • The remaining 3% is fresh water; three-quarters

of the fresh water is solid and exists in ice sheets

Cryosphere

Identify the spheres of the Earth

Biosphere• The biosphere is composed of all living

organisms. • Plants, animals, and one-celled organisms are

all part of the biosphere. • Most of the planet's life is found from three

meters below the ground to thirty meters above it and in the top 200 meters of the oceans and seas.

How all spheres exist together

• All four spheres can be and often are present in a single location.

• For example, a piece of soil will of course have mineral material from the lithosphere. Additionally, there will be elements of the hydrosphere present as moisture within the soil, the biosphere as insects and plants, and even the atmosphere as pockets of air between soil pieces.

The Spheres of Earth!

Pull it all together!

The four spheres of Earth are: 1.2.3.4.

The spheres are so closely connected that a change in one sphere often results in a change in one or more of the other spheres. Such changes that take place within an ecosystem are referred to as events.

Interaction between the spheres

Events can occur naturally, such as an earthquake or a hurricane, or they can be caused by humans, such as an oil spill or air pollution. An event can cause changes to occur in one or more of the spheres, and/or an event can be the effect of changes in one or more of Earth's four spheres. This two-way cause and effect relationship between an event and a sphere is called an interaction. Interactions also occur among the spheres.

Interaction of the spheres of Earth

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 (biosphere ↔ lithosphere). Increased amounts of soil entering streams can lead to increased turbidity 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).

Interactions are important because…

Understanding the interactions among the earth's spheres and the events that occur within the ecosystem allows people to predict the outcomes of events.

Vocabulary• Temperature• Jet stream• Ocean currents• Air pressure• Wind speed and direction• Anemometer• Barometer• Rain gauge• Humidity• Precipitation• Water cycle• Evaporation• Condensation• Transpiration• Precipitation• Percolation