SCIENCE ABOUT SPHERES OF EARTH

The Earth is made up of four systems, or spheres. The biosphere (life), the lithosphere
(land), the hydrosphere (water) and the atmosphere (air). On Earth land, water, air and life
interact with one another. As humans, we are also part of this interaction. There is a fine
balance between these four systems - if the one becomes altered, it has an effect on all the
others.

The Biosphere
The biosphere includes all life on Earth - plants, animals and humans. Most of what is
studied in Life and Living is about the biosphere. The biosphere also includes life in the
oceans, and under the soil. For example bacteria living on decaying plant material and the
smallest sea creatures and plants are part of the biosphere. Almost all the life on the planet
is found between 3 meters below the surface of the Earth, up to 30 meters above the
ground, and in the top 200 meters of the oceans.

The hydrosphere
The hydrosphere includes all water on the planet - the oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater,
rain, clouds, glaciers and ice caps. About 70% of the surface of the Earth is covered with
water. The oceans contain most of this water, with only a small portion of it being fresh water.
All the water on Earth forms part of the hydrosphere.

The lithosphere/geosphere
The lithosphere includes the Earth's crust and the upper part of the mantle. All mountains,
rocks, soil and minerals included in the Earth's crust are part of the lithosphere. Even the
seafloor is part of the lithosphere, because it is also made up of sediments of sand and rock

The atmosphere
The atmosphere includes all the air above the surface of the Earth all the way to space. All
the gases that are present in the air are included in the atmosphere. Most of the atmosphere
is found close to the surface of the Earth where the air is most dense. The air contains 79%
nitrogen, less than 21% oxygen, and a small amount of carbon dioxide and other gases. We
will look more closely at the atmosphere later on in this chapter.

geosphere

any of the almost spherical concentric regions of matter that make up the
earth and its atmosphere, as the lithosphere and hydrosphere.