What is Earth?

The earth is the 3rd planet from the sun between Venus and Mars. The earth is made
up of several unique properties, characteristics, composition and they all affect the
processes of the earth differently. Every of these properties and elements in Earth’s
system are largely categorized into one of the four major subsystems including
water, living things, land, and the air. These are regarded as the four interlocking
“wonders” that create the earth’s diversity. Cumulatively, they are primarily
grouped into biological (living things) and physical (non-living things).

These four “wonders” of the earth are dependent upon each other and have been
used to make the study of biological and physical components of the earth easily
comprehendible. They are scientifically called the biophysical elements namely the
hydrosphere (‘hydro’ for water), biosphere (‘bio’ for living things), lithosphere
(‘litho’ for land), and atmosphere (‘atmo’ for air). These spheres are further divided
into various sub-spheres.
According to Wikipedia,

“Earth is the third planet from the Sun, the densest planet in the Solar System, the
largest of the Solar System’s four terrestrial planets, and the only astronomical object
known to harbor life. According to radiometric dating and other sources of evidence,
Earth formed about 4.54 billion years ago. Earth gravitationally interacts with other
objects in space, especially the Sun and the Moon.”

4 Different Spheres of the Earth

Lets take a look at these four spheres of the earth in bit more detail to understand
how they help make up the earth.
 1. Hydrosphere (Water)

The hydrosphere includes all the gaseous, liquid, and solid water of the planet earth.
The hydrosphere stretches all the way from the Earth’s surface downward
numerous miles into the lithosphere and high above the crust into the atmosphere.
Most of the water in the atmosphere is in gaseous form and as it rises higher into the
atmosphere it condenses to form clouds which fall back on earth as precipitation.

All the water in the hydrosphere is always in motion just like the atmospheric gases.
The natural earth features depicting the hydrosphere are the rivers, streams, lakes,
seas, oceans and the water vapor. Glaciers, which are the slowly moving masses of
ice, are also part of the hydrosphere. 97% of all earth’s water is salty. Oceans carry
most of the salty water while the majority of lakes and rivers carry fresh water. The
earth’s temperature is highly influenced by the hydrosphere.

Very low temperatures are associated with icebergs, glaciers or icecaps; low to
moderate temperatures are associated with the common types of precipitation like
snow, rain, drizzle, sleet or hails; and high temperatures are tied to dry and hot
conditions and evaporation. The glaciers, icebergs, and icecaps are also categorically
called the cryosphere.

2. Biosphere (Living Things)

All the living things in the planet are categorized under the biosphere. In this view,
the biosphere includes all of the animals, plants, and microorganisms of earth.
Humans as well belong to this group. The entire ecological communities within the
physical surrounding of the earth are within the umbrella of living things
(biosphere). These ecological communities interact together with the physical
aspects of the earth including the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and the atmosphere.
Collectively, these ecological communities are made reference to as biomes. Deserts,
forests, grasslands, aquatic, tundra, and chaparral are the six main biomes that are
present in the biosphere. The living things on earth interact with each other in
various ways, which is well elaborated under the trophic levels of food chain – how
energy is transferred in ecological systems.

3. Lithosphere (Land)

The lithosphere is made up of all the hard and solid land mass on the earth’s surface,
the semi-solid rocks (molten materials) underneath the earth crust, and the liquid
rocks in the inner core of the earth. The surface of the lithosphere is uneven as it is
characterized by various landform features. Some of the landforms include
mountains like the Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Vesuvius in Italy, deep valleys
within the mountain ranges, huge plains like the ones in Texas and Brazil, extensive
plateaus like Bolivian plateau in South America and the Colorado plateau of the
United States, and hills like the black hills.

The liquid, semi-solid, and solid land components of the lithosphere form layers that
are chemically and physically different. This is why the lithosphere is further
divided into sub-spheres namely the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner
core. The crust is made of loose soil and rocks. The mantle is made of dense rock
made up of nickel and iron in the form of silicate rocks and its lower part is semi-
solid (partially molten) rocks.

The outer core is made up of liquid (purely molten) rock materials. The inner core is
the centre of the earth which is purely made of very hot and liquid iron and
nickel. The rock materials are divided into three primary categories based on how
they are formed namely igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks.

4. Atmosphere (Air)
All the air in the atmosphere makes up the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a
mixture of nitrogen (about 78%), oxygen (about 21%), and other gasses (about 1%)
such as carbon dioxide (0.039%), argon (0.93%) and the rest are trace gases
(krypton, neon, helium , and xenon). The higher the atmosphere, the thinner it
becomes and this trait gradually moves towards space. The atmosphere extends all
the way from the earth’s crust to more than 6200 miles (10,000 kilometers) above
the earth’s surface into space. The atmosphere is divided into several layers and
amongst the layers is the stratosphere that contains the ozone layer which protects
the organisms in the biosphere from the sun’s harmful radiation.

Other layers of the atmosphere include the troposphere, mesosphere,

thermosphere, and the exosphere. These atmospheric layers exhibit different
chemical compositions and temperatures, and the temperatures and chemical
compositions widely vary within the different layers. The troposphere is where
most of the weather happens and it becomes colder with altitude. The air is in
constant motion around the planet and it is normally responsible for some natural
events in the planet such as local breeze, winds, tornado, and tropical cyclones. The
atmosphere is always in constant interaction with the hydrosphere, giving rise to
the planets weather conditions.

What are the Earth's 4 subsystems and their definition?

Earth Science World Climates

1 Answer

Jack L.
Jan 26, 2018
Answer:
Lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
Explanation:
Lithosphere: The rigid outer part of Earth, consists of the surface, the crust and the upper
mantle.
Biosphere: The regions that contain life
Hydrosphere: Region that contains water, can be in the form of solid(Antarctica),
liquid(oceans), and gas(the atmosphere).
Atmosphere: Sphere that contains all the air of Earth, extends from below sea level to
10,000 km, the atmosphere is further divided into several other sub-spheres.

Everything in Earth's system can be placed into one of four major

subsystems: land, water, living things, or air. These four subsystems are
called "spheres." Specifically, they are the "lithosphere" (land),
"hydrosphere" (water), "biosphere" (living things), and "atmosphere" (air).
Each of these four spheres can be further divided into sub-spheres. To
keep things simple in this module, there will be no distinction among the
sub-spheres of any of the four major spheres.

Lithosphere
The lithosphere contains all of the cold, hard solid land of the planet's crust
(surface), the semi-solid land underneath the crust, and the liquid land near
the center of the planet. *The surface of the lithosphere is very uneven (see
image at right). There are high mountain ranges like the Rockies and Andes
(shown in red), huge plains or flat areas like those in Texas, Iowa, and Brazil
(shown in green), and deep valleys along the ocean floor (shown in blue).

The solid, semi-solid, and liquid land of the lithosphere form layers that are physically
and chemically different. If someone were to cut through Earth to its center, these layers
would be revealed like the layers of an onion (see image above). The outermost layer of
the lithosphere consists of loose soil rich in nutrients, oxygen, and silicon. Beneath that
layer lies a very thin, solid crust of oxygen and silicon. Next is a thick, semi-solid mantle
of oxygen, silicon, iron, and magnesium. Below that is a liquid outer core of nickel and
iron. At the center of Earth is a solid inner core of nickel and iron.

*Note: The word "lithosphere" can take on different meanings depending on the speaker
and the audience. For example, many geologists--scientists who study the geologic
formations of Earth--reserve the word "lithosphere" to mean only the cold, hard surface
of Earth, not the entire inside of the planet. For the purpose of this module, however,
there will be no distinction among the various layers of land. The word "lithosphere" will
be used in reference to all land in Earth's system.
Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere contains all the solid, liquid, and gaseous water of the
planet. **It ranges from 10 to 20 kilometers in thickness. The hydrosphere
extends from Earth's surface downward several kilometers into the
lithosphere and upward about 12 kilometers into the atmosphere.

A small portion of the water in the hydrosphere is fresh (non-salty). This water flows as
precipitation from the atmosphere down to Earth's surface, as rivers and streams along
Earth's surface, and as groundwater beneath Earth's surface. Most of Earth's fresh
water, however, is frozen.

Ninety-seven percent of Earth's water is salty. The salty water collects in deep valleys
along Earth's surface. These large collections of salty water are referred to as oceans.
The image above depicts the different temperatures one would find on oceans'
surfaces. Water near the poles is very cold (shown in dark purple), while water near the
equator is very warm (shown in light blue). The differences in temperature cause water
to change physical states. Extremely low temperatures like those found at the poles
cause water to freeze into a solid such as a polar icecap, a glacier, or an iceberg.
Extremely high temperatures like those found at the equator cause water to evaporate
into a gas.

**Note: Some scientists place frozen water--glaciers, icecaps, and icebergs--in its own
sphere called the "cryosphere." For the purpose of this module, however, frozen water
will be included as part of the hydrosphere. The word "hydrosphere" will be used in
reference to all water in Earth's system.

Biosphere
The biosphere contains all the planet's living things. ***This sphere
includes all of the microorganisms, plants, and animals of Earth.

Within the biosphere, living things form ecological communities based on

the physical surroundings of an area. These communities are referred to
as biomes. Deserts, grasslands, and tropical rainforests are three of the many types of
biomes that exist within the biosphere.

It is impossible to detect from space each individual organism within the biosphere.
However, biomes can be seen from space. For example, the image above distinguishes
between lands covered with plants (shown in shades of green) and those that are not
(shown in brown).

***Note: Some scientists place humans in their own sphere called the "anthrosphere."
For the purpose of this module, however, humans will be included as part of the
biosphere. The word "biosphere" will be used in reference to all living things in Earth's
system.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere contains all the air in Earth's system. ****It extends from less than 1 m
below the planet's surface to more than 10,000 km above the planet's surface. The
upper portion of the atmosphere protects the organisms of the biosphere from the sun's
ultraviolet radiation. It also absorbs and emits heat. When air temperature in the lower
portion of this sphere changes, weather occurs. As air in the lower atmosphere is
heated or cooled, it moves around the planet. The result can be as simple as a breeze
or as complex as a tornado.

****Note: The atmosphere is made up of many layers that differ in chemical composition
and temperature. For the purpose of this module, however, we will not differentiate
among the layers of the atmosphere. The word "atmosphere" will be used in reference
to all of the layers.

HTML code by Chris Kreger

Maintained by ETE Team
Last updated November 10, 2004

Some images © 2004 www.clipart.com

Privacy Statement and Copyright © 1997-2004 by Wheeling Jesuit University/NASA-supported Classroom of the Future. All
rights reserved.

Center for Educational Technologies, Circuit Board/Apple graphic logo, and COTF Classroom of the Future logo are
registered trademarks of Wheeling Jesuit University.