The Earth System

⮞“Earth is a complex system of interacting physical, chemical and biological processes, and provides a
natural laboratory whose experiments have been running since the beginning of time.”

⮞Earth is a closed system

exchange of energy but negligible.(not mass)

⮞Earth system science studies Earth as a system composed of numerous parts, or subsystems.

Earth’s Four Spheres

⮞Geosphere: comprises the solid Earth and includes both Earth’s surface and the various layers of the
Earth's interior.

⮞Atmosphere: gaseous envelope that surrounds the Earth and constitutes the transition between it and
the vacuum of space

⮞Hydrosphere: includes all water on Earth (including surface water and groundwater)

⮞Biosphere: the life zone of the Earth and includes all living organisms, and all organic matter that has
not yet decomposed.

⮞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 is primarily composed of nitrogen (about 78%) and oxygen (about 21%). Other
components exist in small quantities.

⩥consists of a mixture of gases composed primarily of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water
vapour