EARTH’S INTERNAL

STRUCTURE AND
SUBSYSTEMS
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:

• Identify the layers of the Earth by

differentiating each layer.

• Explain that the Earth consists of four

subsystems, across whose boundaries matter
and energy flow.

• Discuss the different relationship between the

spheres of Earth and Earth as a system.
THREE LAYERS
OF THE EARTH CRUST
the outer most layer that is made up
mostly of light elements, such as
silicon, oxygen, and aluminum

MANTLE
the middle layer consisting of rocks

CORE
which composed of dense metals
like nickel and iron
EARTH’S DISCONTINUITIES
CRUST
• thinnest layer of earth is the crust
• continental crust and the oceanic
crust

GRANITE BASALT
MANTLE
• layer between the crust and
the core
• thicker and denser than crust
• subdivided into lower and
upper mantle
• asthenosphere
CORE
• The center of the Earth
• mostly made of iron and nickel
• divided into two zones: the outer core and
the inner core.
• boundary between the outer and inner core
is sometimes referred to as Lehmann
discontinuity
 EARTH AS A
SYSTEM
Planet earth is divided into
different spheres that interact
with each other to achieve a
common goal, that is, to
support life on the planet. This
relationship that connects the
whole of earth is known as the
Earth system.
01 02
ATMOSPHERE
GEOSPHERE

03 04
HYDROSPHERE BIOSPHERE
GEOSPHERE
• Geosphere, from the Greek word “ground”, is
composed of all rocks, minerals, and soil, on Earth.
• mountains, continents, ocean floor, sand in the
deserts, bedrocks, and earth’s interior layers.
• Earth is further subdivided based on how the
materials found on its geosphere react with and
behave to different factors and forces in the
environment. Lithosphere refers to the solid and
rigid outer layer that includes the crust and
uppermost part of the mantle. Below this sphere is
the asthenosphere, which consists of the solid but
mobile part of the mantle that can flow
depending on the heat deep within Earth.
ATMOSPHERE
• body of gas that envelopes Earth
• the air of Earth has approximately 79%
Nitrogen and less than 21% Oxygen; the
rest is carbon dioxide and other
gaseous elements that surround Earth.
• divided into several layers based on
temperature: troposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere, and
exosphere separated by boundaries
(‘pauses”).
01 TROPOSPHERE
• This layer is closest to Earth’s surface.
• Weather occurs in this layer because this layer contains
most of the water vapor.
• The temperature decreases as the altitude (height of the
atmosphere) increases.

02 STRATOSPHERE
• It extends to about 50 km from Earth’s surface. We find
the ozone layer here.
• Many jet aircraft fly in the stratosphere because it is very
stable.
• At heights around 10-20 km above the ground, the
temperature is almost the same. From about 20 to 50 km
above, the temperature increases

03 MESOSPHERE
• It is the layer between 50 km and 80 km above the Earth’s
surface.
• Air in this layer is very thin and cold. Meteors or rock
fragments burn up in the mesosphere.
• The temperature decreases as height increases in this
layer.
04 THERMOSPHERE
• It is between 80 km and 700 km above the Earth.
• Space shuttles fly in this area, and it is also where the
auroras are found.
• The temperature increases gradually from about 100 to
110 km. From 110 km to the end of the layer the
temperature steadily increases with height.

05 EXOSPHERE
• It is the upper limit of our atmosphere which merges into
space.
• Satellites are stationed in this area, 500 km to 1000 km from
Earth.
• The gradual increase in temperature with altitude
continues in this layer.
HYDROSPHERE
• made up of all the water found on Earth-on its surface,
underground, and in the air.
• includes all the rivers, lakes, streams, oceans, groundwater,
polar ice caps, glaciers, water vapor, clouds, and any
form of precipitation like rain and snow.
• water is the main body component of all living things

Distribution of Waters on Earth

• Surface Water – water found on Earth’s surface. It may
either be marine or fresh water.
• Groundwater – water found beneath Earth’s surface
where there are spaces in the soil or fractures in rocks.

Note: Less than 3% of the world’s waters is considered potable.

BIOSPHERE
• made up of all the living organisms on
the planet
• includes the plants, animals, bacteria,
and fungi that thrive on the planet
even in the most extreme
environments in the depths and corner
of Earth
 SPHERE
INTERACTION
The surface of the geosphere,
where the rocky part of our planet
is in contact with water, air, and/or
life is generally where the spheres
intersect and affect each other.
The processes that move matter
and energy from one sphere to
another, we can call sphere
interactions.
EXAMPLES

Water in the lake (hydrosphere) seeps into the cliff

Humans (biosphere) built a dam out of rock walls behind the dam, becoming groundwater
materials (geosphere). (geosphere), or evaporating into the air
(atmosphere).
EXAMPLES
Humans (biosphere) harness energy from the
water (hydrosphere) by having it spin turbines
(geosphere, because the turbines come from
metal ores in the ground) to produce
electricity.
Humans (biosphere) harness energy from the
wind (atmosphere) by having it spin turbines
(geosphere, because the turbines come from
metal ores in the ground) to produce
electricity.
Objectives:
At the end of the module, the learners will be able to:
• Identify common rock-forming minerals using their
physical and chemical properties.
• Classify rocks into igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic.
 Rocks Minerals
• an aggregate of one or more • refers to naturally occurring,
minerals and other substances that inorganic substance with a
are cohered into solid structure crystalline structure
Physical Properties of Minerals
Crystalline
Luster Hardness
structure

Color Streak Cleavage

Specific
gravity
Luster
• is the quality and intensity of
reflected light exhibited by the
mineral.
• Metallic- generally opaque
and exhibit a resplendent
shine like a polished metal
• Non-metallic- vitreous (glassy),
adamantine
(brilliant/diamond-like),
resinous, silky, pearly, dull
(earthy) and greasy.
 Hardness!
• is defined as the
mineral’s resistance
to scratching.
• measured by Mohs
Scale of Hardness.
 Crystalline Structure
• refers to the geometric
arrangement of atoms in
the crystalline form of
minerals.
• influenced by the three-
dimensional pattern of the
crystals that make up the
mineral
Color and Streak!
• streak of a mineral refers to the color of the mineral in
powdered form.

Tourmaline, Hematite, Limonite, Magnetite and Amphibole

Cleavage
• is the property of some minerals
to break along specific planes of
weakness to form smooth flat
surfaces.

Specific Gravity
• describes the mineral’s density in
comparison to the density of a
standard like water.
 Mineral Groups
Silicates Non-silicates

Silicates Carbonate

Oxides Sulfides

Sulfates

Halides

Native Elements
 Mineral Groups (Silicates)
• Silicates- minerals
containing the two most
abundant elements in the
Olivine Quartz
Earth’s crust, namely, silicon
and oxygen.
• Oxides- minerals composed
of oxygen anion (O2-)
combined with one or more
metal ions. Magnetite Hematite
 Mineral Groups (Non-silicates)
• Carbonate- minerals containing the
carbonate (CO3)2- anion combined
with other elements.
• Sulfides- minerals containing sulfur and
a metal; some sulfides are sources of Calcite Dolomite Galena Pyrite
economically important metals such as
copper, lead, and zinc.
• Sulfates- minerals containing sulfur and
oxygen in the form of the (SO4)- anion.
• Halides- minerals containing halogen Barite Gypsum Rock salt Fluorite
elements combined with one or more
metals.
• Native elements- minerals that form as
individual elements.
Copper Gold
 Rock Cycle

Rocks
• an aggregation of one or
more minerals and other
substances that are cohered
into solid structure.
• igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic rock
• undergoes a cycle called
rock cycle
 Three types of Rocks
Sedimentary Metamorphic
Igneous Rocks
Rocks Rocks

Foliated
Plutonic/Intrusive Clastic
Metamorphic
Igneous Rocks Sedimentary Rocks
Rocks

Non-Foliated
Volcanic/Extrusive Non-clastic
Metamorphic
Igneous Rocks Sedimentary Rocks
Rocks
 Plutonic/Intrusive igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks
• Igneous rocks got their name Granite & Gabbro
from Latin word “ignis” which
means “fire”. This makes sense
because these rocks are formed
Diorite & Pegmatite
by volcanic activity.
• Plutonic/Intrusive igneous rock Volcanic/Extrusive igneous Rocks

forms when magma is trapped

deep inside the Earth.
• Volcanic/Extrusive igneous rock is Andesite & Basalt
produced when magma exits
and cools above (or very near)
the Earth's surface.
Rhyolite & Pumice
Sedimentary Rocks Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
• formed from previously • Form from the accumulation and lithification of sediments
existing rocks that have derived from the breakdown of pre-existing rocks.
been broken down into
small particles or have been
dissolved in solutions.
• lithification, compaction Conglomerate Sandstone Breccia Shale
and cementation
Non-clastic Sedimentary Rocks
• common sedimentary
• Derived from sediments that precipitated from concentrated
features: strata and fossils
solutions (e.g. seawater) or from the accumulation of biologic
• Two types of sedimentary or organic material (e.g. shells, plant material).
rocks
• Clastic sedimentary rocks
• Non-clastic sedimentary
rocks Chert Limestone Lignite
Metamorphic Rocks
• Metamorphic literally means ―to Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
change form from the Greek word,
metamorphosis.
• form when existing rocks (igneous or
sedimentary) are changed by heat
or pressure or both inside the Earth’s Slate Gneiss Schist
crust
• commonly formed underneath the
earth through metamorphism. Non-Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
• Two types of Metamorphism:
Contact metamorphism and
Regional metamorphism
• Classification of metamorphic rocks:
foliated metamorphic rock and non- Marble Quartzite Hornfels
foliated metamorphic rock
 Thank you
for listening!