EARTH & LIFE SCIENCE

NAME:____________________________________ DATE:________________________ GRADE &

SECTION:__________________________ TEACHER:_____________________

CONCEPT NOTES 4
I. TOPIC: EARTH SUBSYSTEMS
II. LEARNING GOAL: The students should be able to:
a. define the concept of a system;
b. recognize the Earth as a system composed of subsystems;
c. discuss the historical development of the concept of Earth System.
III. CONCEPTS
“EARTH SUBSYTEMS”
1. Atmosphere–the atmosphere is the thin gaseous layer that envelopes the lithosphere. ⮚ The
present atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen (N), 21% oxygen (O2), 0.9% argon, and trace
amount of other gases.
⮚ One of the most important processes by which the heat on the Earth's surface is redistributed
is through atmospheric circulation.
⮚ There is also a constant exchange of heat and moisture between the atmosphere and the
hydrosphere through the hydrologic cycle.

2. Lithosphere– the lithosphere includes the rocks of the crust and mantle, the metallic liquid outer
core, and the solid metallic inner core.
⮚ Briefly discuss the Plate Tectonics as an important process shaping the surface of the Earth.
The primary driving mechanism is the Earth's internal heat, such as that in mantle
convection.

3. Biosphere– the biosphere is the set of all life forms on Earth.

⮚ It covers all ecosystems—from the soil to the rainforest, from mangroves to coral reefs, and
from the plankton-rich ocean surface to the deep sea.
⮚ For the majority of life on Earth, the base of the food chain comprises photosynthetic
organisms. During photosynthesis, CO2 is sequestered from the atmosphere, while oxygen is
released as a byproduct. The biosphere is a CO2 sink, and therefore, an important part of
the carbon cycle.
⮚ Sunlight is not necessary for life.

4. Hydrosphere– about 70% of the Earth is covered with liquid water (hydrosphere) and much of it
is in the form of ocean water.
⮚ Only 3% of Earth's water is fresh: two-thirds are in the form of ice, and the remaining one
third is present in streams, lakes, and groundwater.
⮚ The oceans are important sinks for CO2 through direct exchange with the atmosphere and
indirectly through the weathering of rocks.
⮚ Heat is absorbed and redistributed on the surface of the Earth through ocean circulation.

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“The origin of the systems approach to the study of the Earth”

⮚ One of the first scientists to push for a more integrated or holistic approach in the
understanding of the universe (and by extension the Earth) was Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich
Alexander von Humboldt. He considered the universe as one interacting entity.
⮚ The term "biosphere" was popularized by Vladimir Vernadsky (1863-1945), a Russian -
Ukranian scientist who hypothesized that life is a geological force that shapes the Earth. ⮚ In
the 1970s, the Gaia Hypothesis was jointly developed by James Lovelock, an English
scientist/naturalist, and Lynn Margulis, an American microbiologist. According to the Gaia
Hypothesis. The biosphere is a self-regulating system that is capable of controlling its
physical and chemical environment.
⮚ In 1983, NASA advisory council established the Earth Systems Science Committee. The
committee, chaired by Moustafa Chahine, published a ground breaking report Earth System
Science: A Program for Global Change in 1988. For the first time, scientist was able to
demonstrate how the many systems interact.

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IV. ACTIVITY/EXERCISES
Direction: Draw or illustrate how Earth Subsystems interact each other and explain your work.

V. ASSESSMENT

Essay: Answer the following questions. (2-3 sentences per question)

1. What will happen if one of the Earth subsystems will disappear? Will the organism survive?
2. Among those Earth Subsystem which is the most important Subsystem? Why? 3. Explain
why the biosphere considered as a self-regulating system?
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