Earth Science

Name: Frederick T. Liyo Date: 03/09/2022

Section: 11-STEM Score :____________

Learning Activity Sheet (LAS)#2

Earth’s Subsystems

Brief Introduction:
Planet Earth is a System. Earth’s system is both a closed system and an open system.
Earth is an open system in respect to energy. Energy in the form of light and heat do enter and leave
the system.
Earth is a closed system with respect to matter. Matter does not leave the Earth’s system (Examples:
soil and water).
Earth has four Subsystems: Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere and Geosphere.

Atmosphere:
This system relates to meteorological features and phenomena such as weather, clouds, or aerosols
(particles in the air). It includes an ever-changing mixture of gas and small particles located above the
Earth’s surface.
Features associated with the atmosphere that can be studied using astronaut photography are:
Clouds Hurricanes and Cyclones Aurora
Air Pollution/Aerosols Dust and Sandstorms
Biosphere:
This system is associated with living systems such as biomes or ecosystems. This includes life
on land, in the oceans and rivers, and even life we cannot see with the naked eye.
Features associated with the biosphere that can be studied using astronaut photography are:

Coastal Biomes Forests Deserts

Grasslands Urban/Agricultural Ecosystems

Hydrosphere:
This system is associated with water in solid (ice) and liquid states.
Features associated with this system that can be studied using astronaut photography are:
Oceans Lakes and Rivers
ice Bergs (Polar Ice Caps) Glaciers

Geosphere (sometimes called the lithosphere)

This system is associated with solid portions of the Earth. It includes rocks, sediments and soils,
surface landforms and the processes that shape the surface.
Features associated with this system can be broken down into a variety of different processes.
These are:
Fluvial and Alluvial Processes: Deltas, river channels/canyons, alluvial fans
Aeolian Processes: Sand dunes, yardangs, wind streaks
Tectonic Processes: Folds, faults, mountains
Volcanic Processes: Volcanoes, central vents, volcanic deposits
Impact Processes: Impact craters
Other Processes: Mass wasting processes, erosional processes
Do we see one subsystem at a time?
Rarely, subsystems are usually interacting with another system.

These spheres are so closely connected that a change in one sphere often results in a change
in one or more of the other spheres. Such changes that take place within an ecosystem are referred to
as events.
Events can occur naturally, such as an earthquake or a hurricane, or they can be caused by humans,
such as an oil spill or air pollution.
An event can cause changes to occur in one or more of the spheres, and/or an event can be the effect
of changes in one or more of Earth’s four spheres.
This two-way cause and effect relationship between an event and a sphere is called an interaction.
Interactions also occur among the spheres.

Examples of System Interactions:

Hurricanes (atmosphere) sweep across the ocean (hydrosphere) and onto the land (geosphere),
damaging the dwellings of people (biosphere) who live along the coast.

Humans (biosphere) harness energy from the water (hydrosphere) by having it spin turbines
(geosphere) to produce electricity.

Water in the lake (hydrosphere) seeps into the cliff walls behind the dam, becoming groundwater
(geosphere), or evaporating into the air (atmosphere).

Earthquakes (geosphere) can damage buildings which may kill people (biosphere), as well as cause
fires which release gases into the air (atmosphere).

Earthquakes in the ocean may cause a tsunami (hydrosphere) which can eventually hit land and kill
both animals and people (biosphere).

Understanding the interactions that occur in the Earth System also helps people to prepare for the
effects of natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and severe storms. This
understanding allows people to predict things like how far and in what direction the lava will flow or
the storm surge will rise and help them to evaluate their options throughout the time period of the
event.

Problem Solving Activity:

How do Earth’s Spheres Interact ?

Learning Competency:
1.Explain that the earth consists of four subsystems, across whose boundaries matter and
energy flows (S11ES-1B-4)
2. Analyze how matter and energy change and cycle through the system as the spheres
interact.

Materials:
Example image of Earth system
List of cause and effect relationships
Computer or research materials access

Procedure:
1. After reading the information in the introduction section, the students will analyze a
sample event.
2. Each student will select an event to evaluate from the list provided.
He/She will research the event and decide how it may cause a change to each of the
spheres (hydrosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, biosphere) and how those spheres may
impact the event.
Event < > geosphere
Event < > hydrosphere
Event < > biosphere
Event < > atmosphere
3. Students will make a connection model like this one to show and explain their ideas.
 Remember that: The double-headed arrows ( < >) indicate that the cause and effect
relationships of these interactions go in both directions. For example, “event
hydrosphere” refers to the effects of the event on the hydrosphere, and the effects of the

hydrosphere on the event

4. Students should refer to the GUIDE QUESTIONS to help them evaluate the cause and effect
relationships relating to their topic.
4. Students will evaluate and discuss the information they have acquired and write down how
the events will connect the spheres to each other.
geosphere < >hydrosphere
geosphere < > biosphere
geosphere < > atmosphere
hydrosphere < > biosphere
hydrosphere < > atmosphere
biosphere < >atmosphere
4. Remember that the double-headed arrows (< >) indicate that the cause and effect
relationships of the interactions go in both directions. For example, “geosphere <
>hydrosphere” refers to the effects of the geosphere on the hydrosphere, as well as the
effects of the hydrosphere on the geosphere.
5. Students will then complete their evaluations with a diagram like the one on the right

with EXPLANATIONS for the connections.

6. Each student will then prepare a report explaining the event and the effects on the Earth
system.
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR CAUSE AND EFFECT:
1. How may each of the Earth's four spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and
biosphere) have caused the event to occur? (These are sphere vs. event impacts.)
- In order to live humans need equipment and tools to live since ancient time, as the time goes
by the human civilizations also grew to the point were they already discovered the use of items
and minerals for their survival and coal is also a part of it. As humans need electric/energy and
fire, they use coals for fuel and to generate electricity.
In conclusion, coal mining was started because of humans(biosphere) for human use such us for
cooking food meat, etc…(biosphere), in cold and desperate times, temperature and
weather(atmosphere). For a fact, coal is the most abundant source of electricity worldwide,
currently providing more than 36% of global electricity.

2. What are the effects of the event on each of the Earth's four spheres (hydrosphere,
atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere)? (These are the event vs. sphere impacts.)
- Atmosphere: Pollutes the air with dust. This affects wildlife and creates poor air quality in the
area. When coal is burned it releases many harmful chemicals into the air, such as methane
(greenhouse gas) and contributes to global warming.
Biosphere: Destroys plant and animal habitats (kills plants, destroys resources that animals use)
and causes animals to leave or die (read more about mining and biodiversity here)
The release of chemicals is harmful to humans and causes many deaths (eg. mercury, which
harms entire food chains).
Lithosphere: Mountaintop removal, where tops of hills and mountains are removed to reveal
coal. A great deal of soil and land is removed, permanently altering the landscape.
Hydrosphere: Chemicals produced dissolve in nearby lakes/rivers and spread,contaminating
water (read about water pollution and mining here).
Destroys aquifers (underground freshwater).

3. What are the effects of changes in one of Earth's four spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere,
geosphere, or biosphere) on each of the other spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere,
or biosphere)? (These are the sphere-to-sphere interactions.)
- As coal mining affects all the four spheres of the earth, it has the probability that each of the
spheres has its interactions. Like, When coal is burned it releases many harmful chemicals and
affects the atmosphere that resulting to global warming (Lithosphere<>Atmosphere). Since it
pollutes the air with dust thus affects life and creates poor air quality(Atmosphere<>Biosphere).
Destroys plant and animal habitat for the land which also leads to deaths of some species
(Biosphere>>Lithosphere<>Biosphere). Mountaintop removal, altering the landscape and lead
to erosion, deforstation (Biosphere<>Lithosphere). Chemicals produced to dissolve in nearby
lakes/rivers and spread, contaminating water killing life in the sea and pollution
(Lithosphere>hydrosphere>Biosphere and Atmosphere).
My diagram about Coal mining
interactions that happen
between the event
and the four spheres.

NOTE: This approach of answering the questions above is performed during every analysis;
simply replace the term "event" with the event you wish to investigate.

POSSIBLE EVENTS FOR ANALYSIS

1. Coronavirus Pandemic
2. Mt.Taal eruption
3. Super Typhoon “Odette”
4. Mars biosphere
5. Photosynthesis/respiration
6. Pine beetle infestation
7. Acid rain
8. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
9. Red tide in Palawan.
10.Coal mining
11. Drought
12.Flooding
13.Ozone depletion
14.Phytoplankton bloom
15. Tsunami
16.Sulfur dioxide
17.Sunspots
18. El Nino/La Nina

Application:
What effect do you have on the Earth system? As apart of the biosphere, think of some
ways that you change the atmosphere, hydrosphere, or geosphere. List some Earth
sphere interactions that result from your own daily activities.
- We humans has the highest level of intelligence in all species, we are obliged to keep the
earth balance and maintain proper use of minerals and every other thing since everything is not
infinite or non-renewable we must keep on finding and inventing alternative method and uses for
our daily human lives, like the use of renewable resources than the non-renewable ones and
finding innovative solutions to modern problems. In the end as a normal citizen, small habits and
discipline can do big changes in a long run since other people might also realize and do what
your do. The ife expectancy of a human is very limited, as our planet Earth, so we must save
and conserve so that our descendants or even grand grand descendants can maintain and live
on the planet Earth.
 Rubric :

Criteria Exceptional Admirable Acceptable Attempted

( 5) ( 4) ( 3) (2-1)
Understanding Factual Factual Factual Information is
of the Topic information is information is information inaccurate
accurate mostly is
accurate somewhat
accurate
Synthesis of The response The response The The response
information reflects a reflects some response provides no
complete synthesis of provides synthesis of
synthesis of information little information
information synthesis
of
information
Use of Complete The The The supporting
supporting supporting supporting supporting detail are
details details details are details are minimally
demonstrate an generally adequate. effective
integration of complete
ideas

Reflection:
What is the importance of studying the interactions among the four subsystems?
- The existence of the four subsystems is very vital for the Earth and its habitants.
Each of them has their own job to keep the ecosystem to keep on going and all four of them has
balance between them each other affecting one another making a chain of events and then
being solved as it turns around the subsystems. As the species living in Earth it is very
important to know this so that we can appreciate what the God gave us and keep on saving all
lives and all the subsystems by our own ways.

Evaluation:
Complete the statements below.

I learned that the lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere are the four
subsystems of the geosphere. Because these subsystems interact with one
another and with the biosphere,

I enjoyed learning it because it has relation since the medieval times where civilizations
and humans are doing what they can just to live not knowing these things.

I got confused on the diagram part since I must add all their relation pertaining to the
event that is happening.

I realized that knowing these things really can change everyones point of view towards
every events. Knowing the consequences and effects of such things.
References for Learners:

Retrieved from
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/education/info_activities/pdfs/Teacher_PSA
_sphere_interactions.pdf
Retrieved from https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20100017766.pdf

Retrieve from https://www.google.com/search?q=earth

%27s+subsystem+ppt&rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH904PH904&oq=earth
%27s+subsystem+ppt&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0l5.12940j0j4&sourceid=chrom
e&ie=UTF-8
Retrieved from
https://www.utellstory.com/viewstory/view/a5783bef2ac548fcf168370f77536
49f#.XxmWrFUzbIU

Prepared by:
Ms. Mariecel F.Tenmatay