Earth Science
Earth’s Subsystem Study Guide
Erlison Lorenz M. Ognilla
What is a System?
A set of interconnected components that
are interacting to form a unified whole.
The Earth system is essentially a closed
system. It receives energy from the sun
and returns some of this energy to space.
•
Atmosphere
• thin gaseous layer that envelops the
lithosphere.
• One of the most important
processes by which the heat on the
Earth's surface is redistributed is
through atmospheric circulation.
• Current state = weather
• Volume of Clean and Dry Air
• Heat is absorbed and redistributed
Geosphere
• What happens to the temperature as
• includes the rocks of the crust and
we go beyond the atmosphere?
• •
Atmospheric Pressure and Altitude
• The higher the Altitude the lower the
pressure
Hydrosphere
• About 70% of the Earth is covered
with liquid water
• 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
• What did you realize after knowing
the percentage of distribution of
water on Earth?
• The oceans are important sinks for
CO2 through direct exchange with the
atmosphere and indirectly through the
weathering of rocks.
on the surface of the Earth through
ocean circulation.
mantle, the metallic liquid outer core,
and the solid metallic inner core.
• Plate Tectonics is 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.
Biosphere
• all life forms on Earth.
• all ecosystems
• the base of the food chain
comprises photosynthetic organisms.
During photosynthesis, CO2is
sequestered from the atmosphere,
while oxygen is released as a
byproduct.
is a CO2 sink, and therefore, an
important part of the carbon cycle.
Sunlight is necessary for life.
Things to ponder…
• Do the four subsystems work
independently or interdependently?
The Water Cycle
The oceans and water bodies absorb
the sun’s energy and warm
up. Transpiration by trees and
Evaporation of surface water occurs.
The water vapor in the atmosphere
condenses (condensation) to form rain
clouds and comes down as rain
(precipitation). The rains fall back on
land and into water bodies (run-off)
again and they all run back into the
ocean for the cycle to continue. A
complete water cycle takes time. Other
spheres are impacted in many ways
during the water cycle.
Think of the many ways that the
hydrosphere and the atmosphere
connect. Evaporation from the
hydrosphere provides the medium for
cloud and rain formation in the
atmosphere. The atmosphere brings
back rainwater to the hydrosphere.
In what way do the geosphere and
hydrosphere connect? Water provides
the moisture and medium for weathering
and erosion of rocks in the geosphere.
The geosphere, in turn, provides the
platform for ice melts and water bodies
to flow back into the oceans.
The atmosphere provides the
geosphere with heat and energy
needed for rock breakdown and
erosion. The geosphere, in turn, reflects
the sun’s energy back into the
atmosphere.
The biosphere receives gasses, heat,
and sunlight (energy) from the
atmosphere. It receives water from
the hydrosphere and a living medium
from the geosphere.
The Earth is a dynamic planet.
Geological and biological processes
cause energy and the elements
necessary for life-carbon, hydrogen,
nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and
phosphorus- to circulate through global
 “reservoirs.” These reservoirs are the
biosphere (the living portion of our
planet), the atmosphere, the ocean, and
the solid Earth. It is only because of this
cycling that life can thrive. The cycling of
elements determines the environment,
for example by regulating the
composition, and thus the temperature,
of the atmosphere.

• Reading Assignment

• Read about the following:

• Water Cycle, Carbon Cycle and

Nitrogen Cycle

• Take note of the processes involved on

each cycle and their meaning

• Highlight the involvement of the four

subsystems in those processes of each
cycle.

• Guide Questions
• How does each subsystem affect or
interact with one another?

• What are the natural processes that show

these interactions between two of the four
subsystems?