SUBSYSTEMS OF THE

EARTH
The Four Spheres
Essential Questions

What are the How do these

four spheres spheres
of the Earth? interact?
 Biosphere

Lithosphere
System

Any entity that consists of interrelated parts or

components to form a unified whole
Subsystem

The functioning units of major system

Earth subsystems are open systems

• Open systems involve inputs and outputs of both

energy and matter.
• External inputs of matter are virtually nil. Because
earth is a closed system, humans face limits to their
available natural resources.
Open vs Closed System

• thermos is a closed system because it only allows

energy to enter and leave it; but not matter
(because it won't spill).
• example of open systems is a cup of coffee, when
compared to the thermos, it allow matter as well
as energy to enter and leave
ATMOSPHERE

The thin gaseous layer that

envelopes the lithosphere.
Composed of:
✓78% nitrogen (N)
✓21% oxygen (𝑂2 )
✓0.9% argon and trace amt. of
other gases
 ATMOSPHERE
TROPOSHERE
- Lowest layer of the atmosphere
- 10km above sea level
- Most clouds appear here
- Nearly all weather occur in the lowest
layer
- 99% of water vapor in the atmosphere is
found
- Air pressure drops and temperature gets
cold

STRATOSPHERE
- Extends from the top of the troposphere
to about 50km above the ground
- Infamous ozone layer is found
- Commercial jet fly in lower stratosphere
ATMOSPHERE
MESOSPHERE
- Extends to the height of 85km
- Meteors burns up here
- Coldest temperature on Earth’s
atmosphere, about -90 degree Celsius are
found near the top of this layer
- The air is far too thin to breath

THERMOSPHERE
- High energy of X-rays and UV radiation
from the Sun are absorbed here
- Is more like an outer space than part of the
atmosphere
- Many satellites orbit the Earth here
- Up to 800km above ground
- Hottest; upper thermosphere can reach
500 – 2000 degree Celsius or higher
- Aurora, the Northern and Southern lights
occur here
ATMOSPHERE

EXOSPHERE
- The actual final frontier of Earth gaseous
exchange
- Air here is very thin making this layer even
more space-like than thermosphere

IONOSPHERE
- Not a distinct layer
- Series of regions in parts of the
mesosphere and thermosphere
- Where high energy radiation from the Sun
knocked electron loose from their parent
atom and molecules hence the name ions
was formed
Biosphere

• Includes 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.
 HYDROSPHERE

Dynamic mass of water that is

continuously on the move
About 70% of the Earth is covered with
liquid water and much of it is in the
form of ocean water.
Only 3% is fresh water: 2/3 are in the
form of ice, and remaining 1/3 is present
in streams, lakes and groundwater
GEOSPHERE

• The Geosphere contains all of the cold,

hard solid land of the planet's crust
(surface), the semi-solid land
underneath the crust, and the liquid
land near the center of the planet
• Sometimes called lithosphere
HYDROSPHERE

▪ The hydrosphere contains all the solid,

liquid, and gaseous water of the planet.
▪ It ranges from 10 to 20 kilometers in
thickness.
▪ Ninety-seven percent of Earth's water is
salty.