PURPOSE OF BODY’S

SYSTEMS
The Earth System
Terrarium
 The Earth System
 “Earth is a complex
system of interacting
physical, chemical and
biological processes,
and provides a natural
laboratory whose
experiments have been
running since the
beginning of time.”

NASA
http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/earthsystem/nutshell/
 Earth As A Closed System

Closed system: exchange of energy but negligible

exchange of mass with surroundings
 Earth System Science

 Earth is a dynamic body

with many separate, but
highly interacting parts or
spheres.
 Earth system science
studies Earth as a system
composed of numerous
parts, or subsystems.
  

The Earth System

The Earth’s Four Spheres
 Earth’s Four Spheres

The Earth is a system consisting of four major

interacting components:

Geosphere: comprises the solid Earth and includes

both Earth’s surface and the various layers of the
Earth's interior.
Atmosphere: gaseous envelope that surrounds the
Earth and constitutes the transition from ground
to the vacuum of space
Hydrosphere: includes all water on Earth (including
surface water and groundwater)
Biosphere: the life zone of the Earth and includes all
living organisms, and all organic matter that has
not yet decomposed.
Overlapping Cycles in the Earth System
 The Atmosphere
The Earth is surrounded by a blanket
of air, which we call the atmosphere.
•The atmosphere consists of four
unique layers (the troposphere, the
stratosphere, the mesosphere, and the
thermosphere).
•The atmosphere reaches over 560
kilometers (348 miles) up from the
surface of the Earth.
•The atmosphere is primarily
composed of nitrogen (about 78%) and
oxygen (about 21%). Other
components exist in small quantities.
 Atmosphere
• consists of a mixture of gases composed primarily of

nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour

•The mesosphere,
thermosphere, and
exosphere are zones of
diffuse atmospheric
components in the far
reaches of the
atmosphere.

The stratosphere
(10 to 50 km),
•The troposphere (0-10 contains ozone that
km) constitutes the protects life on the
climate system that planet by filtering
maintains the conditions harmful ultraviolet
suitable for life on the radiation from the
planet's surface. Sun.
Atmosphere: Interactions with other Earth System components

Hydrosphere: The gases of the atmosphere

readily exchange with those dissolved in water
bodies (e.g. oceans, lakes, etc.)

Biosphere: The atmosphere supplies oxygen and

carbon dioxide that form the basis of life
processes (photosynthesis and respiration).

Geosphere: Gases in the atmosphere react with

water to produce weak acids that aid in the
breakdown of rock.
 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.

Hydrosphere

Atmosphere Geosphere

Biosphere
 The Biosphere
The biosphere is the “life zone” of the Earth, and includes all
living organisms (including humans), and all organic matter that has not
yet decomposed.
•The biosphere is structured into a hierarchy known as the food chain
(all life is dependant on the first tier – mainly the primary producers that
are capable of photosynthesis).
•Energy and mass is transferred from one level of the food chain to the
next.
Biosphere: Interactions with other Earth System components

Atmosphere: Life processes involve a many chemical

reactions which either extract or emit gases to and from the
atmosphere (e.g. photosynthesis consumes carbon dioxide
and releases oxygen, whereas respiration does the
opposite).

Hydrosphere: Evaporation of water from leaf surfaces ()

transfers water to the atmosphere. Transpiration

Geosphere: The biosphere is connected to the geosphere

through soils (mixtures of air, mineral matter, organic matter,
and water). Plant activity (e.g. root growth and organic acid
production) are also for the mechanical and chemical
breakdown of the rocks.
 Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere contains all the water
found on our planet.
• Water found on the surface of our planet
includes the ocean as well as water from lakes
and rivers, streams, and creeks.
• Water found under the surface of our planet
includes water trapped in the soil and
groundwater.
•Water found in our atmosphere includes
water vapor.
•Frozen water on our planet includes ice caps
and glaciers.
• Only about 3% of the water on Earth is
“fresh” water, and about 70% of the fresh http://water.tamu.edu/watercycle.html
water is frozen in the form of glacial ice.
Subcomponents of hydrosphere are
connected via the hydrologic cycle
Hydrosphere: Interactions with other Earth System components

Atmosphere: Water is transferred between the hydrosphere

and biosphere by evaporation and precipitation. Energy is
also exchanged in this process.

Biosphere: Water is necessary for the transport of nutrients

and waste products in organisms.

Geosphere: Water is the primary agent for the chemical and

mechanical breakdown of rock (weathering), to form loose
rock fragments and soil, and sculpts the surface of the
Earth.
 Geosphere
The geosphere is the solid
Earth that includes the continental
and ocean crust as well the various
layers of Earth’s interior.
•94% of the Earth is composed of
the elements oxygen, silicon, and
magnesium.
•The geopsphere is not static
(unchanging), but its surface
(crust) is in a constant state of
motion.
•Mineral resources are mined from
the geosphere.
http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Geosphere.html
 Earth’s Layers: Composition and Mechanical Characteristics
Composition Physical Characteristics
crust Primarily silica
lithosphere brittle solid
plus light asthenosphere solid (but
metallic nearly
elements liquid)

mantle
mesosphere solid
Primarily
silica plus
iron and
magnesium

outer core liquid

Primarily iron
core and nickel
inner core solid

Note: Lithosphere contains both crust and uppermost (brittle) layer of mantle
Geosphere: Interactions with other Earth System components

Atmosphere: volcanism spews significant amounts of gases

into the atmosphere. For example, volcanoes inject large
amounts of sulphur dioxide to the upper atmosphere, resulting
in global cooling.

Hydrosphere: The formation of many minerals involve

incorporation or release of water. Also, water speeds up
chemical reactions that produce or destroy minerals, and aids
in the melting of rock.

Biosphere: Nutrients released from rocks during their

breakdown are dissolved in water (to be used by aquatic
plants).
 System Interactions
Volcanoes (geosphere) erupt,
sending ash and gases into the
air (atmosphere) and sending
lava and ash down onto
surrounding forests (biosphere)
and human habitations
(biosphere).

Geosphere

Atmosphere Biosphere
 System Interactions
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).

Biosphere

Geosphere Atmosphere

Hydrosphere
 Where Do Humans Fit In ?

As components of the biosphere, humans are temporary

receptacles of the matter and energy that flows through the
Earth System

“You are what you eat, drink, and breathe”

Human health is, to some degree, a function of how this

flow of matter and energy flows through, and interacts with,
the human body

In many cases, problems of human health are

fundamentally linked to the natural distribution of Earth
materials
The Bottom Line

Considerations on how processes within the Earth

System interact are extremely important in the
understanding of the real world !

Understanding physical and chemical processes in

the Earth System is as important as
understanding biological entities in terms of
understanding biological systems (all are
connected)
 Homework
 Give two examples of how the Earth system’s four
parts can interact with each other.
 Example: Animals (biosphere) can wear paths in
Earth’s surface (geosphere).
 Identify the parts involved in the following
scenarios:
 Wind blows a sailboat across a lake.
 A bear digs under a log to search for food.
 Date of submission: Friday