EARTH'S SUBSYSTEMS

BY ARBI A. ASPA
 EARTH'S
SUBSYSTEMS

Earth is composed of four basic subsystems; 

Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Geosphere, and Biosphere.
It may be important to note that humans are not part of
the biosphere, and that human lives depend on the
interaction of the four subsystems. 
ATMOSPHERE

Earth’s atmosphere is so much

more than the air we breathe. A
trip from the surface of Earth to
outer space would result in
passing through five different
layers, each with very different
characteristics.
• Troposphere is the atmospheric layer closest to the surface of the earth. It is four to 12 miles thick and
contains about half of the entire atmosphere!
• Stratosphere starts above the Troposphere and extends to about 31 miles above the Earth’s surface.
• Ozone is the layer of three oxygen atoms that shields the earth’s surface from the sun’s harsh rays.
• Mesosphere. This layer starts at 31 miles above Earth’s surface and ends at about 53 miles.
• These below freezing temperatures occur in the top parts of the Mesosphere called the Mesopause.
• A meteor is piece of rock or matter that has been broken off in space and travels through the
atmosphere. When they cross the Mesosphere, friction and momentum cause the meteor to burn up and
appear as a light crossing the sky.
• Thermosphere. The Thermosphere begins at around 56 miles above the Earth’s surface and ends
anywhere between 310 and 620 miles.
•  The fifth and highest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere is the Exosphere.
HYDROSPHERE

• What is Hydrosphere?
• The hydrosphere is the combined mass of water
found on, under, and above the surface of the earth.
It has been estimated that there are 1386 million
cubic kilometres of water on earth. This includes
water in liquid and frozen forms in groundwater,
oceans, lakes and streams. Approximately 75% of
Earth’s surface, an area of some 361 million square
kilometres, is covered by ocean.
GEOSPHERE
• THE GEOSPHERE​
• THE GEOSPHERE INCLUDES THE ROCKS
AND MINERALS ON EARTH – FROM
THE MOLTEN ROCK AND HEAVY METALS IN
THE DEEP INTERIOR OF THE PLANET TO
THE SAND ON BEACHES AND PEAKS OF
MOUNTAINS. THE GEOSPHERE ALSO
INCLUDES THE ABIOTIC (NON-LIVING)
PARTS OF SOILS AND THE SKELETONS OF
ANIMALS THAT MAY BECOME FOSSILIZED
OVER GEOLOGIC TIME.​
BIOSPHERE

• Biosphere
• The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where
life exists. The biosphere extends from the deepest
root systems of trees to the dark environment of
ocean trenches, to lush rain forests and high
mountaintops.