THE FOUR

SUBSYSTEMS
OF EARTH
 Earth is essentially a closed
system

Closed system
 a physical system that allows the

exchange of heat or energy and no

exchange of matter in or out of the
system.
 THE FOUR SUBSYSTEMS OF EARTH

1. ATMOSPHERE

 Comes from the Greek word atmo-, meaning

“vapor” or “steam.”
 A very thin, life-giving gaseous envelope.
 Makes up all of the gases on our planet.
 It provides the air that we breathe and protects us
from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
 Composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.04%
carbon dioxide, 0.09% argon, and trace gases such as
nitrous oxides, methane, and ozone, which account
for about a tenth of one percent of the atmosphere.
Water vapor varies from 0-4% of the atmosphere.
 Different Layers of the Atmosphere
a.) Troposphere
 Starts at ground level where we live, and it

extends upward to about 10 km above sea

level.
 99% of the water vapor is deposited in this

region, and nearby all of the weather

conditions that we experience occur here.
 Earth’s surface is a primary source of heat for

the troposphere.
 Temperature can reach 50°C, depending on the

season and where you are located on Earth.

b.) Stratosphere
 Extends up to a height of 10-50 km with a

temperature range from -5°C to 0°C because 90%

of all the ozone in the atmosphere is found within
this layer.

c.) Mesosphere
 The coldest layer of the atmosphere, with a

temperature as low as about -15°C near the bottom

and -90°C near the top of this layer.
 It extends from about 85 km above the

stratosphere.
 The gases in this layer are dense enough to slow

down meteors hurtling into this layer.

d.) Thermosphere
 Starts right above the mesosphere and extends up

to 600 km high.
 The harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun is

absorbed in this layer, raising its temperature to

hundreds or at times thousands of degrees ranging
from about 500°C to 2000°C or higher.
 The aurora, also known as the northern and southern

lights, is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the

atmosphere.
e.) Exosphere
 The upper limit of the atmosphere. Extends

from the top of the thermosphere up to 10000

km, with a temperature of 2000°C or higher.
 Many of the man-made satellites orbit Earth

within this layer, and atoms and molecules

found in this layer eventually escape into
space.
The Importance of the Atmosphere
Atmospheric circulation is one of the most
important processes in which the heat on the
surface of Earth is redistributed. The hydrologic
cycle also occurs in the atmosphere, where a
constant exchange of heat and moisture occurs
between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere.
 THE FOUR SUBSYSTEMS OF EARTH

2. HYDROSPHERE
 Comes from the Greek word hydro, meaning

“water”.
 It is a dynamic mass of water that accounts for

97% of Earth’s water. It is composed of all the

water on the surface of the planet, underground,
and in the atmosphere in the form of water
vapor, as well as liquid water and ice.
 The frozen part of Earth’s hydrosphere, also

called the cryosphere, is made of ice, such as

glaciers, ice caps, and icebergs.
The Importance of the Hydrosphere
 It sustains various life-forms and plays a key role
in ecosystems and in regulating the atmosphere.
 Liquid water is the essential component of Earth
for the existence of life.
 Responsible for forming and sculpting various
landforms such as valleys and canyons.
 The oceans are important basins for carbon
dioxide through direct exchange with the
atmosphere and indirectly through the
weathering process of rock formation. Ocean
circulation allows heat to be absorbed and
redistributed on the surface of Earth.
 THE FOUR SUBSYSTEMS OF EARTH

3. GEOSPHERE
 Comes from the Greek word geo, meaning

“ground”.
 Refers to the solid part of Earth that includes

the soil, rocks, and minerals present in Earth’s

crust, mantle and core.
 The Main Components of the Geosphere
a.) Crust
 The thinnest layer of the geosphere.
 Divided into two: Oceanic crust
Continental crust
Oceanic crust
o exists in the oceanic basins.

o 5-10 km thick

Continental crust
o Approximately 10-70 km thick and brittle due to

earthquakes that occur in this part of the geosphere. It

stretches from the upper surface of Earth’s solid rigid outer
layer known as the lithosphere.
o Lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates with boundaries,

where the plates collide, diverge, or grind past.

b.) Mantle
 The thickest part of the geosphere,

approximately 2900 km thick.

 composed of silicates, elements such as iron,
aluminum, calcium, sodium, and potassium.
 The temperature of the rocks in this region is at

3700°C.
 Composed of the upper mantle called the

asthenosphere, made of viscous, ductile, semisolid

material, which powers the movement of
tectonic plates.
 Lower mantle is in a solid phase. It is

responsible for all of Earth’s volcanic and

seismic activities.
c.) Core
 Outer core – is 2300 km in thickness, and
its temperature is approximately 4000-5000°C.
- this layer is in a liquid
phase, comprising mainly of nickel and
iron in a molten state.
 Inner core – it is in a solid phase, with 1200 km
thick, with a temperature range between 5000°C
and 7000°C.
- composed mostly of iron and is the
densest part of the geosphere.
The Importance of the Geosphere
 It is very essential in Earth’s systems, affecting
the atmosphere and the oceans, as well as
critical processes such as the water and the
biogeochemical cycles. Also, it gives us natural
heat from Earth’s core. It harnesses geothermal
energy used to generate electricity.
 According to the data provided by the
International Geothermal Association (IGA),
The Philippines ranks second to the United
States in the production of thermal energy.
 THE FOUR SUBSYSTEMS OF EARTH

4. BIOSPHERE
 Comes from the Greek word bio, meaning

“life”.
 Also called the zone of life.

 It is the entirety of life-forms and is an equally

integral part of Earth’s systems.

 Composed of all living things, which include

microbes, plants, and animals, and the areas

where they are found.
 It measures approximately 20 km from the top
to the bottom of Earth.
 The biosphere interlinks with all the
subsystems because life exists on the ground,
in the air, and in the water.
 Five levels of Organization in the
Biosphere.
a.) Biome
 Contains the regions of the biosphere, which

includes the aquatic areas, the desert, the forest,

the grassland, and the tundra.
b.) Ecosystem
 Includes biotic factors such as animals, plants,

and microbes, as well as abiotic factors such as

gases and minerals.
 Ecosystems are classified based on the interaction

and the transfer of energy between the organisms

and their environment.
c.) Community
 Composed of multiple populations of species

that inhabit a certain area or environment.

 The communities in a particular location are

limited to species that can survive given the

region’s abiotic and biotic factors.
d.) Population
 Includes all members of a single species living

in a particular habitat.
e.) Organism
 Any individual interdependent system that

exhibits the properties of life, such as the

capacity to react to stimuli, reproduce, grow,
adapt, and maintain homeostasis.
 Considered as either autotrophs, such as

plants, which are capable of producing their

own food to obtain energy, or heterotrophs,
such as animals, which consume other
organisms to obtain energy.
Importance of the Sun to the Biosphere

 The constant input of energy from the sun

sustains the process of life. Sunlight enables
organisms such as plants, algae, and
cyanobacteria to convert carbon dioxide and
water into organic compounds such as
carbohydrates in the process of photosynthesis.
 How do these subsystems interact with
each other?
 The geosphere impacts the atmosphere when
geological processes such as volcanic eruptions
release gases into the atmosphere. Surface
processes such as erosion and weathering
happen when precipitation, a process in the
water cycle, takes place.
 The hydrosphere and the atmosphere interact
during the water cycle, which delivers liquid
water to sustain various life-forms in the
biosphere.
 An interaction between the atmosphere and the
biosphere occurs during the photosynthesis-
respiration cycle, where the exchange of carbon
dioxide and oxygen take place.
 The biosphere also influences the amounts of
some greenhouse gases due to natural and
human activities that impact the climate of
Earth, resulting in global warming.
 The greenhouse effect
 The warming of Earth’s atmosphere occurs
when solar radiation enters Earth and is
reflected back to the atmosphere as infrared
radiation.
 The greenhouse effect is the buildup of heat-
trapping gases known as the greenhouse gases
(carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and
ozone), which trap the infrared radiation,
preventing their release back to space.
Earth: The only planet known to Sustain
Life in the Solar System

 Earth is located within the habitable zone. The

habitable zone or the Goldilocks zone is the
planet’s distance from a star where the
temperature is just right to enable liquid water
to exist in its surface. Water is an integral
ingredient for life.
 Stable location, stable sun, Earth’s core and
mantle and Earth’s atmosphere.