EARTH’S SUBSYSTEMS

In your of Earth, you found out that our planet is dynamic, and each part
of Earth – land, water, air and life – are interconnected and continuously
interact with one another The interactivity parts that form a complex
whole define a system.
The interacting parts in Earth’s system called SUBSYSTEM.
There are four (4) subsystems of Earth, namely:
1. lithosphere, 2. atmosphere, 3. hydrosphere 4. biosphere
Lithosphere
• It is a solid outer section of the Earth.
• It includes the entire Earth’s crust and the rigid upper mantle.
• It is not a continuous layer. It is divided into a number of huge plates that move in
relation to one another
The continents are all locked up into a huge landmass called PANGAEA.
ALFRED WEGENER –He proposed and believed that at the beginning, the continents are all
locked up into a huge landmass.
• The plates broke apart and gradually drifted to their present position.
• Do you know that the plates drift sideways at the rate of 12 cm per year?
• This seems to be slow but imagine how much the plate have move in 100 yrs., 1000 yrs.,
or million years.
• The large-scale movement of the Erath’s plates is explained by the TECTONIC PLATE
THEORY.
THE PLATE TECTONIC THEORY – proposes that the lithosphere is divided
into major plates and the smaller plates resting upon the lower soft
layer asthenosphere. The mechanism of movement is probably related
to the convection current within the mantle.

BOUNDARY – it is the boarder between the tectonic plates.

Each tectonic plate moves in different direction, because of these
differences, the tectonic plate boundaries are grouped into tree main
types.
THREE MAIN TYPES OF TECTONIC PLATE BOUNDARIES:
1. CONVERGENT BOUNDARY 2. DIVERGENT BOUNDARY 3. TRANSFORM
BOUNDARY
ATMOSPHERE
*The early ATMOSPHERE that was very inhospitable.
*It is characterized by frequent asteroid and meteorites bombardment as well
as frequent volcanic eruptions. The temperature also was very high, causing
hydrogen (H) and Helium (He) to escape into outer space.
NOTE:
• The evolution, development and growth of life increased the quantity of
oxygen in the atmosphere
• Since there was enough oxygen in the atmosphere, ozone (O3) layer
protected terrestrial life developed and flourished.
• *at the present the atmosphere is mainly composed of nitrogen and oxygen
with trace amount of several gases,
• ATMOSPHERE IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL LAYERS BASED ON TEMPERATURE:
1. Troposphere 2. stratosphere 3. mesosphere 4. thermosphere 5. exosphere
• TROPOSPHERE – it is the lowest layer of the atmosphere
- it contain about 80% of the total mass of the atmosphere.
- most of the water vapor at the atmosphere is found in this layer.
- All weathered- associated cloud types are found in the TROPOSPHERE.
-The troposphere extends from earth’s surface to an average height of about
12 km, 9 km, at the poles and 17 km at the equator.
- Temperature decreases as the altitude increases because at higher altitude
the atmosphere becomes thinner and absorbs less solar radiation.
TROPOPAUSE – the temperature stops decreasing at this level, which is found
at the top of the troposphere.
- the lowest part of the troposphere ( Earth’s surface) is the warmest part.
STRATOSPHERE
• It is above the tropopause, the second lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere
• The layer extends from the top of the troposphere at 12 km above Earth’s
surface to the stratopause, with an altitude of 50 km.
• The temperature increases the altitude increases in the stratosphere due to
the presence of ozone (O3).
• OZONE- absorbs the ultraviolet rays from the sun and releases some of this
energy in the stratosphere.
• OZONE- it protects life on Earth’s on Earth by absorbing the ultraviolet
radiation.
• Stratosphere also the layer where jet planes fly.
• The stratosphere lacks the weather-producing air turbulence and is almost
completely free of clouds and other forms of weather.
MESOSPHERE
• It is the third layer of the atmosphere.
• It extends from the stratopause at an altitude of 50 km to the
mesopause at around 80 km.
• The temperature decreases as the altitude increases.
• The upper mesosphere is the coldest region in the atmosphere
• This layer protects Earth from the Meteoroids. Most meteoroids that
enter the atmosphere burn up due to intense friction that builds up
between the air and the meteoroid.
• Burning meteoroid are seen on Earth as “shooting stars” or “ burning
meteors”.
• The meteoroids that manage to reach the Earth are called METEORITES.
 THERMOSPHERE
• It is the second highest layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
• It extends from the mesopause at an altude of 80 km to the thermosphere at around 700 km.
• Beyond the mesosphere is the thermosphere.
• The temperature increases as the altitude increases.
• Nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) absorb a great deal of ultraviolet radiation and turn it into
heat.
• The temperature in this layer can rise to as high as 1500 degrees Celsius.
• IONOSPHERE- the portion of the thermosphere between 80 km and 550 km above the Earth.
• IONOSPHERE- it is a layer of highly ionized gas.
• IONIZED GAS- is formed when ultraviolet rays knock off electron from nitrogen and oxygen.
• This layer of IONOSPHERE reflects ordinary radio waves back to Earth over and over.
• The layer of Ionosphere that reflect radio waves is called KENNELLY-HEAVISIDE LAYER.
EXOSPHERE

• It is the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere.

• It extends at about 700 km to about 1000 km above sea level.
• Most of the orbiting satellites, as well as the low densities elements like
hydrogen and helium are found in this layer.
- END OF THE LAYER OF THE ATMOSPHERE-
HYDROSPHERE

From the previous lesson, you learned that in Earth’s history, the
volcanic eruptions spewed gases, such as water, carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide and other gases. As Earth cooled, water vapor
condensed to form the early ocean, while the other gases remained in
the gaseous state and made up the early atmosphere.
The term OCEAN and SEA are often used unteachably.
*As SEA is a part of the ocean that is partially surrounding a landform.
* OCEAN is a body of salt water with almost no boundaries and
limitless volume
OCEAN ZONE
Ocean may be divided into layers known ZONES. The ZONES may be 1.) horizontal ocean zone and 2.)
vertical ocean zone
*HORIZONTAL OCEAN ZONE– divide the ocean from the land to the sea.
- it consists of the coastal zone and the pelagic zone.
1. COASTAL ZONE- is the region in which the bottom is exposed during low tide and is covered
during high tide
- Animals that has adapted of this environment inclide sea stars, sea urchins, and some species of
coral.
2. PELAGIC ZONE- is located seaward of the coastal zone’s low tide mark.
- This always covered with water.
PELAGIC ZONE is divided into two 1.) Neritic zone and 2.) Oceanic zone
*Neritic zone it extends from the edge of the continental shelf and over the ocean floor. It is
characterized by zero visibility.
*Oceanic zone it lies above the continental shelf. It begins from the low tide mark outward from the
seashore and extends to the depth of 200 m. Sunlight penetrates the water.
- Many sea animals are found in this zone.
VERTICAL ZONE it divides the ocean based on depth, beginning at sea level to the deepest point in
the ocean. There are five zones. Each zones receives sunlight.
****** the five vertical zones*******
1. Epipelagic zone or sunlight zone (0-200 m depth) is the zone that gets a lot of sunlight,
resulting to an abundance of aquatic plants. The common animals found in this zone include
seals, sea turtles, sea lions, rays and sharks.
2. Mmesopelagic zone or twilight zone (200-1000 m depth) is characterized by dim light due to
limited amount of sunlight it receives.
- Only plants and lily fish, octopus and squid are found in this region.
3. Bathypelagic zone or midnight zone (1000-4000 m) does not receive any sunlight. Animals that
live here are LACK OF EYES.
- Some animals can be found in this area like viper fish, angler fish, striped eel and tripod fish.
4. Abyssopelagic or abyss (4000-6000 m) is described as deep sea. Most animals living in this area
are invertebrates, such as shrimps, small squid and hagfish.
5. Hadalpelagic zone or trenches (6000-bottom) is the deepest part of the ocean. This zone is
mostly found in the deep water trenches and canyons.
- Some animals exist here like sea cucumber and tube worms.
BIOSPHERE
• It contains the entirely of Earth’s living thing. It is sometimes referred to as the “zone of life”.
• It is the global ecological system integrating all living things and their relationship, including their interactions with the
elements of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and the atmosphere.
• The termed “biosphere” was coined by geologist EDWARD SUESS in 1875.
• The biosphere is divided into BIOMES.
• BIOMES are the world’s major communities.
** THE FOUR MAJOR BIOMES**
1. Aquatic it includes fresh water (ponds, lakes, rivers, etc.) and marine ( ocean, estuaries etc.) biomes.
-the aquatic region houses numerous species of plants and animals.
2. Forest it includes tropical, temperate and boreal forest, as well as taiga. Each part of forest has distinct features dominated
by grasses rather than large shrubs or trees.
3. Desert is characterized by low rainfall ( less than 50 cm/year). Most desert have specialized vegetation, as well as specialized
animals adapted to its condition.
4. Tundra is the coldest of all biomes. It has low biotic diversity and simple vegetation structure.
****FLOW OF MATTER IN THE BIOSPHERE*******
Movement of the substances through the biosphere is collectively known as BIOCHEMICAL CYCLE. The cycle shows the
movement of these substances from their non living reservoir through the various food chains of ecosystem and their return
to the oxygen, carbon dioxide-oxygen, and water cycle.
-END-