Earth Subsystems

2. The physical environment of
our Earth is traditionally divided
into four major spheres:
 hydrosphere – water portion
 atmosphere – gaseous envelop
 geosphere – the solid part
 biosphere – life on earth

3. HYDROSPHERE
- is the total amount of
water found on Earth.
- covers 70% of the entire
surface of Earth, and most of
it is ocean water.

4. - This includes water in
various forms-whether in ice,
vapor or liquid found on or
below the surface of Earth
and in gas in the atmosphere.

5. - is a dynamic mass of
water that is continuously
moving, evaporating from the
oceans to the atmosphere,
precipitating to the land and
returning to the ocean.

7. The hydrosphere also
includes the fresh water
found in:
 streams
 lakes
 glaciers
 underground

8. ATMOSPHERE
- blanket of air provide us
with air that we breath.
- it composed of 78%
nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1%
other gases such as carbon
dioxide, argon and water vapor.

9. - it also protects us from the
sun’s dangerous ultraviolet
radiation. The energy exchanges
that continually occur between
the atmosphere and Earth’s
surface and between the
atmosphere and space produce
our weather and climate.

10. Layers of the atmosphere:
 troposphere
 stratosphere
 mesosphere
 thermosphere
 exosphere

12. GEOSPHERE
- is the solid portion of the Earth
that includes:
• interior structure
• rocks and minerals
• landforms
• down to the deep depths of the
core
• processes that shapes Earth’s
surface

13. - all continents and the
ocean floor are also
considered part of the
geosphere
- Scientists that study this
part of Earth are called
geologists

14. Soil
- the thin layer of material
on the surface, supports the
growth of plants.
- it contains the solid
portion, a mixture of weathered
rock and organic matter from
decayed plants and animals.

16. BIOSPHERE
- includes all life on Earth.
- ocean life is concentrated
in the sunlit waters of the sea.
Most life is on the surface, with
tree roots and borrowing
animals reaching a few meters
underground.

19. The Earth’s compositional
(density) differences resulted
in the formation of three
layers – the crust, mantle and
the core. Based on the
physical properties, Earth is
also divided into layers.

21. Crust
- is the thin, topmost of the
Earth.
Crust is divided into two layers:
 Sial – uppermost layer whose
named is derived from the first
two letters of the most
abundant elements found in it,
silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al).

22.  Sima – is the lower crust
made up mostly of silicon (Si)
and magnesium (Mg).
The earth’s thin rocky
crust is of two different types:
 continental crust
 oceanic crust

23. Continental crust – averages
about 35 kilometers thick
and exceeds 70 kilometers in
mountainous regions.
Oceanic crust – is roughly 7
kilometers thick and
composed of the dark igneous
rock basalt.

24. Mantle
- is made of solid rock
- is the largest part of the
Earth and makes up 84% of
Earth’s total volume.
- it lies between the
extremely hot core and the thin
outer layer, the crust.

25. Core
- is made up of iron (Fe) and
nickel (Ni)
- the iron in the outer core is
in liquid form, which is why the
iron core to be liquid while the
inner core is solid.

26. Core
- is made up of iron (Fe) and
nickel (Ni)
- the iron in the outer core is
in liquid form, which is why the
iron core to be liquid while the
inner core is solid.

27. - iron is particularly important
because it is the primary source
of Earth’s magnetic field.