Earth is the third planet from the sun and the only known place to support life. Earth sciences study the solid Earth, its waters, and atmosphere in order to understand Earth's features and evolution. The lithosphere is Earth's solid outer layer including the upper mantle and crust. Earth's hydrosphere includes all water on the planet in liquid, vapor, or ice form in oceans, lakes, rivers, underground, and air. The atmosphere helps make life possible by providing air, shielding from UV rays, trapping heat, and preventing extreme temperature differences. The biosphere is where life exists on Earth from root systems to ocean trenches to rainforests and mountaintops.

1. EARTH SCIENCE

3. TERRESTRIAL PLANETS AND GAS
GIANTS

5. WHAT IS EARTH?
Earth is the planet we live on, one of eight planets in our solar
system and the only known place in the universe to support
life. Earth is the third planet from the sun, after Mercury and
Venus, and before Mars. It is about 150 million kilometers
from the Sun.

6. WHAT IS EARTH SCIENCE?
Earth sciences are the fields of study concerned with the
solid Earth, its waters, and the air that envelops it. They
include the geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric sciences
with the broad aim of understanding Earth's present
features and past evolution and using this knowledge to
benefit humankind.

9. THE LITHOSPHERE
The lithosphere is the solid, outer part of Earth. The
lithosphere includes the brittle upper portion of the
mantle and the crust, the outermost layers of Earth's
structure.

10. COMPARING THE LAND AND
WATER FROM SPACE

11. The hydrosphere
A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet.
The hydrosphere includes water that is on the surface of
the planet, underground, and in the air. A planet's
hydrosphere can be liquid, vapor, or ice. On Earth, liquid
water exists on the surface in the form of oceans, lakes,
and rivers.

12. Hydrosphere

13. Atmosphere
The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that
surrounds the Earth. It helps make life
possible by providing us with air to breathe,
shielding us from harmful ultraviolet (UV)
radiation coming from the Sun, trapping heat
to warm the planet, and preventing extreme
temperature differences between day and
night.

14. ATMOSPHERE

15. 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 rainforests and high
mountaintops.