The Earth System is all matter, energy, and processes in and on Earth. It can be divided into five main parts:

1. Geosphere

2. Hydrosphere

3. Cryosphere

4. Biosphere ​

5. Atmosphere

Notes: What is the Earth System?

​Earth is made up of interlocking spheres.

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​That is, while each sphere contains only one type of thing (air, water, ground, ice, life) they work together and mix together.

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It is all one planet, after all!

The Geosphere, aka. lithosphere, is the solid non-living matter on Earth, from the core to the mountains. It is divided into 3 layers:

1. the crust

2. the mantle

3. the core

Notes: What is the Geosphere?

​What belongs in the Geosphere?

• ​rocks

• ​soil

• ​crystals

• ​mountains

• ​magma and lava

The Hydrosphere contains all of the liquid water in the Earth System, from the deepest reservoirs underground to the ocean to the clouds of condensation in the sky.

The Hydrosphere connects all of the Earth's Spheres through the Water Cycle.

The Water Cycle is the continuous movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, and runoff.

Notes: What is the Hydrosphere?

​What belongs in the Hydrosphere?

• lakes

• ​rivers

• ​oceans

• ​rain

• ​groundwater

• The homogenous mixture of gases that we commonly refer to as air is the atmosphere.
  It consists of 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% of other gases.

• It shields the Earth from radiation and insulates the Earth to regulate our temperature.

• It is made up of four layers:

  1. The Troposphere (where we live and exist),

  2. the Stratosphere (where the Ozone layer is),

  3. the Mesosphere (where meteors burn up), and the

  4. Thermosphere (where the temperature increases because of the amount of solar radiation that it absorbs).

Notes: What is the Atmosphere?

​What belongs in the Atmosphere?

• clouds

• ​fog

• ​oxygen

• ​all the gases

Notes: What is the Cryosphere?

Includes water in solid form (ice).

Examples: sea ice, lake ice, river ice, snow cover, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, and frozen ground.

Thus, there is a wide overlap with the hydrosphere.

​What belongs in the Cryosphere?

• ​ice

• snow

• glaciers

• icebergs

• all the ice on Earth

Notes: What is the Biosphere?

• The biosphere of earth includes all living things on planet Earth like animals, plants and microorganisms. 

• There are different ecological communities divided in six main biomes which are desert, aquatic, forest, grassland, tundra and chaparral.

•  It is the biggest one of all spheres of earth.

​What belongs in the Biosphere?

• plants

• animals

• bacteria

• fungi

• all living things

• Weather is the atmospheric conditions in a specific area at a specific time (AKA SHORT TERM)

• Climate refers to the AVERAGE atmospheric conditions in a specific area OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.

These conditions can vary based on the interactions between the atmosphere and hydrosphere, and over time these can drive the biosphere in different directions

Notes: How do Earth's Spheres Interact?

​How do the spheres interact?

​Here are some examples:

1. ​Deer drink water.

2. ​Fish breathe air.

3. ​Trees make oxygen.

4. ​Birds fly in the air.

​They are connected!