The Four Great Realms

The natural systems encountered in physical

geography
These are the
1. Atmosphere
2.Lithosphere
3. Hydrosphere and
4. The Biosphere.
Atmosphere
 Atmosphere
• The gaseous layer that surrounds the Earth.

• It receives heat and moisture from the surface and

redistributes them, returning some heat and all of
the moisture to the surface.

• It supplies vital elements needed to sustain life

forms.
Lithosphere
 Lithosphere
 This outermost solid layer of the Earth provides a
platform for most life-forms.
 The solid bedrock bears a shallow layer of soil in
which nutrient elements become available to
organisms.
 The surface of the lithosphere is sculpted into
landforms which provide varied habitats for
plants, animals, and humans.
Hydrosphere
 Hydrosphere
• The liquid realm of the Earth is principally the mass
of water in the world’s oceans.
• It also includes solid ice in mountain and continental
glaciers.
• Water occurs as a gaseous vapor, liquid droplets,
and solid ice crystals.
• In the lithosphere, water is found in the uppermost
layers in soils and in ground water reservoirs
Biosphere
 Biosphere
• Most of the biosphere is contained in the shallow
surface zone called the life layer.

• It includes the surface of the lands and the upper

100 meters of the ocean.

• On land, the life layer is the zone of interactions

among the biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.
 LAYERS
OF
ATMOSPHERE
 Atmosphere

The surrounding air of the Earth

 Layers of the atmosphere
• There are 4 layers in the atmosphere

• They are :-
 Troposphere

 Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Troposphere
• This is the layer that
is closest to the
surface of the earth
• It’s elevation ranges
from 0 to 10 km
 Stratosphere
• This layer sits on top
of the troposphere
• It’s elevation ranges
from 10 km to around
25 km
• This layer contains
the ozone layer,
which protects us
from harmful sunlight
Mesosphere
• This layer is above
the stratosphere
• It’s elevation ranges
from 25 to 100 km
 Thermosphere
• This is the highest layer
of the atmosphere
• It’s height ranges from
100 to 400 km
• This is where most small
meteorites burn up and is
also the location in the
atmosphere that the
northern lights occur
(aurora borealis)
Composition of Air

• There are many

different types of
gasses in the
atmosphere
• They include nitrogen,
oxygen, argon, carbon
dioxide and other
noble gasses
• The gas that is most
abundant is nitrogen